WATERLOO - Four years after its release in 2001, Apple's iPod remains white hot.

Upon its debut, the iPod was something of a status symbol, much like Volkswagen Beetles and morning lattes.

If you were lucky enough to own one, your friends' eyes would widen and they'd ask to look at the gadget and touch its silky white shell. And thanks to those distinctive white ear phones, the whole world knew you were plugged in - to iPod and the latest technology to rock the pop culture world.

Time hasn't dulled the iPod's luster. Three weeks after the video iPod's release on Oct. 12, Apple announced that iTunes Music Store had sold more than one million videos, which came on the heels of the much-hyped September release of iPod Nano.

There is one notable change, though: The player has hit the mainstream, Best Buy spokesman Brian Lucas says. No longer is the player reserved for the young and hip.

"They appeal to a wide range of people," Lucas says. "The iPod has become a pretty accepted piece of technology. So when new ones come out, (people) maybe are not as intimidated by it as they are by other pieces of technology."

Shawn Wiseman, a University of Northern Iowa junior, recently purchased an iPod Nano. While his main motivation for buying an MP3 player was utilitarian - he was sick of hauling all his compact discs around - he chose an iPod because "I've seen tons of my friends with them … and it was the new thing."

While other products may be loaded with more features, like an FM radio and recording capabilities, iPods continue to capture the hearts and minds of more consumers than any other player because they look good and are easy to use.

UNI sophomore Joe Smith says he decided on an iPod because it is easy to search for and select songs.

"I looked at a Dell (player), but I didn't like their interface," he says.

Besides being user-friendly, Lucas says the little white rectangles are just plain pretty.

"It is a very aesthetically pleasing product. It looks cool, it feels good in your hands - It is a beautiful product," he says.

With the holiday season fast approaching, it may be tempting to buy an iPod because it is familiar, or to buy the Nano because it is the latest trend. But users should be sure the player matches their needs, Lucas says.

Will it be used in the car or while jogging? Will the user want to store most of a music collection on it? If the user purchases digital music, what kind of online music subscription service will the owner prefer?

"Don't just hear what the great new gadget is, try to figure out how the person you're giving it to is going to use it. It might be that the Nano is not the right technology for them," Lucas says.