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iPod Turns 10 Years Old Today
Ten years ago today, Steve Jobs took the stage and introduced the first iPod.
The portable music player is seen as being largely responsible for Apple's dramatic comeback over the past decade. It also led Apple down the path into the consumer electronics market. While the iPod has diminished in importance over the past few years, Apple's bottom line is now dominated by devices such as the iPhone and iPad.
Macworld provides a nice story detailing how the iPod came to be:
Behind every successful product lies a problem in search of a solution. The inspirational problem, in the iPod’s case, involved the pitiful state of the young MP3 player market in the late 1990s.Initial reaction to the iPod wasn't entirely favorable. Slashdot's famous reaction was "No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame." MacRumors was also around at the time as well, and much of the reader reaction was also negative. One commenter wrote:
Portable MP3 players had been around since the mid 1990s, but Apple found that every one on the market offered a lackluster user experience. Steve Jobs had a strong term for gadgets like that: “crap”. Everyone at Apple agreed.
All that hype for an MP3 player? Break-thru digital device? The Reality Distiortion Field™ is starting to warp Steve's mind if he thinks for one second that this thing is gonna take off.Of course, ten years later, the iPod has sold over 304 million units.
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96 months ago
The iPod is what eventually got me back into the Mac fold. I purchased it in December 2001, even before it officially worked with Windows. I remember XPlay, Ephpod, and other "hacks" to get it to work with Windows. I even purchased a Firewire PCI card for my Windows XP desktop to get it to run. Of course, I managed to mess up the drive the first time, and took it to one of the brand new Apple stores 40 miles away, where the Genius Bar representative happily restored it.
I do remember the early criticism. In some respects, it was like the reaction to the iPhone 4S. Apple products in many ways fail to meet the hype but then greatly exceed the hype at the same time, if that makes any sense. People are "disappointed" that whatever they release didn't meet some wild speculation, but then realize that it's a great product. It happened with the iPod, the iPhone, the MacBook Air, and the iPad. All were roundly criticized by many "experts."
I do remember the early criticism. In some respects, it was like the reaction to the iPhone 4S. Apple products in many ways fail to meet the hype but then greatly exceed the hype at the same time, if that makes any sense. People are "disappointed" that whatever they release didn't meet some wild speculation, but then realize that it's a great product. It happened with the iPod, the iPhone, the MacBook Air, and the iPad. All were roundly criticized by many "experts."
96 months ago
The iPod failed IMO.
A £400 device without video.
WTF was Jobs on?
I'm sure apples bank balance proves the iPod turned out to be a failure.
96 months ago
I hope all of those negative commenters eat some delicious crow today. Yum.
Wouldn't it be great if Steve Jobs, knowing this was coming, sent letters before his death with the negative reviews to the people who thought it would fail with a big picture of him smiling sitting on a pile of cash?:D
96 months ago
The iPod failed IMO.
A £400 device without video.
WTF was Jobs on?
hahahaha
96 months ago
I'm sure apples bank balance proves the iPod turned out to be a failure.
If the iPod hadn't dropped the price, FireWire requirement, and Mac exclusivity, then it wouldn't have taken off.
96 months ago
The iPod failed IMO.
A £400 device without video.
WTF was Jobs on?
...because in 2001, all the other MP3 players had video? From 2011 looking back, yes, you may have a point...but in 2001, it was not as lame as it appears in the rear view mirror....
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