The History of an iPod
The iPod has become an iconic gadget and completely transformed the way mainstream culture consumes music. What once was a beautifully engineered MP3 player has become a pocket computer capable of video recording, Web browsing and taking phone calls, defining a generation through its evolution.
Secrecy
Apple Computer has always had an addiction to secrecy, and the iPod is no exception and therefore the exact story is somewhat buried in urban legend.
ITunes
In looking for a way to entice sales of Macintosh computers, Apple licensed the digital jukebox software SoundJam MP, simplified it and turned it into the first incarnation of iTunes, introduced at the Macworld Expo in early 2001.
Digital Music Player
Looking to expand its portfolio into the gadget world, Wired reports Apple found digital cameras and camcorders to be fairly well produced but there lacked a decent digital music player. The MP3 scene was still quite new, and Napster was still running wild. The best shot at an MP3 player was a fairly hefty device called Nomad from Creative. So when the idea of creating a digital music player arose, Apple boss Steve Jobs jumped on the idea.
Taking Shape
Parts for the device were taken from many manufacturers, including Toshiba, Texas Instruments and Sony. The hardware blueprint was bought from startup Portal Player, and Apple drew upon its in-house computing groups to engineer the hardware, power supply and displays. The pieces came together naturally, forming its iconic shape similar to a deck of cards. The user interface was built upon cell phone OS developer Pixo's system, and the wheel controller came by suggestion of marketing head Phil Schiller.
Simplicity
After many mock-ups, Jobs would not settle for anything less than excellence. Insisting on complete and seamless integration with the iTunes application, Jobs told Fortune Magazine, "Plug it in. Whirrrrr. Done."
Introduction
All that was left was the naming of the device. A freelance copywriter hired to help introduce the product to the mainstream public by the name of Vinnie Chieco was reported to have come up with the iPod name, referring to something he would have seen in "2001: A Space Odyssey." And on Oct. 23, 2001, at a special event on the Apple campus, Jobs announced the iPod. Wired reports Jobs stepped up and addressed the reporters with, "This is a major, major breakthrough."
2001 to Present
Since the first generation of iPods were released, the music player has seen many reincarnations, with each getting smaller in physical size and larger in capacity. In 2004, color was introduced, with the ability to display photos along with a smaller version called the Mini. The Mini transformed into the Nano and the standard iPod became the Classic, and a tiny version lacking a screen became known as the Shuffle. In 2007, another iconic moment happened and changed the landscape again: the release of the iPhone. Completely touch-screen, touting a camera, video player and full-HTML Web browser, it took the mobile industry by storm and gave birth to the latest and greatest iPod, the iPod touch, capable of full 3-D interactive gaming, Internet browser and music playback.
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