iPod at 7: Still Going Strong

Original 5GB Apple iPod - October 2001

I was skeptical at first about the whole MP3 thing and of course portable music. Back in those days shortly after watching the drama unfold a few weeks earlier on September 11th. I work in Manhattan. Although many of you know me as the ‘techy-geeky’ person; I did not purchase my first iPod until November 2003! Man…. how my life has changed since then! It’s still hard to believe that there are millions who have yet to purchase their FIRST variation of an iPod! Clearly, sale and consumption of the iPod has NOT hit the proverbial ceiling.

Apple introduced the world to the iPod on October 23, 2001. Seven years later, that US$400 music player has grown into a full lineup of music and video devices that dominate the portable digital media player market and set the bar for all other media players. ITunes 2 was announced that day also.

Since its inception, Apple’s iPod has transitioned from a hard drive-based Mac only device to a cross-platform media player, added support for video playback, expanded to include flash memory-based models, and added models with touch-based interfaces.

Besides clicking the link above; here is a view to the October Apple event that launched this marvelous product on to the world!

Even more interesting are the MacRumor forums from that date seven years ago. The majority of the people were highly dissapointed that Apple annouced ‘yet another MP3 player’ for the market. The forums blasted Apple for announcing a ‘toy’. An ‘expensive toy’ at that! I wonder what these posters are reflecting about now ..seven years later.