California –On October 23, 2001, the CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, announced the creation of the iPod. 15 years later, this device has changed the concept of listening to music and transformed it into a whole new level.
With an initial price of 399 USD, the iPod had 5GB hard drive, it could carry up to 1,000 songs, and it was lighter than other music players in the market, with 2.4 inches wide, 4 inches tall and 3.4 inches thick. It could also be charged with an hour and the battery life was up to 10 hours.
Road to the iPod
In 1999, Apple Inc. bought SoundJam MP to Cassidy & Greene. The software consisted of synchronizing music between computers and music players. After its purchase, Jobs renamed it to iTunes and thought of the possibility to create a product easy to carry with.
The multimedia player, iTunes, is compatible with apple devices such as iMacs, iPods, iPhones, iPads and also with several Microsoft software such as Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10. Such tool allows synchronizing photos, videos, music and purchase music and whole albums online.
In the first week iTunes sold 1 million songs, just 9 months after its release, Apple premiered its first music player, the iPod, and different from other similar devices it had its own tool that facilitates the download of music.
Evolution of the iPod
The first portable device was premiered in 2001, the now called iPod Classic, consisted of a black and white screen, a scroll wheel, buttons around the scroll wheel, center button and storage to save up to 1,000 songs. In March 2002 Apple launched 10GB and 20GB 1G iPods for 499 USD.
By 2004, the company released a smaller model of the original iPod called iPod mini, it was available in 5 different colors and a click wheel to reset the menu.
In January 2005, Apple presented iPod Shuffle a device with 1GB storage with no screen. Months after its release, the company increased its capacity to 4GB. Later the company launched models with 1GB capacity.
Apple launched its 5G device in October of 2005, this new product added a color screen where even music videos could be watched from the music player and changed the concept of only listening to music but also to download all kinds of videos.
By 2006 a new iPod came the iPod nano, the company intended to release a device with 1G capacity so it would me more accessible for the customers.
The first iPod touch was launched on September 5, 2007, this device was all tactile and it is the predecessor of the iPhone. With iPod touch, it was now possible to connect to WiFi and download music directly from the device.
Since 2014 the iPod Classic is discontinued, the website of the company still sell and produce Ipod Nano, Ipod Shuffle, and iPod Touch.
Source: The Verge