As of today (23 October in USA time-zone), the Apple iPod series has just turned 15 years old. It has sure come a long way since its debut in 2001 when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPod model, and although it has faded away slowly due to the popularity of smartphones, we take a quick look back on its journey from 2001 until today.
The iPod 2001 - Monotone display, 5GB of internal storage, an actual mechanical scrolling wheel and can only sync to Mac, this is a device that definitely won't work in this modern age, but back then, it was a breakthrough as it was seen as a compact audio player and has friendly user interface.
The next iPod won't come until two years later, the third generation iPod allowed users to sync to Windows as well as iTune Music Store, providing music lovers with a platform an easier way to fill up their iPod with songs (legally).
Next, the iPod mini got a drastic makeover as it became slimmer and it was the most memorable to most iPod users. It was also the least expensive iPod with $249 (around RM1039), plus the first model to have a click wheel, with buttons hiding underneath the rotatable interface which became the staple of the iPod until 2014.
In 2005, Apple came up with the iPod Shuffle and it was odd that they decided to remove the display (probably to experiment), yes that's right, that also meant users have to shuffle their songs randomly to choose one. You might think this is a dumb idea, but for some reason, it is one of Apple's long-lasting iPod products, this is probably due to the low-cost since the display is gone.
But Apple wasn't done yet, in the same year; they released the iPod nano which became the iPod mini new successor. It came with a colour display, and the body thickness was so thin that it could even fit into those tight jeans pocket.
Wait, there's more - a fifth-generation iPod was also released and it features video playback. The design also followed the first iPod original body look, but with a more modern look.
Following the next year (2006), Apple introduced the second-generation iPod shuffle. Like the iPod nano, the new iPod shuffle was small enough to just clip onto any article of clothing.
Then in 2007, the first ever iPhone came, the iPod also got a new radical design which would look like a lesser version of the iPhone, users with the iPod Touch could stream YouTube videos, surf online and view pictures. Ironically, no email viewing could be done then (lol).
In the same year, the iPod classic got another upgrade which was having 160GB worth of space. The outlook still looks the same, though, and later became discontinued by Apple in 2014.
Moving on, the sixth-generation iPod nano was released and featured the first touch-screen experience for the iPod. It could also be clip on the user's clothing, and can even be used as a "watch" with accessories made by third-party makers turning it into a "smartwatch".
As the fourth-generation in its line, the iPod shuffle is the smallest iPod product and as usual, it can be clip onto the user's shirt, featured physical buttons as well as spoken menus from the third-generation predecessor. Also, it only cost $49 (around RM204) that time, and the last iPod product to be released by Apple.
So there you have it, the 15 years legacy of the Apple iPod shuffle, mini, nano and classic. I personally never owned one before but I remember being impressed by the technology back then, do you still have one around? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more tech-savvy stuff at Technave.com!
[Source]
COMMENTS