Happy 9th Birthday iPod

[rdowns]

The iPods Rise and Fall

Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPod on Oct. 23, 2001, nine years ago today

Here are the stats:

Age: 9 years
Units sold: 278,545,000
Net sales: $47,833,000,000


Q1 2004: iTunes for Windows
Q4 2004: iPod mini, clickwheel, overseas expansion
Q2 2005: iPod shuffle
Q1 2006: iPod nano
Q1 2007: Entire line overhauled
Q1 2008: iPod touch

By 2006, the iPod was Apple's (AAPL) single largest source of revenue, bigger than the Mac. Today it accounts for less than 10%, eclipsed by the iPhone, the iPad and the resurgent Mac.

 

[GoCubsGo]

iPods are a fad. No one will ever pay that much for a music player. This too shall pass.

 

[rdowns]

Great just what the world needs, another freaking MP3 player. Go Steve! Where's the Newton?!

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Here's how the members of MR reacted at the time, in the infamous Thread 500. Enjoy!

Edit: same link as above. Posting with words takes too long...

 

[MacDawg]

Happy Birthday iPod!
I need to get a new one

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

Here's how the members of MR reacted at the time, in the infamous Thread 500. Enjoy!

Edit: same link as above. Posting with words takes too long...

So many sig worthy quotes from that thread!
Thanks for the laughs!

 

[GoCubsGo]

So many sig worthy quotes from that thread!
Thanks for the laughs!

The amount of personal insults in that thread are hilarious!

 

[lbro]

It seems like people say the same thing with every successful product apple introduces.

 

[Epsilon88]

It's unbelievable to read the response to the iPod's launch on MR. People were so skeptical.

 

[tablo13]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

When was MacRumors first launched? They were so skeptical, but now people call it "iPod" instead of "MP3 player".

 

[lbro]

When was MacRumors first launched? They were so skeptical, but now people call it "iPod" instead of "MP3 player".

I think MR started in late 2000.
EDIT:I mean early 2000. February 2000.

 

[ohaithar]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

I lol'd hard reading that thread.

 

[*LTD*]

I lol'd hard reading that thread.

A lot of our beloved MR geeks don't know sweet f all when it comes to the actual market, unfortunately. So the prevailing opinion of Apple products (especially upon release) on most tech sites is a worthless barometer. The stupidity is spread even thicker on Microsoft fansites. Not sure what there is to be a fan of when it comes to MS, but they do exist.

 

[Epsilon88]

It's funny, b/c there was a similar response to the iPad and even Macbook Air (new ones).

 

[lbro]

It's funny, b/c there was a similar response to the iPad and even Macbook Air (new ones).

Especially the iPad. What?!?!? It doesn't run OSX?!?!?

 

[Epsilon88]

Especially the iPad. What?!?!? It doesn't run OSX?!?!?

QFT.

 

[R94N]

Thanks for linking to that thread. It was quite funny

 

[roadbloc]

iPod was revolutionary. But that saying, it usually takes Apple until the 3rd/4th generation before they get a product right and good enough to buy. So, they were right to be sceptical.

iPad 4th gen... look out for it, everyone will have one.

 

[rdowns]

Talk about strange coincidences…

After 30 years, Sony has announced that they will stop manufacturing and selling the venerable cassette Walkman. In a poetic twist, the official death of the Walkman lands on the iPod's 9th anniversary.*

The Sony Walkman was introduced on July 1, 1979 in Japan and it was a major breakthrough in delivering a low-cost portable stereo. It wasn't an overnight hit though, it was largely panned by the media and only sold 3,000 units by the end of July. But Sony kept on pushing, targeting the Walkman toward the younger market and advertising it with younger pop stars. By the end of August, sales increased 10-fold and later in the early 80's it became the must-have item for everyone. Over its 30 year history of the Cassette Walkman, Sony sold 200 million units. A portable music player became a part of our lives, largely because of the Walkman.

 

[macquariumguy]

I love reading those comments from 2001!

 

[maflynn]

While I was initially impressed with the iPod, I did not get one for several generations.

I'm not sure many people here realize that iTunes came from soundjam, the author of soundjam was hired by apple and iTunes was born. I had soundjam and then iTunes but for a long time, I did not see the need of having an iPod.

 

[macquariumguy]

I got my first iPod a couple weeks after they first went on sale. I didn't care if it was revolutionary or not, I just wanted one for myself.

 

[tablo13]

Especially the iPad. What?!?!? It doesn't run OSX?!?!?

WHAT??!! iPAD?!?! IS IT SOME TAMPON?!?!

iPod was revolutionary. But that saying, it usually takes Apple until the 3rd/4th generation before they get a product right and good enough to buy.

Like iPhone 4 with the "revolutionary" FaceTime video calling, and iPod touch 4th generation with a 0.7MP camera
EDIT: I'm not being sarcastic.

 

[roadbloc]

Like iPhone 4 with the "revolutionary" FaceTime video calling, and iPod touch 4th generation with a 0.7MP camera

I wasn't on about the new features of an individual product, was on about all the features on the product. iPhone 1 and 3g are nothing compared to the 3gs and 4, thanks to iOS 4 and entire collection of features that have been slowly built up through the generations.

 

[applefan1997]

After looking at this thread yesterday, I immediately started scouring craigslist for a 1G/2G iPod... and thankfully, I obtained a 2G 10GB model yesterday.
So nice to have one again.