1st gen iPod nano. Not because it was the best iPod, which it wasn't, but because it felt magical.
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The End of an Era: What Was Your Favorite iPod?
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This is also the end of 4" screen iOS devices.The iPhone SE is 4.7", and the iPhone mini, which will supposedly also be axed, is 5.4". If the iPhone SE gets axed, the smallest iOS screen will jump to a massive 6.1".
I sincerely hope that Apple improves the way we get music onto our Apple Watches. It's currently a convoluted process. I'd love to be able to drag and drop from my Mac to my Watch (fat chance, I know), or at least just make a playlist on my iCloud Music Library that's automatically synced (DOWNLOADED, not just there for streaming) on my Apple Watch, updated during every charge session. I know that's how it's SUPPOSED to be able to work, but again, it often doesn't, and the process is difficult. The iPod Shuffle introduced (and it was available for all other iPods) a great Autofill feature in iTunes that could fill it with random songs from your library (and optionally replace all existing songs on the iPod with a sync). I'd really love to see that come to the Apple Watch, too. Until then, I'll keep using my old iPods and won't pay for Apple Music.
I sincerely hope that Apple improves the way we get music onto our Apple Watches. It's currently a convoluted process. I'd love to be able to drag and drop from my Mac to my Watch (fat chance, I know), or at least just make a playlist on my iCloud Music Library that's automatically synced (DOWNLOADED, not just there for streaming) on my Apple Watch, updated during every charge session. I know that's how it's SUPPOSED to be able to work, but again, it often doesn't, and the process is difficult. The iPod Shuffle introduced (and it was available for all other iPods) a great Autofill feature in iTunes that could fill it with random songs from your library (and optionally replace all existing songs on the iPod with a sync). I'd really love to see that come to the Apple Watch, too. Until then, I'll keep using my old iPods and won't pay for Apple Music.
also: surprised that mac rumors didn't link to their forum thread 500 / ipod announcement hate thread
Wow, I genuinely didn’t think they’d ever truly discontinue iPod!
The iPod Mini was my introduction to Apple handed down to me by my cousin when I was a teenager and I was stoked! Felt so cool to have an Apple device which I’d otherwise not be able to afford. I absolutely loved that Mini and pretty much wore it out ?.
Then came the original Nano, I liked it but the storage I had was too limiting.
However, I think the 4th gen Nano was *the* iPod for me. The size, the screen, the storage. It went everywhere with me. I had a touch soon after but the Nano was just that bit better at doing music ?. I used it up to the point I got the 4S and then that was it for dedicated music I players for me.
The iPod Mini was my introduction to Apple handed down to me by my cousin when I was a teenager and I was stoked! Felt so cool to have an Apple device which I’d otherwise not be able to afford. I absolutely loved that Mini and pretty much wore it out ?.
Then came the original Nano, I liked it but the storage I had was too limiting.
However, I think the 4th gen Nano was *the* iPod for me. The size, the screen, the storage. It went everywhere with me. I had a touch soon after but the Nano was just that bit better at doing music ?. I used it up to the point I got the 4S and then that was it for dedicated music I players for me.
Still got all my non-iPod mp3 player and iPods. All still working.
Creative Zen 16GB, my very first mp3 player:
iPod Nano 6th gen, connected in my car:
2 iPods Shuffle 4th (red and grey):
IPod Touch 5th gen, on my desk:
In the future I will go for a battery replacement on the Touch, but for now it is all good.
I've always kept my music playing seperated from my iPone usage, because I need to be available at all costs during work hours and using my iPhone also as an iPad drained the battery to fast for my liking.
Alas 21 years was a good run, although I personally believe that there still is a (small) market for iPods.
Creative Zen 16GB, my very first mp3 player:
iPod Nano 6th gen, connected in my car:
2 iPods Shuffle 4th (red and grey):
IPod Touch 5th gen, on my desk:
In the future I will go for a battery replacement on the Touch, but for now it is all good.
I've always kept my music playing seperated from my iPone usage, because I need to be available at all costs during work hours and using my iPhone also as an iPad drained the battery to fast for my liking.
Alas 21 years was a good run, although I personally believe that there still is a (small) market for iPods.
In no particular order, my favorite iPods:
- Second, Third, and Fifth Generation (Enhanced) iPod
- iPod Photo
- Second through Sixth generation iPod nano
- Second and Fourth Generations iPod Shuffle
- iPod Classic Thin 160GB
- First, Third, Fifth, Fifth 16GB Black and Silver, and Seventh/Final Generation iPod touch
All of these hold special places in my heart and **** if the iPod brand won't be missed.
- Second, Third, and Fifth Generation (Enhanced) iPod
- iPod Photo
- Second through Sixth generation iPod nano
- Second and Fourth Generations iPod Shuffle
- iPod Classic Thin 160GB
- First, Third, Fifth, Fifth 16GB Black and Silver, and Seventh/Final Generation iPod touch
All of these hold special places in my heart and **** if the iPod brand won't be missed.
Apple's homepage on October 23, 2001, the day the iPod was unveiled. There is even a PDF spec sheet. (via the Internet Archive)
I still have 2 iPods, a 7th gen nano and the latest iPod Touch. The nano still works pretty well for a 9 year old device! I also use my Touch daily, I’d rather not carry my expensive iPhone around when I’m running!
I have a fond memory toward iPod Touch 4th gen. The first and nicest iPod for me with clean, glossy stainless steel back (no antenna hole) and a decent A4 chip at the time, a very tempting iPhone testbed.
Too bad the LCD was bad (I believe it used TN) compared to iPhone 4 IPS display. Battery health is also getting horrid only a year of normal use.
After that, iPod Touch becomes a zombie product that Apple shows less and less interest in.
Too bad the LCD was bad (I believe it used TN) compared to iPhone 4 IPS display. Battery health is also getting horrid only a year of normal use.
After that, iPod Touch becomes a zombie product that Apple shows less and less interest in.
First iPod nano in gloss black. Magical device. The size, the quality, the weight. Just perfect.
The back scratched like nothing ever before - but it looked so shiny!! Loved it.
The back scratched like nothing ever before - but it looked so shiny!! Loved it.
Best iPod was the iPod shuffle. But the OG “gum stick” one, not the later versions with a touch screen. Apple should really integrate that functionality into AirPods or future wearables!
Agreed! This one, although I'm not still using it and is in a box somewhere in the garage. It was the first one where I felt I almost had my music collection in my pocket and I continued to use it for some time after getting an iPhone as the capacity was much bigger (80GB I think?). It was shelved around the iPhone 6 from memory.
I know the above is a joke post but I actually preferred the Zune to the iPod. The Segoe text-based UI was a direct influence on Metro on Windows Phone which led to iOS7 and Android Lollipop as a reaction to the flat design movement. Apple still hasn't updated the look of iOS since then.
The Zune Pass was incredibly ahead of its time, allowing unlimited music downloads from the Zune store for $10 a month. It also had Wifi for sending songs to other uers and syncing without USB.
The Zune HD was no iPod Touch but it at the very least got some cool ports of PGR and Audiosurf.
My first iPod was a first gen Shuffle. My best friend had a U2 iPod and I thought it was so cool. Since I'm vision impaired though, I thought there would be no way I could use the click wheel with its menus. So the Shuffle seemed in theory to be perfect since it had no screen. So I bought one when something I was working toward ended up not working out. I loved that thing even with only being able to load a small number of songs onto it.
Then I got a 5th gen classic for Christmas that year and loved being able to have my entire library whereever I went despite the lack of accessibility making it a guessing game if I wanted to listen to a specific album or song.
I sold it and switched to a new Windows Mobile device I got that had a full screen reader, but syncing that with Windows Media Player 11 made me dearly miss iTunes.
Then in 2008 my favorite iPod, the fourth gen Nano, came out. That was one of the rare times when I had to have a new piece of tech day one. That was when Apple started to up its commitment to accessibility. Before then, iTunes on Windows could only be made useable by a blind person if you bought a $75-100 plug in to use with one screen reading program, which I had and loved. Now, iTunes started to be more useable out of the box. I suppose those early Nanos weren't powerful enough for a full screen reader, so iTunes could generate voice recordings of the names of your music and the iPod's menus. You could do something similar with Rock Box on some earlier iPods before that, but Apple implementing it into the Nano's firmware was just better. It wasn't perfect though -- sometimes some of the voice tags wouldn't copy over so you would have to resync, and they took up part of the storage space. Even so, I loved that little blue guy! Many a day was spent walking around my college campus with it clipped to my pocket and earbuds in my ears. I wish I'd held onto it in retrospect.
I got a third gen Touch for Christmas in 2009. I would've happily kept using my nano, but by then VoiceOver had made its way to the iPhone and the Touch, and I wanted to try it. VoiceOver didn't come to the Nano till the sixth gen the following year. I would've snapped one up had it been out then though. That iPod Touch obviously lead to several iPhones later. starting with a used jailbroken 3GS that I sold the Touch to pay for in 2011, then a 4S, 5S, OG SE, XR, and now my current 12 mini.
RIP iPod era indeed.
Then I got a 5th gen classic for Christmas that year and loved being able to have my entire library whereever I went despite the lack of accessibility making it a guessing game if I wanted to listen to a specific album or song.
I sold it and switched to a new Windows Mobile device I got that had a full screen reader, but syncing that with Windows Media Player 11 made me dearly miss iTunes.
Then in 2008 my favorite iPod, the fourth gen Nano, came out. That was one of the rare times when I had to have a new piece of tech day one. That was when Apple started to up its commitment to accessibility. Before then, iTunes on Windows could only be made useable by a blind person if you bought a $75-100 plug in to use with one screen reading program, which I had and loved. Now, iTunes started to be more useable out of the box. I suppose those early Nanos weren't powerful enough for a full screen reader, so iTunes could generate voice recordings of the names of your music and the iPod's menus. You could do something similar with Rock Box on some earlier iPods before that, but Apple implementing it into the Nano's firmware was just better. It wasn't perfect though -- sometimes some of the voice tags wouldn't copy over so you would have to resync, and they took up part of the storage space. Even so, I loved that little blue guy! Many a day was spent walking around my college campus with it clipped to my pocket and earbuds in my ears. I wish I'd held onto it in retrospect.
I got a third gen Touch for Christmas in 2009. I would've happily kept using my nano, but by then VoiceOver had made its way to the iPhone and the Touch, and I wanted to try it. VoiceOver didn't come to the Nano till the sixth gen the following year. I would've snapped one up had it been out then though. That iPod Touch obviously lead to several iPhones later. starting with a used jailbroken 3GS that I sold the Touch to pay for in 2011, then a 4S, 5S, OG SE, XR, and now my current 12 mini.
RIP iPod era indeed.
The first iPod I purchased was a white 5th generation, aka iPod Video. Aside from the fact that the front panel scratched so easily, it was a decent device.
I quickly realized I wanted to take my music to my running workouts, so less than a year later I swapped the Video with a pink 2nd generation Nano. While this one was also briefly replaced by a 2nd generation Touch, I think it remained my favorite. The Touch was really a segue to the iPhone.
I quickly realized I wanted to take my music to my running workouts, so less than a year later I swapped the Video with a pink 2nd generation Nano. While this one was also briefly replaced by a 2nd generation Touch, I think it remained my favorite. The Touch was really a segue to the iPhone.
iPod nano 5th Gen. It was the last iPod I bought.
After I finished with it my dad used it for hours each day on his commute so it was a well used device.
After I finished with it my dad used it for hours each day on his commute so it was a well used device.
The 7th gen iPod Classic is my favourite, although the 5.5 gen is also very good, but the screen isn’t quite as nice. They’re both easy to upgrade with new cases, bigger batteries and larger storage (some have 1TB!). The only reason I omit the 6th gen is you can’t exceed 128GB when replacing the HDD with flash storage, otherwise it would be great too.
Exactly like this one. One of the coolest devices I have ever owned!
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I had this years before I had an iPhone. It worked and sounded great. And the idea you could have pretty much your entire music collection compactly in your hand rather than dozens of CDs, audio cassettes or vinyl records was magical.
I had this years before I had an iPhone. It worked and sounded great. And the idea you could have pretty much your entire music collection compactly in your hand rather than dozens of CDs, audio cassettes or vinyl records was magical.
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