October 23, 2017, is the iPod's 16th birthday.
On Apple's website, you can only find one iPod touch, lying alone in the Music category. With the discontinuation of iPods and Apple's complete discontinuation of iPods on May 10, 2022, these delicate gadgets will eventually be locked in dusty drawers - until then, let's go back to the glorious starting point of 22 years ago.
On October 23, 2001, in the auditorium of Apple's Cupertino headquarters, Jobs took an iPod the size of a poker box and pried open the door to the world of digital music:
Put 1000 songs in your pocket!
In 2001, Apple hired Fadell to lead the team to work on the iPod project, which was prototyped by Portal Player, a startup in Silicon Valley, about the size of a cigarette case, with an LCD display and a bunch of buttons, which looked like an old-fashioned radio.
iPod team Portal Player underwent a drastic overhaul:
Apple redesigned the user interface for it, adding many visual elements of the Mac, Apple bought the patent of Toshiba's 1.8-inch small hard drive, and used the iPod, Apple marketing director Phil Schiller (Phil Schiller) proposed the "wheel design"...
In this way, a group of people with genius ideas and advanced technology came together to make the iPod.
The iPod is gone, the music lives on
In April 2003, taking advantage of the iPod's popularity, Apple launched the iTunes Music Store (later renamed the iTunes Store), the world's first universally recognized online music store, all songs sold at the same price, and users did not have to pay any subscription fees.
The combination of iPod and iTunes Store has truly allowed Apple to replace Sony's leading position in the music field, and since then, Apple is no longer simply a computer company, but also a music company. For a long time, the iPod was Apple's staple product. And the genes of music are thus integrated into Apple's corporate culture.
In 2007, Apple announced that iPod sales had exceeded the 100 million mark, and it was also in this year that the iPhone was born. Since the birth of the iPhone, it has taken on the function of the iPod, remember what Jobs said at the iPhone conference?
Today we're releasing three new devices, a new iPod, a mobile phone, and a smart Internet terminal.
In fact, it was not until iOS 5 in 2011 that Apple removed the iPod App icon and replaced it with Music, which also meant a quiet change in Apple's sales strategy:
As a hardware, iPod is no longer the focus of Apple's development, and the music core represented by iPod is the focus of future development.
Apple does exactly that:
In 2014, Apple acquired Beats for $3 billion, in 2015, Apple Music went online, providing music subscription services, in 2016, Apple launched wireless headphones AirPods, and in 2017, Apple released the smart speaker HomePod
Apple's music has long been integrated into all corners of life with Apple's products and services. Nowadays, digital music is like running water, and there are almost no songs you can't find if you want. At this time, the iPod was no longer a music player, but represented the essence of music.
1000 songs in your pocket, or 10000 songs in your pocket? Numbers don't seem to matter anymore, because Apple's ultimate goal is to make music ubiquitous.
iPod Hi-Fi is born
CAPUCCINO, California, February 28, 2006 – Apple Computer Corporation reinterprets home stereo systems with the iPod with a new high-fidelity speaker system that works seamlessly with iPods. Unlike any other speaker system designed for iPods, iPod Hi-Fi features an innovative all-in-one design that can be powered from a wall outlet or powered by 6 D-cell batteries, delivering exciting sound performance and sound that fills the room. iPod Hi-Fi can be conveniently controlled using the Apple Remote Remote, delivering a stunning stereo experience from any room in your home.
iPod Hi-Fi was designed by Apple Computer to provide unparalleled sound quality, realistic sound imaging, and optimal audio performance. It features a clean, uncluttered all-in-one design with a unique isolated body design that includes two specially designed wide-range speakers and a bass-heavy system that minimizes judder while maximizing sound quality, allowing users to listen to their favorite music with amazing sound quality and deep, deep bass. iPod Hi-Fi offers true portability with a handle that makes it easy to move the stereo system anywhere, a removable front metal grid with precise mounting clamps, touch-sensitive volume control buttons, an Apple Remote Remote that lets you easily control songs and volume from anywhere in the room, universal power in an all-in-one design, and the ability to power iPod Hi-Fi from six D-cell batteries.
iPod Hi-Fi integrates seamlessly with all iPod models via a docking station connector to automatically charge your iPod when docked and display iPod features to maximize your iPod Hi-Fi experience, such as tone control, large album mode, and volume mirroring*. iPod Hi-Fi includes a dual-purpose 3.5mm auxiliary input port that accepts analog or digital signals, making it easy to connect a variety of audio sound sources. Compact in design and powered by AC power or 6 D-cell batteries, iPod Hi-Fi is more flexible than any traditional home stereo system, making it ideal for use not only at home but also on the road, without compromising sound quality.
As iPod sales continue to rise around the world, Bose, Sony, JBL, B&W and other speaker manufacturers have also launched their own iPod jack speakers, speaker manufacturers have rich research experience in acoustics, combined with iPod digital audio transmission technology, and simple operation of plug and play.
Bose has successively launched Sounddock I, Sounddock II, Sounddock 10, and other iPod jack desktop speakers loved by a large number of users.
In addition to listening to songs with headphones, iPods can also play music on iPod jack speakers, allowing iPods to maximize their advantages.
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