It was 15 years ago, in 2001, Apple unveiled iPod, a product helped the company stretch out of the niche of PC market. And an evolution morphed the company into the world-dominating presence. But yesterday, Apple, the iPod’s own daddy. No press release.
I was at university and I wanted a MiniDisc player but my dad insisted that the iPod was the future. So I queued up by the Apple Store on Tottenham Court Road to get one of the first generation models.
Ironically, I was underwhelmed, I only owned about 12 CDs. Also, it turned out I needed to use a friend's computer just to load it as the interface wasn’t compatible with my old Mac. I remember for the next few months getting on the tube and giving other people with the iconic white headphones an (admittedly smug) conspiratorial smile. Sadly it died a few years ago.
I wouldn't be without my iPhone now!
Heather, 35-year-old technology marketer, Bristol
Noor’s 6th generation iPod Classic
‘It’s an audio scrapbook of my music taste over the years’
I own a sixth generation iPod Classic and even after eight years it still works like a gem. 120GB of space and an amazing battery life means it has accompanied me through long bus rides and border crossings during my backpacking trip in South East Asia, overnight cramming sessions for my university exams, nights when sleep just wouldn’t come and more. I suppose you can call it an audio scrapbook of my music taste over the years.
For me, it holds a wealth of memories - that tiny chip in the corner from its first fall when I was rushing for an interview that eventually led me to my current job, and the signatures from members of Copeland on its back when they played their ‘farewell’ tour in Singapore.
Noor Ashikin, 27-year-old working in the media, Singapore
‘Though it is long gone now, I loved my first iPod’
My brother was working in the US and he contacted me and said he was at a Mac show. He said they were selling this new music player and asked if I wanted one.
I already had a little MP3 player, a Sony or something, that was terrible - it could hold one album and the conversion routine to get it onto the player was hard work. I said yes, of course.
It cost an arm and a leg but he brought back the most beautiful object ever and I fell in love with it. As I was of the generation who had been transformed by the Walkman I understood immediately what we had here. Though it is long gone now, I loved my first iPod.
Ivan Pope, writer living in Brighton
However, some hold that it’s a bittersweet birthday for the iPod; she’s so close to being dead it feels like Apple is keeping her on life support.
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