Product announcements with Steve Jobs were still rather novel then but I recall the SCLM’s expectations were rather high regarding this. I think they were expecting a miracle cure for HIV, proof of alien life or something else since their skepticism, derision and ridicule quickly followed…Oh, it’s just an MP3 player. We predict it will be another Newton or Lisa.
The iPod was a bit risky initially. MP3 players had been around for a couple years so what Apple offered wasn’t new. I even owned a Diamond Rio 500 (bought it used from a co-worker) which did the job for me despite it only holding about an album at a time with a mediocre compression rate. Its $400 price tag (almost $500 today), FireWire-only interface and lack of Windows software drew additional negativity; this made the iPod a Mac exclusive peripheral. What made it less impressive was the iPod’s insides being just a 5 GB hard drive while competitors used solid-state memory. The latter resulted in small-capacity players because solid-state was expensive then but the former’s disadvantages meant the iPod could be damaged more easily through its moving parts.
When I was given the opportunity to purchase one at half price, I jumped at it. The transfer speed was fantastic compared to the DR’s USB 1.1. There was no learning curve with iTunes, SoundJam worked the same way and they shared common DNA. Overall, the experience was pretty decent. The iPod came in handy when running on the treadmill, my vacation in Orlando (on the plane namely) and whenever I needed emergency storage; the originals mounted on the desktop as if it were a hard drive.
I eventually sold it for $100 to someone who really wanted it. This was replaced by a second generation model in preparation for attending Rad’s wedding in Phoenix. As 2002 was ebbing, the iPod had come down in price and had a Windows-based solution. This gave Apple some traction while the competition foundered.
To me, it’s a chicken-and-the-egg thing on what made the iPod the ubiquitous music player of today and the rightful successor of Sony’s Walkman. Some point to the iTunes Store. Their argument is based upon the iPod’s sales slipping until Apple provided music. I have my doubts. People used to own CD collections averaging 200-400 titles before MP3s became the standard. Getting the iPod’s price closer to an acceptable range and functional with PC standards certainly sounds more plausible.
A recent obituary gave Steve Jobs credit toward terrestrial radio’s demise through the iPod. I beg to differ. Terrestrial radio killed itself and continued the stupid tradition of foisting a newer, non-innovative technology on the public to survive…HD radio which is anything but High Definition. The public tends to reject having to re-buy what they already have if the successor offers little for the price: the minidisc, Blu-Ray/HD DVDs, laserdiscs, DAT, SACD, XM-Sirius, etc. Consolidation and debt had a lot to do with it too. So the iPod helped give FM radio a push into irrelevancy. Meanwhile, it isn’t completely dead. NPR and Right-Wing Hate/Talk is doing well. Besides, you can’t fill your iPod with just Oldies, where else will new material come from? Radio or radio-like tastemakers are going to remain. They’re just up against more competition.
Greg Kot did a piece on the iPod’s anniversary too. I think he’s right about there not being a twentieth. The music-playing element has been taken over by the iPhone and iPad. I sadly agree. My fifth iPod (a 2007 Touch) gets used rarely. It’s easier for me to check out stuff through iTunes on my computer (like while I’m writing this). The iPod is reserved for the treadmill or long flights. I still love the little thing though.
How listening to music has changed through the iPod is a discussion for another day.