SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR IPOD
The first iPod® was introduced in 2001 and only had a memory of 5GB. The device was much bigger and heavier than any of the iPods® currently in the market. The recommended retail prices were USD$399 and were only compatible with Apple®’s Mac® series computers.
In less than a year later, Apple® released the second generation iPod® with their new touch-sensitive wheel. More improvements were made again the following year in 2003, when the third generation iPod® was released. The new iPod® not only added an extra supporting system, but also included major changes on its outlook design and capacity. Even with a new slimmer design, the product capacity actually increased to as high as 40GB. The very same year, Apple® announced the release of iTunes for Windows. This attracted many Windows users to purchase the iPod® without any hesitation. Apple®’s sales growth sky-rocketed and has remained one of the most popular MP3 players in history.
The release of the first few iPod® devices included several flaws and glitches. Many improvements were needed and suggested by the users. For example, one of the biggest problems had to do with the very first Scroll Wheel design. When the product was first launched, the majority of its buyers were from the middle class of California in the U.S. The Californian consumers typically enjoyed relaxing on the beach and sun bathing while listening to their Apple® iPod®. This was where the problem began. Sand would get stuck inside of the device through the Scroll Wheel, causing the music player to become damaged. Designers became aware of these complaints and decided to improve the design. Thus, by the fourth generation of the Apple® iPod®, the company has changed its Scroll Wheel design into Click Wheel design, like the iPod Mini® released earlier that year in 2004. Now it can be protected from sand, water or dirt that may get into the device. The Click Wheel design has also proved to be much more user friendly in comparison to Scroll Wheel.
The success of previous iPod® generations has encouraged Apple® to continue expanding its product lines. The following two iPod® generations focused mainly on size and capacity. In the year 2005, Apple® introduced the market to several new product lines for the Apple® iPod®. This includes the second generation of the iPod Mini®, the iPod Nano®, and the iPod Shuffle®.
The iPod Nano® was created late 2005 as a replacement for the iPod Mini®. Although it was only available in black or white, it provided a color screen for picture viewing. New generations of the iPod Nano® have been released every year since 2005. It has undergone several changes in design and improved its capacity, year after year. The fifth generation of the iPod Nano® is actually the first and only iPod® as of yet to include a video camera. It also features a larger screen, speakers, and a FM radio.
The iPod Shuffle® entered the market as the smallest iPod® around, bringing consumers their music at the smallest size possible. In 2006, the second generation of the iPod Shuffle® was released in a much smaller clip design and improved capacity of up to 2GB. The third generation iPod Shuffle® was not released until three years later, again with a newly designed outlook and special features. The third generation held a capacity of up to 4GB along with a new feature VoiceOver.
In 2007, Apple® introduced their very first Multi-Touch interface iPod®, the iPod Touch®. With much resemblance to the Apple iPhone® released earlier in the year, the iPod Touch® featured Wi-Fi connection, Safari browser, a virtual keyboard, capability to watch videos, check e-mails, and various other entertaining and useful applications. The following two generations of the iPod Touch® were released one year apart. They were slightly thinner with new hardware and an improved capacity of up to 64GB. With such reforms over the past years, it is believed that the upcoming generations of the Apple® iPod® will only continue to fascinate us.
