Five years ago this week Apple introduced a new product called iPod. Yes, you read that right, FIVE years ago. No one knew how big this mp3 player would become. Most people ridiculed Apple’s decision to make a consumer electronics device saying that they had no experience in that area, that it would only work on Macs and that it was way too expensive. Five years later, iPod is the world’s most popular music player and the iTunes Store is the world’s largest online music/TV show/movie store.

I jumped on the iPod bandwagon (if there even was one back then) a year after it was announced. I bought one as soon as they introduced Windows compatibility, not through iTunes, but by licensing MusicMatch to make Windows software that would allow users to connect their iPods to their PCs. I always love bringing up the fact that people that I was slightly insane to pay $250 (with an educational discount) for something that just played music. Sure it only did one thing; it played music. But it did it in such a way that people have never experienced before. With its 5GB hard drive, I could carry a ridiculous amount of songs with me. I didn’t have to carry hundreds of CDs with me whenever I wanted to listen to music. I just carried this thing that was the size of a deck of cards and I had almost a thousand songs available at the scroll of the wheel. I remember when not everyone had an iPod. I would walk on campus and as soon as I saw someone else with those now ubiquitous white headphones, you would give them a nod of acknowledgement. And now I love the reaction I get whenever I use my original iPod since the majority of people have only known the iPod when iTunes was introduced for Windows back in 2003. These were the same people who didn’t like the click wheel on the iPod minis and 4G iPods saying they “liked the ‘original’ four buttons across the top better”.

I’m happy to say my original iPod is still working well along with my 4G iPod. If five years has brought us this far, I can’t wait what Apple has next in store.

Posted on October 27, 2006 in Uncategorized.