The following entry I have been working on for over a week each night and I hope you enjoy reading it. It is a guide to every iPod released since the beginning. The article may be long but is great for seeing how long we have journeyed since the Apple press event back in 2001.
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The iPod is an unstoppable force and rumors of a new iteration; dubbed the 5th generation iPod, forces us to think back of how far the iPod has come and how far it hasnt. iPod has its flaws, even after four generations but continues selling well. With 4.5 million iPods sold last quarter, Apples share in the digital music player / download market is at 70% and holding and analysts expect thing to only get better for Apple. As stock projections for AAPL grow higher, Thinksecret.com published details regarding a new iPod released before the middle of this year.
The original Apple iPod (Codename = Dulcimer), released at a special event in November of 2001, had only one model. Five gigabytes was the capacity and our beloved jog wheel was a moving one that gathered dirt and easily lost its spinning capacity forcing songs to change volume if a user went jogging without putting on the hold switch. The navigation buttons were raised and most susceptible to scratches if you brushed against a wall or dropped it. When users finally figured out how to remove the scroll wheel and clean underneath, it helped prolong the life of the Pod but to this day there is no resolution to the imperfection of the first gen iPod. This version had minimal battery problems but another issue was a wide open firewire port. After a day in someones pocket, this port would be full of dirt, lint and anything else that could fit in the 6-pin port. The front was squared off which caused for dents and dings from sudden plummets very common. A problem users complained about then and is still bothering them is a metallic back that shows surface scratches as soon as you take it out of the box. Users flocked to forums to also complain about a 10 hour battery and that it only held 1,000 songs.
On March of 2002, only five months later, Apple introduced the 10 gigabyte model with added equalizer function (to match the addition of an equalizer in iTunes 2.0) and address book contact support (Vcard). Apple made the five gigabyte slimmer and the ten was the size of the previous iPod. In July 2002, four months later, the fast moving company listened to users and released a 20 gigabyte version (Codename = P97). This version was the first iPod to give users a Firewire port cover and remote control for the 20 and 10 gigabyte versions. The Scroll wheel was made touch sensitive on all models but the 5 gigabyte. This was also the first version of the iPods to work with Windows via Music match Pro software for Windows 2000 and above. Although the 5 and 10 gigabyte versions remained the same size and weight, the 20 weighed in at 7.2 ounces and .84 in width up from .78 in the previous versions. The 5 gigabyte was eventually discontinued before Christmas to make demand easier to fill.
At a special event on April 28th, 2003, Apple released the third generation iPod with a new way of organizing its buttons. The buttons, traditionally placed on the sides of Apples patented jog-wheel were placed below the screen in a very non-ergonomic fashion. Apple did this due to user request for a thinner iPod and at the time this was their only solution. The iPods buttons and wheel were touch sensitive causing the users to hit the wrong button when navigating blindly or by brushing their arm against the player while docked to their hip. The hold button became a must at all times but a select group of iPods hold switches were breaking shortly after the first uses. The iPod Dock Connector (Codename = Q14) was dubbed so due to Apples choice to make the firewire interface a proprietary port placed on the bottom of the iPod allowing for a less dirt prone interface and ability to use a desktop based dock to enhance usability and decrease damage to the port. There was also an incentive for users to get the higher end iPods that included a dock and remote instead of buying a lesser expensive model at 10 gigabytes having to pay over 100 dollars to get functions other users had out of the box. The new iPods buttons lit up red, a nice touch since the buttons were impossible to signify which did what for new users and the iPod was in fact thinner with a brighter screen. Of course, Apple still shipped with a metallic backing plate prone to scratches but the front was rounded to help aesthetics and make for less dings in the body.
This version of the iPod lasted a year and two months. In that time, Apple upgraded the storage to 40gbs, dropped prices, added a new sound format, Apple Lossless and at its last revision, the iPod was available at 15, 20 and 40 gigabyte versions. The iPod was only 5.6 ounces on the low end and 6.2 ounces on the high end. The unit eventually gained low level USB 2.0 support (song transfer only) shortly before the next iPod release.
Somewhere in between(January 2004), Apple released the iPod mini. The mini held only 1,000 songs (the same as the original iPod), had a 4gb hard drive and a new style navigation wheel. The uniqueness of this version was its size; a business card could be placed in front of it and the mini would be hidden behind it. Weighing only 3.6 ounces and measuring 3.6 high, 2.0 wide and .5 deep, its size was incredible and a sure sell for the hipsters since the mini brought back a 1990s look with five colors. The colors issue caused a problem for Apple since the blue, silver and gold version were in high demand while green and pink fell in overstock. Apple faithful and media complained its price tag of $249 was too much when the entry level 15gb iPod was priced at $299 (only $50 dollars more). Apple was firm in its pricing and two weeks after release; a press release was issued announcing 100,000 preorders for the iPod mini. It took Apple 9 months to finally catch up with demand and have minis shipping out immediately after order. Steve Jobs explained, at the minis release at MWSF that the major innovation was the navigation wheel was revolutionary since the buttons were placed on the wheel. A touch sensitive jog features and four clickable angles made the iPod easy to use for faithful of the classic iPod but satisfied the need of those wanting a thinner iPod. You cant please everyone, because there were a few cases of those that still hated the wheel but that did not stop Apple from selling tons of this mini wonder.
Six months after the mini was released and the iPod capacities were skipped around, Apple released the iPod fourth generation (click-wheel). This version was the best yet and Apple made the first changes to the user interface since the 2nd generation and once again made the iPod thinner and have a better battery life. The click wheel iPod had capacities of 20 and 40 gigabytes and was priced at $299 / $399 respectively. This was the best priced iPod ever released and the battery was at an acceptable 12 hours with users reporting 14+ hours during regular use. USB 2.0 support finally allowed users to charge and sync the iPod as well as via Firewire 400. Weights were 5.6 and 6.2 ounces with the smallest iPod only being a little over half an inch thick.
In October, something amazing happened in the iPod world. In July 2004, Apple had the iPod click wheel and the iPod mini. This made for 7 different versions of iPods a user could purchase; 2 click wheel versions (20/40 gigabyte) and 5 iPod mini color variations all with 4 gigabytes of capacity (blue, silver, green, gold and pink). Apple held a special music event featuring U2s Bono and The Edge in a San Jose theatre. Rumors circulated for weeks leading up to the event and three days before Halloween on October 28th, Apple released two new versions of the player. The previous selling models remained unchanged but a new iPod based on the 20gb click wheel version was dubbed The U2 Special Edition. This was priced at $349 and had a black paint job w/ a red click wheel. The back, still metallic, piece had U2 engraved with the band members signatures. This was only $50 dollars more than a standard 20 gigabyte iPod and users begging for an alternate color loved the version.
Alongside the U2 iPod the iPod photo was released. Priced at $499 and $599, these were the most expensive iPods ever made. The most notable feature, other than their bulky size, was the addition of a color screen. The user interface had an aqua look and feel, similar to that of Mac OS 10 and extras like calendars, contacts and games had colors to make it easier to read. Shading and highlights are used system wide and the font was changed to a smaller and more readable font. The photo features are minimal and really just display them on the screen or on a television via an included A/V cable and built in slideshow mode. Slideshow gives you options of how long you want photos to display, the playlist to play and type of video output. Photos can be placed manually from a folder on your hard drive or sync your photo library and albums from iPhoto 4.0.3 and Adobe Gallery. The iPod photo looks similar to the click wheel iPods until you see the screen. The color screen has issues when the backlight is off. The screen is difficult to read and unless outside in the sun, you need the backlight on. Great news is the battery capacity hitting 15 hours during music playing and 5 hours during photo slideshow mode. Many users cant justify the price of the iPod photo since its photo capabilities are still very minimal. After the music event Apple had 3 new versions of its iPod lineup making 10 possible iPod choices for users and all in the price range and functionality the consumer wants. From $249 to $599, there is an iPod for almost everyone; except for those in the $125 dollar flash based memory market.
On January 11th, 2005 at the annual Macworld San Francisco, Steve Jobs took the stage, in similar fashion, to release a player for those not willing to step up to the $249/ $299 price range of the entry level iPods. Apple announced iPod shuffle. They knew most users had thousands of songs but those willing to pay an amazing starting price of $99 only have a small library of music on their hard drives. Those users were an easy reach. The challenge rose when trying to convince more serious (1000 songs +) iPod users to buy a companion to their current iPod. Life is Random was Apples marketing and it worked. Users that did not want to carry all of their catalog with them but 120/ 240 randomly chosen songs could get the iPod shuffle and just push play.
The iPod shuffle sold by the thousands the day of its release and continues to sell well. What makes the iPod shuffle so cheap is the absence of a display and hard drive storage. IPod shuffle uses a 512mb or 1gb flash storage chip to store songs via iTunes software or files as mountable flash media. You dont have to live life randomly. There is an option to manually add your music to the shuffle from iTunes and play them in order by selecting that mode on the back of the shuffle. Apple understands the iPod as a fashion statement so they made the shuffle small enough to wear around your neck so everyone can see it as you walk down the street or jog. It also makes stealing the device easy. Many reported walking past someone and yanking on the iPod takes it out of the docking clip and headphones but you can run off with the most expensive part of the device, minus the neck lanyard, clip and headphones. The best part about the latest iPod is its sweet spot in the iPod family. The mini was our pick of sweet spot this time last year but not that you can pay $99 or $149 for 120/240 songs with a 12 hour battery life is going to go very well for those not willing to pay a lot for a jukebox or just want to have a smaller mp3 player to take with them for shopping or walking the block.
In three years and two months, Apple Computer has managed to unofficially change their name to Apple. The media has stopped fabricating things about Macs being overpriced, incompatible with Pcs and other nonsense and has been praising everything Apple does; iPod and beyond. As of this writing, Apple has twelve different options when it comes to their music players. The family is iPod shuffle (2), iPod mini (5), iPod click-wheel (2), iPod U2 SE (1), and iPod photo (2). From $99 to $599; 120 to 10,000 songs, you can make a decision based on your budget and needs. At the same time, Apples stock has grown from 19 dollars per share at the iPods introduction to the 80 dollar range. IPod is here to stay as long as Apple can keep innovating and staying ahead of the market. One thing is certain; if I want music for my iPod the best choice is the iTunes Music Store. Of course, thats another article.
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