15th anniversary of the birth of iPod, Apple’s classic product that changed the world of digital music

It has been the 15th anniversary of the launch of Apple’s iPod series of products. At the same time, it has also cooperated with the operation of iTunes services to change the way digital music is used. It has also transformed Apple from its original stereotype of making computer products to a digital entertainment consumer electronics company. .

The first iPod was actually launched on October 23, 2001, West Coast time. At the same time, it accumulated a total of 300 million units in global sales from its official launch to October 2011, and it operates in conjunction with the iTunes service Changing the way digital music is used.

However, in fact, before the first iPod came out, Apple had already taken the lead in launching the iTunes service software to provide convenient digital file management in MP3, WAV, AAC/M4A and other formats. In October 2001, the iPod was launched to facilitate users to transfer music and listen to it on the go. Compared with similar products that were already on the market at that time, the iPod not only had a simple appearance design, but also had an intuitive operating interface and longer standby time. Therefore, it gradually became the target of competition for many market brands.

The earliest iPod design project was led by Jon Rubinstein, who was Apple’s chief hardware engineer at the time, and Tony Fadell, later known as the father of iPod and founder of Nest Lab, was recruited to assist in completing the product. Introducing Toshiba's 1.8-inch 5GB mini hard drive, and adding components such as a display screen and a high-capacity battery, allowing users to conveniently listen to music for a long time. The earliest design version only supported Mac series computers. Later, due to the continued increase in user demand for other than Mac platforms, Apple made the iPod support Windows platforms. In 2004, it became the most popular digital music playback device in the United States, even in October of that year. Seize the largest market share and completely change the traditional music listening model.

Putting 1,000 songs in your pocket starts with Apple’s first wearable device

When Apple launched the first iPod, the slogan it used was “ "1,000 songs in your pocket", and the version launched the following year not only added support for the Windows operating system, but also allowed the number of stored songs to exceed 4,000. In 2003, it was announced that the number of songs included in the iTunes Music Store exceeded 200,000 songs. The third-generation iPod was launched at the same time and was about thinner and lighter than two CD albums. The number of stored songs was increased to 7,500. In addition, the number of digital songs sold in the first week of iTunes service also exceeded 1 million. In September of that year It even exceeded 10 million downloads, and reached 25 million in December.

After accumulating a lot of downloads in the United States, the iTunes Music Store service was actually first opened to Windows platform users in October 2003, and the internationalization was first launched in the United Kingdom in June 2004. , French and German markets, and took the lead in cooperating with BMW for car connected playback systems.

In addition to the original large-size iPod, Apple announced the launch of 5 color matching iPod minis in 2004, and launched the iPod U2 special edition for the first time in the same year. The iTunes Music Store accumulated up to 200 million song downloads. In 2005, it announced the launch of the smaller iPod shuffle. In July of the same year, it was announced that the iTunes Music Store had more than 500 million music downloads. In August, it officially entered the Japanese music market. In October, it announced that it would add TV series to iTunes. and music MVs and other content. As for the subsequently launched iPod nano, it replaced the iPod mini, making the iPod mini the shortest-lived product in the iPod series. The newly launched 5th generation iPod added the function of playing music, photos and videos.

As for the Nike+ iPod, which Apple and Nike announced in 2006, it can be regarded as Apple's first "wearable device", mainly through special sensing accessories that can be inserted into designated Nike shoes. Allowing users to listen to music and exercise at the same time. The iPod nano that was updated that year also used a metal body for the first time, and added a clip design to the second-generation Pod shuffle. At the same time, complete segments of popular movie content were added to the iTunes service for the first time. In addition, the iPod nano was launched in conjunction with AIDS protection. (PRODUCT) RED special edition.

Start putting any digital content into your pocket

With the official launch of the first iPhone in 2007, Apple also announced the launch of the iPod Touch without SIM card functionality. It updated the third-generation iPod nano with a wider body, added a colorful and square-shaped third-generation iPod shuffle, and launched the last iPod classic. In the iTunes service, it announced the launch of iTunes U for students, and the number of downloaded songs sold was also In July of that year, it accumulated more than 3 billion songs. As for the launch of the new iPhone 3G the following year, the iTunes service platform officially joined the App Store service, allowing the iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod touch to download various third-party app extensions, and accumulated 10 million app downloads in the first week of launch. volume, reaching 100 million downloads in September of the same year.

By 2009, Apple announced that all songs downloaded on iTunes would remove traditional digital copyright regulations, allowing users to pay to download and use them freely (but still must comply with relevant laws and regulations for legal use), and also announced the launch of The fifth generation iPod nano and the third generation iPod touch. In 2010, the fourth-generation iPod touch, sixth-generation iPod nano, and fourth-generation iPod shuffle were announced, and continued to update iPod touch, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle until 2015, thereby continuing to extend digital music playback. usage requirements.

Even though many smartphones are now equipped with music playback functions, there are still many music lovers who are accustomed to playing music content through iTunes.