"All of this hype for something so ridiculous!"
This was one of many unenthusiastic responses to the debut announcement of the iPod on October 23, 2001.
On that day 14 years ago, the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs hailed the iPod as a "quantum leap in listening to music." There had been other mp3 players out there, but nothing that integrated with a computer — in this case, the Macintosh.
Skeptics saw it as a niche device tying Apple users to their computer and offered little more than a typical digital music player.
Fans loved the look of the iPod, how many songs it could hold, what if felt like to play with, its convenience, battery life and more. In fact, David Pogue of the New York Times predicted:
"If Apple ever lowers the iPod's price and develops Windows software for it, watch out: the invasion of the iPod people will surely begin in earnest."
Flash forward 15 years: the iPod (in its classic form) may be gone, but its ripple effect can still be felt through how we interact with the media….and one another. (see infographic at bottom for iPod evolution)
The ultimate personal computer
As people jumped on board the iPod bandwagon in the early days, Apple already had its eye on the gadget's future generations. More than just a music player, the iPod eventually transformed into a multimedia center that anyone could drop in a pocket. Want to listen to a favorite song? Done. Check out a music video or movie? Sure thing. Send an email or surf the web? Easy!
The iPod inevitably became the ultimate personal computer courtesy of its size and ability to navigate any type of media.
But, what about innovations in types of media? The iPod provided better audio and video quality for its listeners, but what about actual new variations of content?
Ironically, in its waning years, the iPod's restored life to a form of entertainment many thought passed with the golden age of radio: the art of storytelling.
A human impulse
Before the iPod, public radio was the standard bearer for classic, storytelling broadcasts. Television and commercial radio access was so limited, many ideas for spoken-word format shows were essentially locked out due to lack of funding and interest.
Suddenly, the iPod comes along and creative people have an affordable way to not only record, but also distribute their content. This broke down the walls to public consumption and thousands of podcasts started streaming with content ranging from the stock market to Hollywood stars.
Today's smartphones (the iPod's contemporary descendants) have brought podcasting to the forefront of digital entertainment.
"Technology has made it easier to expose people to podcasts," explained Erik Diehn, Vice President of Business Development for Midroll Media, a podcast broadcasting company. "It's right there where everyone can see it with the iPhone app. You can't even delete the app anymore. The whole process is just easier, so more people are using it."
As to why the simplicity of podcasts have invaded a tech-crazy culture, Diehn guessed it has to do with our own evolution.
Sitting around the telling stories has been with us since we used to sit around a fire," he said. "It's a human impulse."
The great irony
Compared to the radio and television, the iPod had a relatively short lifespan. Production of the iPod classic ended in 2014 as Apple shifted its product development to the iPod's successor, the iPhone.
"The great irony in all of this, having a National iPod Day, is that this is a device that isn't even being produced anymore," Diehn said with a chuckle. "It's the way things go."
Copyright 2015 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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