How the iPod was really born

Wired News puts all the misinformation to rest about how the iPod entered the world with the Straight Dope on the iPod's Birth. It's an interesting read for those of you who may not know the full story. Inspired by a tiny 1.8-inch hard drive that Toshiba had no plans for and the desire coax people into buying more Macs, a digital music dynasty was born.

Bonus tidbit: We have everyone's favorite marketing honcho, Phil Schiller, to thank for the iPod's signature scroll wheel and the more distinguishable feature that makes the iPod's menus scroll faster the longer the wheel is turned. And the name iPod? It actually came from an earlier Internet kiosk project that Apple had already abandoned but still held the registered name for.

In case you needed reminding, the iPod's 5th birthday is coming up next week, which explains why the Mac web is paying even more attention to the iPod than usual.
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