Filed under: iPod Family
Today the iPod turns 5
Five years ago today Apple introduced the first iPod. 5 gigs of storage promised 1,000 CD quality songs in your pocket. The Firewire port let you transfer those songs in less than 10 minutes, and it could even double as a portable hard drive. $399 would get you this little marvel (though it didn't go on sale until November 10th) but you had better have a Mac. Why? Because, the iPod was Mac only.When I first heard about the iPod I thought, 'That's a dumb name and who needs to keep a 1,000 songs with them at all times? I don't even know 1,000 songs.' Fast forward 5 years and my iPod has 6800 songs on it and movies to boot!
I didn't think this little device would catch on, but then I saw one in person. I felt the quality in its manufacture (those first iPods had some heft to them), and I loved the smooth mechanical scroll wheel, which I still think is better than the current touch sensitive scroll wheel. I didn't buy one though, not until the 10 gig models were out (still Mac only) because I didn't think 5 gigs would be enough.
As soon as I loaded up that 10 gig iPod the way I listened to music changed forever. It also had the side effect of making me feel like I was in a special club. You see, children, back then you didn't see hundreds of people with those iconic white headphones everywhere you went. No, only the chosen people, i.e. Mac users, could even use these devices and even then only a percentage of Mac users could use it (your Mac needed a FireWire port, at the very least). I recall being on a subway car, hurtling underneath Manhattan, when a man saw my white headphones. He stopped, took out his iPod, and gave me a thumbs up. I nodded, and we passed like two scroll wheels in the night.
Ah, the iPod. Who knew it would ever get this big? Who knew that FireWire would stop being supported for transfers? Who knew that all iPods would be configured for PCs by default? You've come a long way, iPod, and I'm excited for your future.
Anyway, in honor of the iPod's birthday I suggest you watch the Special Event during which Steve introduced the little guy for the first time.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Phil M said 11:45AM on 10-23-2006
Yeah, I remember when I got my 3rd gen (I had wanted one since first gen but never got one till then)...
People were like "what's an iPod, and why would you want that many songs in your pocket?"
I then picked up a 5 gig first gen off eBay, and was using that as my main iPod for a while. I'd get asked what kind of "iPod knockoff" I was using by people who thought that the fourth gen iPod was the original one. Someone actually thought my 1G was a creative zen or something.
Reply
mars said 11:56AM on 10-23-2006
I miss that club, we were a special breed, Whenever I saw someone with white earbuds on the subway we would nod to acknowledge each other. If i did that now, my neck would be sore all the time.
Reply
InSaNeBoY said 11:58AM on 10-23-2006
got my 5gig december 2001. Since than I've added 4gig mini (blue), 512MB shuffle and a 60gig video iPod. my old 5gig doesn't look nearly as pritty now as it did when it was new, but it still works great and I use it every day on my commute to work! even the origional battery is still kickin'! :)
Reply
Joshua Ochs said 12:17PM on 10-23-2006
These "special club" comments are exactly why Mac users get criticized for being snobby, elitist, and "fanbois". You're buying right into the "brainwashed by marketing" critics. Honestly it makes me a little queasy realizing that there really ARE people that fuel such vitrol.
I bought an iPod because it simply worked better. It was smaller, faster, and better designed than anything else. Five years later, it still is.
I don't use a Mac because of marketing, I don't use an iPod because of the mystique, and I don't drive a Camry because I want to join the masses. I use them all because they are simply the best products in their markets. They work, work reliably, and are well-designed and engineered.
Reply
Dan said 12:46PM on 10-23-2006
I have the full length video up, if anyone wants to see it...
http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2006/10/8008/
Reply
adam said 12:54PM on 10-23-2006
i wish thay'd make it possible for firewire transfers again. not everyone has a mac with usb2 (my kids g3-800 ibook doesn't).
Reply
Kyp said 1:32PM on 10-23-2006
@4 I don't think these "club people" are saying they are better than everyone because they had an iPod, it was just cool to see someone with the same product as you when they were rare. I'm sure you'll see people with Zune's nodding on subways soon.
Reply
Snaggy said 1:45PM on 10-23-2006
We're having a little birthday party over at the Joy of Tech. :-)
http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/881.html
Reply
Stephen Staffieri said 2:00PM on 10-23-2006
I remember buying my first iPod as well back in 2002 and being on the Subway knowing that the few of us with white earbuds were special Mac users. Those were the days. Now it's just assumed that everyone in Manhattan has an iPod. Those with a different "digital music device" are frowned upon.
Reply
franko said 2:00PM on 10-23-2006
i'm still using my first ipod, a 2nd gen with the scroll wheel. i prefer the scroll to the touch-sensitive wheel, myself. it's starting to feel quite hefty to me when i see the new tiny nanos out, but i still love it and call it my precious. it has played music for me faithfully for 5+ days a week, 8 hours at a time, since i bought it in january of '03, and i have absolutely no regrets at being called an "elitist fanboy" by people who didn't see the simple brilliance of it when they came out.
happy birthday, you cute little chunk of world-changing technology, you!
Reply
Mike said 2:28PM on 10-23-2006
My original 5GB iPod served me well. I took that thing everywhere (including Iraq) and never had a problem with it, and even got something for it on eBay when it was time to move on-
Reply
narco said 3:07PM on 10-23-2006
I bought my first iPod in 2002. I've been the proud owner of many new Macs out of the box, but nothing even compared to the feeling of opening up the iPod. When I bought it, I didn't even think I needed it -- hell, I didn't even really want it, I just thought it'd be cool to have. Now, I can't imagine life without one. I now have close to 30,000 songs on my Mac and have all of my CDs tucked away in little boxes.
Back then, nobody knew what an iPod was. Most thought it was a mini computer. When I tried to explain it to people, they just gave me a blank stare. It was nice feeling like being in an exclusive club, but I'm glad they're popular now -- means better products at cheaper prices. Thank you, Apple.
Fishes,
narco.
Reply
RG said 3:30PM on 10-23-2006
I remember when I got my first iPod (one of the first 3rd gens to be shipped) a guy in an elevator asked me "What kind of PDA is that and why are headphones connected to it?"
Well, it was a small college town in Missouri.
Reply
Reg said 6:41PM on 10-23-2006
To the negative comments about feeling privileged to be part of the 1st gen club... you just don't get it.
We were the ones who in many cases showed people their first iPod. People who, at the time, had no idea such a device existed or conceived of what it could do.
I remember showing people on planes and holidays - pointing to their tape players and CD players and bundles of tapes and CDs - and telling them this little white box had the equivalent of a hundred of those. The ensuing surprise and conversations were great.
And that's not even mentioning the special camaraderie that existed between people who recognized each others' membership of the white earbud club. A nod and a smile was all it needed.
So, it's as much our birthday as the iPod's. Who are you critics to take that away from us.
Reply
Duncan Brack said 3:07AM on 11-16-2006
Happy Birthday iPOD! Wow, you really know how to reminisce. iPOd has definitely come a long way. I can't even think of other ways to make it better than what it is now. But I'm sure something will come up. I can't wait for the next surprise!
Reply