Apple Recalled a Pocket-Sized Music Device 25 Years Ago
Steve Jobs presented a device that could hold a large music library and transfer songs much faster than existing options.
By Aever Bundji ·
Apple marked a key moment in its history on October 23, 2001.
Steve Jobs, then Apple CEO, unveiled a device he described as a breakthrough digital product that was not a Mac. He was leading the Cupertino company through a period of recovery. Sales of iBooks and iMacs were strong following the dot-com bubble collapse. Jobs believed the Mac could act as the center of a user's digital life. He saw a portable music player as a core part of that system. Apple aimed to create a product for a large market with no clear leader. Jobs said other companies had not found the recipe yet for digital music.
Jobs laid out three main reasons the product would succeed. First, he pointed to its small size. The device measured 2.4 by 4 by 0.78 inches and weighed 6.5 ounces. It was lighter than most cell phones at the time. Its 5 gigabyte capacity could hold 1,000 songs. The device was powered by a Toshiba hard drive that was 1.8 inches wide and 0.2 inches thick. It could play MP3, WAV, and AIFF files.
Second, Jobs said the design was simple and durable. The controls were built for use with one hand. A scroll wheel with tactile feedback allowed for quick navigation. The device could search for music by playlist, artist, or song. The battery offered 10 hours of playback. It could charge to 80 percent in one hour. The device was also able to serve as a FireWire hard drive.
Third, the product could sync automatically with iTunes. iTunes 2 was released on the same day. The new software could burn MP3 CDs and sync with the device. When a user connected the player, their music library from their Mac would transfer to it. This process was fast. The device could move a CD's contents in five to ten seconds. Filling the device with 1,000 songs was estimated to take 10 minutes.
The product remained in Apple's lineup for a long time. It was sold alongside the iPhone, which launched in 2007. The last model of the device was released in May 2019. Apple officially discontinued the product line in May 2022.
Source: Tom's Hardware
