iPod celebrates 20 years: the history of the popular music player

Hoera! The iPod is twenty years old, so we look back at the rich history of Apple’s popular music player. Does this sound like music to your ears? Then read on quickly!

iPod twenty years: the history of the music player

The iPod is Apple’s popular music player. Twenty years ago the first version of the device came on the market and even today the iPod is still on sale. Various generations and versions have since passed in review. We show you the most interesting iPods.

iPod (Scroll Wheel): the first

On October 23, 2001, Apple announced the iPod. The first version was about the size of a pack of cigarettes and a distinctive ring with four function keys. This ring also contained a Scroll Wheel, which could be physically rotated and used as a sort of trackpad. The battery lasted about ten hours and you had 5 gigabytes of storage for your music. The player was a huge success, despite the hefty price tag of 450 euros.

iPod celebrates 20 years: the history of the popular music player

iPod (Touch Wheel): Minor Adjustments

After the first version, a second followed a year later with a few minor changes, such as rounder corners and the Scroll Wheel was replaced by a Touch Wheel. The controls on the iPod (with Touch Wheel) models are similar to those on the iPod (with Scroll Wheel), but the Touch Wheel itself is not rotatable.

iPod mini and iPod nano: small, smaller, smallest

In 2004, Apple introduced the iPod mini. This was a smaller version of the player and available in five different colors. Shortly after, in 2005, the iPod nano appeared. The iPod nano is smaller than the iPod mini and has a color screen and a Click Wheel, but uses flash memory instead of a hard drive.

iPod nano (2nd gen)

iPod shuffle: without screen

The iPod shuffle also appeared this year. Striking about this player was the lack of the screen. The name Shuffle was specifically chosen because you listened to music by ‘shuffling’ songs.

iPod touch: familiar iPhone look

In 2007, the well-known iPhone design came into play, when the iPod touch appeared on the scene. The iPod touch has a touchscreen and it is the first iPod with WiFi. Therefore, you can surf and watch YouTube videos with it.

Sell ​​your old iPod

Do you have an old iPod (with packaging)? And you don’t do anything with it anymore? To sell! On eBay, a sealed variant still fetches a nice penny. Even old used iPods change hands regularly on sites like Marktplaats. So check your attic or your box of old hardware. Maybe you have another one.

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