iPod
The iPod is a portable media player, produced and sold by Apple Inc.
Early history
In the year 2000, the MP3 digital audio format was just starting to become used widely, particularly among young and tech-savvy individuals. Around this time, some electronics companies had released portable digital music player devices, which would play MP3s stored on a hard drive, and could be used similarly to a portable CD player. Unfortunately, many of the devices released received poor reviews, often due to being being bulky or having a poorly designed user interface. Apple saw an opportunity, and in October 2001 released their first portable digital music player, given the name iPod.[1]
Reception
This first iPod sold very well, despite receiving criticism for its $400 price tag, and lack of Windows compatibility. A second edition, released in 2002, added Windows compatibility. By 2004, the iPod became an astounding success and one of the most highly sought-after items in the consumer electronics market.
In April 2007, Apple announced that they had sold over 100 million iPod devices.[2]