From Idea To iPod – The Evolution Of A Game-Changing Product (Pg. 2)
→ Music In Hand (iPod – 1st generation)
Announced on October 23, 2001, the late Steve Jobs described the iPod as “1000 songs in your pocket.” More than a few people didn’t think Apple’s new toy was a fail. The fact that it only worked on Macs, and doubt that labels would bite on the new tech were just a couple of reasons for the trepidation. Nevertheless, if not you, you know someone that has owned an iPod, right?
→ What Record Store? (iTunes/ iPod – 3rd generation)
Sell songs for .99 cents? We take it for granted now, but in 2003 it was like blasphemy—especially to major record labels. Yet, this is what Steve Jobs and Apple insisted on, basically cornering the now lucrative MP3 selling market in the process when they launched iTunes in 2003. Simultaneously, the third generation iPod that introduced the click scroll wheel— ridding all the clunky buttons of the previous models—was released. Worth noting is that the previous generation introduced PC compatability, so heads dedicated to Windows could get in on the action. While big chains like Wal-Mart and Target still sell the bulk of music, in 2010 only 8% of indie retailers accounted for sales, with 26% of sale accounted for by iTunes and other online MP3 outlets. In June 2011, it was reported that iTunes has sold over 15 billion songs.