Iconic ipod gone, but not forgotten
FOR a generation of people who lived, worked and grew up in the 2000s, the word “ipod” was synonymous with music.
Escaping the sight of those white ear buds was nearly impossible.
And despite the speed with which smartphones took over our lives, Apple kept making its digital media players without much fuss. Not anymore.
On Tuesday the company said it would continue selling the seventh generation ipod touch, “while supplies last” – a quiet confirmation that the age of the ipod may finally be over.
The move, while bittersweet for techies of a certain age, didn't come entirely by surprise.
For years Apple has slowly culled its line of portable media machines: the last ipod with the classic click-wheel was discontinued in 2014, and the oncepopular ipod nano followed-suit three years later.
“Today, the spirit of ipod lives on,” said Apple senior vice-president Greg Joswiak.
“We’ve integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iphone to the Apple Watch to Homepod mini, and across
Mac, ipad, and Apple TV.”
Right now, the thought of a singlepurpose device like the ipod can feel hopelessly passé.
And to an extent, Apple felt the same. The original models only played music we purchased, ripped and pirated, but they were followed by versions that played videos and, eventually, the touchscreen models that persisted up to this week.
Although ipods were eventually
(and completely) overshadowed by the iphone, it is hard to understate the impact they had on the company – and the people who used them.
These days Apple is worth more than $2 trillion (R32trln) and directs its attention to everything from computer processor design to Oscar-worthy movie production.
In the years leading up to the original ipod’s release, however, Apple was only just emerging from what ipod creator Tony Fadell called a “death spiral” in his new book.
After a string of not-quite-right leaders, prodigal CEO Steve Jobs returned to the company and shook up its computer line-up with a slew of cheap, colourful imacs in 1998. | THE WASHINGTON POST