It was billed as a “breakthrough digital device”, but a gadget widely derided as a second-rate MP3 player that wouldn’t cut it. Yet, the iPod changed everything in the world of music. Yes, media players existed before it, but none were as easy to use or as brilliantly designed. Ten years to the day after it was first unveiled by Steve Jobs, its influence is still seen in tablets and smartphones, even if dedicated PMPs, the iPod included, are failing to set the world alight.
In fact, that’s being polite. Sales of iPods slipped by a colossal 27 per cent year-on-year between June and September this year. The device which defined a generation is struggling to keep up with growing smartphone sales. But write it off at your peril. The iPod is still, and can still be, a relevant piece of kit.
