An Apple in Your Pocket
by Amanda Keegan
Since the creation of the iPod, the Apple Company has invaded the pockets, purses, and armbands of media users across the globe. On October 23, 2001, Apple released the first iPod with a 5GB capacity that held about 1,000 songs in a palm-sized player. After seven years and five different models-each with their own generations of styles-the iPod has revolutionized the way the world listens to music. And iPods just keep getting better.
When the iPod made its grand debut in 2001, it sold for about $399, had a thick body, and a black-and-white screen. According to a press release from Apple, sales were meager for the first three years and didn't really start to pick up until September 2004. Around this time, Apple had released its fourth generation iPod that included the iPod Photo and the iPod Color. These devices stored between 20 and 60 GB and proved to be just the thing Apple needed to start the iPod craze.
Since September 2004, iPod sales have gone from about 2,000,000 devices sold that month to 10,000,000 devices in September of 2007. During the holiday season, sales have shown a drastic increase, reaching over 22,000,000 in December of 2007. Apple has also made the iPod affordable for any budget with low cost devices, such as the iPod shuffle, priced at around $60.
But these portable music devices aren't the only things that are making Apple one of the most successful companies in the world. iTunes, the music software that works with the iPod, is just as lucrative for the Apple brand. As a music and media marketplace, iTunes sells songs for $0.99 each, and there are sales and specials like any other retail store. Acting as a middle man between the customer and the Apple company, iTunes can track popular artists and give customers the music and media that they want. iTunes also previews artists and their music at Starbucks across the globe, where customers can receive a free song download with any purchase.
When it comes to creating or redesigning models, the sky is the limit for iPod creators. Last summer, Apple decided to create a device that could compartmentalize different media into one gadget. The iPhone was born. Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated iPod models ever, the iPhone's sleek body, touch tone screen, wireless internet access, camera, and GPS system make it a popular choice among the tech-savy. As a monthly phone service, texting; calling; and internet packages are available. But the iPhone still includes the one feature that started the Apple revolution-the multimedia player.
This month, the newest member of the iPod family will make its grand debut. The new iPod nano, sporting a thinner body and a taller frame, comes in ten different colors and 8G or 16G models. But the "nano-chromatic" color variety isn't the only thing that makes this new line of iPods stand out. Apple added some great new features to the world's most popular portable music player, like the Genius program, which puts complementary songs into a personalized playlist. Prefer to shuffle your songs? All you have to do is shake the new iPod and the music library shuffles - pretty impressive for a gadget that fits into your back pocket.
Few could have anticipated the cultural phenomenon that gradually began with the iPod release in 2001. In the past seven years, the signature white headphones have become a fashion symbol across the globe. Millions of people listen to their iPods on their way to work, while they are at the gym, or just when they feel like relaxing. The Apple Company really hit it big with this one great product and appealed to a wide variety of customers with their different product designs. So, what's on your playlist?
For a list of sources, email the writer at amandakeegan@crossingsmagazine.org.
