Until the digital music revolution of recent years most consumers wouldn’t have thought about buying an Apple MP3 player, the company was far more famous for the Mac computer and operating system. Nowadays, however, the Apple iPod is the "must-have" player in the digital audio marketplace.
And, the iTunes store is the only place to visit to fill it up with all the music downloads you could want!
Apple was founded by Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs - they became one of the technology world’s greatest success stories and revolutionized the industry in the 1970s by creating a real rival to the PC, the Mac. Early Apple products were well designed, sleek and attractive. These principles are still being applied to the iPod range today which is why so many people of any generation want this player more than any other.
The first iPod to hit the streets in 2001 immediately stood out from the crowd. It was small, sleek and elegant but still offered great storage capacity in comparison to many other products. Basically it looked different and it filled a niche for music lovers of all ages. Many reviews, however, were less than positive initially, as reviewers remained reserved on the high costs of the first model, for example.
But, Apple’s customers changed all that. It didn’t take long before the player became a real designer accessory and you could spot the white ear-buds in the ears of the rich and famous as well as the man on the street. The iPod became a global symbol that could be spotted on the streets from America, to Australia and Austria.
Since the launch of the first iPod, Apple’s MP3 strategy has seen regular upgrades and changes, and a welcome drop in price along the way! Today’s iPods have color screens, come with 20 GB or 60GB capacity, and give you the opportunity to store your photos on your player as well. Even the Apple click wheel has now been added to the iPod model.
As Apple’s player became more popular the company also launched other iPod players - your current player choice nowadays includes:
A recent campaign launched the iPod U2, a special customized black player endorsed by the supergroup. And the accessories on offer now include speakers, docking stations, the ability to buy a customized model and car audio add-ons. You can even buy cheap iPods nowadays by using the Apple refurbishment service in their online store.One of the most recent developments with the company is the launch of "podcasting," a service that allows you to download over 3,000 free radio shows so that you can listen to them in full at your leisure and play them back on your iPod.