The iPod And How It Created Apple As We Know It - Despite The Haters
14 years ago this week Apple launched the iPod. The Apple faithful really didn't know what to make of the device, and most of them openly criticized it as a product going in the wrong direction for the brand. Here are some hilarious reactions from Apple fans at the time:
Great just what the world needs, another freaking MP3 player. Go Steve! Where's the Newton?!
-WeezerX80
All that hype for an MP3 player? Break-thru digital device? The Reality Distiortion Field? is starting to warp Steve's mind if he thinks for one second that this thing is gonna take off.
-nobodyspecial
iPoop... iCry. I was so hoping for something more.
-elitemacor
hey - heres an idea Apple - rather than enter the world of gimmicks and toys, why dont you spend a little more time sorting out your pathetically expensive and crap server line up?
or are you really aiming to become a glorified consumer gimmicks firm?
-Pants
I still can't believe this! All this hype for something so ridiculous! Who cares about an MP3 player? I want something new! I want them to think differently! Why oh why would they do this?! It's so wrong! It's so stupid!
-WeezerX80
There are already two products similar to this on the market. The Nomad Jukebox and the Archos Jukebox which can come with a 20 gig HD. The iPod is obviously alot cooler and has firewire, but it is far from revolutionary. I for one am disappointed and think that apple is making a mistake by trying to get into this market.
-Jaime
trully revolutionary MY ASSSS!
-Fragiledreams
Here's to another bullet in the foot...
-oldschoolmacfan
Mmmm. APPL is already down $1.00...
Looks like the markets aren't looking too favorably on Apple's new forays into the digital device market.
-TheSaint
To be honest I didn't know what to make of it and had to get one of the younger guys in my office to download a collection of music onto it so I had something to listen to. When I started to use it, it occurred to me that the iPod had created something I had never seen before - friendly and intuitive user experience. And we now know that this single factor is what has made Apple the colossus that it is today.
In this time Apple has transformed from being the challenger minority hardware platform into being the dominant force in computing and consumer electronics.
But the gloss is starting to wear thin. Their innovation isn't as surprising and game changing as it used to be, and the brand has been tarnished by the relative failure of the Apple Watch.
We need another iPod moment. Another product that ushers into a new era for the brand. Let's see if the brand can deliver it before the launch of the iPhone 27.
Doug Baxter is CEO of Cut to the Content, an agency that creates content for brands and the agencies that serve them.