iPod: A Genesis - Day 2

by Doina Stefanescu  |  June 5, 2008

Day 2: Separating iPod from others

In April 2003, the iPod reached it's third generation which marked the version with no mechanical buttons. The function buttons were moved to just below the screen and were solid state, like the scroll wheel. This new version also had a new dock connector that supported both FireWire and USB 2.0, making it more accessible to PC users, since few Windows PCs had FireWire ports. The capacities were raised up to 40GB.

The batteries were also changed to lithium-ion, which would be the power for all future versions. But the last and utmost important update was not something related to hardware or software. It was setting up an entire business around the iPod products, which was the goal of Tony Fadell, the iPod's father.

This started with iTMS, iTunes Music Store, which was announced in the summer of 2003. Just now the iPod had at last the legal supply of content, and Apple could start cutting down factory prices due to another source of revenues. In June 2003, Apple also released iTunes for PCs, which finally allowed Windows users to access iTMS. Along with iTunes Music Store, Apple also fostered the capacity of the iPod, without modifications to the design.

All these features clearly set the center stage place for the iPod. But things did not stay peachy for long, as in the autumn of 2003, when most Sony batteries that were used in the original iPods failed. Apple faced a class action law suit and they eventually settled to replace all iPods batteries, even if they were warranty void.

In the Macworld Expo from January 2004, Steve Jobs announced a series of revisions to the iPod line, all of them producing price breaks. Also, the iPod mini was first announced, a new member of the iPod family with a hard drive that was half the size the one used on older iPods. This new iPod was supposed to cost around 70$ to fabric, making it possible to compete with other high-end flash players that still roamed the market. The new mini had a Hitachi drive with a capacity of 4GB and was available in five different colors: blue, green, pink, silver and gold. The mini had a smaller screen, the function buttons were moved to the scroll wheel and it cost around 249$, which was much less than other players available at that time, with a much higher capacity. At the same expo, Apple first advertised the white earbuds that would become the trademark of all future iPods.

A second generation iPod mini was introduced in February 2005 with a new chipset, much longer battery life (18 hours vs. 8 hours), and a 6 GB version was added. The unpopular gold finish was discontinued.

Next articles in this series:

1. Day 1: Let there be iPod
2. Day 2: Separating iPod from others
3. Day 3: The iPod world received colors
4. Day 4: The iPod stars
5. Day 5: iPod flora & fauna
6. Day 6: "Let us make iPod in our image...", Apple said
7. Day 7: And Apple rested..., or not?

Not the info that you're looking for? Ask Tuva and you'll get your answer!

Comments

Your Comment: