iPod 20th anniversary tale reveals the true genius of Steve Jobs
iPod 20th anniversary tale reveals the truthful genius of Steve Jobs
Twenty years ago today, Apple released the first-generation iPod. While it seems like a dwelling house run with the benefit of hindsight, the MP3 histrion was actually an enormous run a risk for a visitor that was, in 2001, well-nigh as far from being a trillion-dollar powerhouse as information technology's possible to be.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the iPod, CNET spoke to Tony Fadell, the "father of iPod" to talk about his memories of the fourth dimension, and it provides an interesting look into the tardily Apple founder Steve Jobs' decisiveness.
- The best headphones right now
- Apple Music vs. Spotify: Which is the best music app?
- PLUS: MacBook Pro 2021 is the almost Windows laptop Apple tree has ever made
Fadell, at the fourth dimension, was running his startup Fuse Systems, which had the goal of creating an MP3 histrion. But creating a market from nothing is difficult for any visitor — and doubly so for a startup — and in the year 2000, total sales of MP3 players was effectually 500,000 units: the definition of a niche tech product.
With that in heed, when Fadell was invited to visit Apple with prototype digital music players, he saw this as a chance to go along his startup afloat, just wasn't necessarily optimistic. All the same, he built three prototypes out of styrofoam and weighed them down with his granddaddy's fishing weights to give each 1 a realistic heft.
Ahead of the meeting, Fadell says he worked with quondam Apple tree employee Stan Ng to piece of work on a stack of papers to present — information technology was 2001, so information technology wasn't the slideshow era — and was also warned of Jobs' "reputation for an explosive temper."
A master negotiator
Fadell presented the 3 prototypes in reverse order of preference, and that psychological trick — recommended by Ng — worked. "Steve picked it up and he's like, 'we're building this and you're now going to join us to build it,' and I was like 'whoa whoa,'" Fadell said.
In 2021, this would audio like a no brainer. Merely you accept to remember that in 2001, Apple was a company that had only posted a loss of $195 million. And the last affair Fadell wanted was for his baby to be abandoned when it failed to instantly make waves.
In his negotiations with Jobs, he managed to become a commitment to digital music players which was unusual for an unproven production. The Apple CEO pledged an enormous marketing budget and to bring in resources from the core Mac business to aid the iPod fly. Fifty-fifty when the first two generations didn't exercise much, Jobs kept his promise. "He held up his side of the business, and the rest is history," Fadell said.
That wasn't the last challenge Fadell faced, equally the residue of the excellent characteristic explains, but it was a major hurdle, and a huge step in Apple'south journey to profitability, pointing the way to the iPhone and everything that followed.
What next for the iPod?
Twenty years subsequently, and the iPod is no longer the jewel in Apple tree's crown, simply information technology is nevertheless around — albeit in a state that a younger Fadell would no longer recognize, with the iconic click wheel replaced past the familiar iPhone touchscreen. The iPod touch is hidden abroad on Apple tree'southward site, substantially a dated iPhone without cellular connectivity.
Could it come back? One leaker posited that Apple tree would refresh the iPod Touch with an iPhone 12 fashion look this yr to mark the 20th ceremony, but that seems unlikely.
Only there's still a degree of nostalgia for the iPod Classic, click cycle and all. If you want to imagine what such a device would await like in 2021, take a look at these renders and dream.
But don't get too carried abroad, because even the artist in question concedes such a device isn't feasible nowadays. In 2021, information technology's only besides niche. But this story goes to show just how confident Steve Jobs was in his vision and how expert he was at recruiting the all-time possible talent to make it a reality.
More from Tom'due south Guide
- Meet the best wireless earbuds
- Early on Black Friday deals: The best sales right now
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/ipod-20th-anniversary-tale-reveals-steve-jobs-true-genius
Posted by: beattiehumbeart.blogspot.com
0 Response to "iPod 20th anniversary tale reveals the true genius of Steve Jobs"
Post a Comment