This statement is anything but hyperbole; the iPod changed our lives. Introduced in 2001, and then touted as a now archaic “1000 songs in your pocket,” the cigarette box sized gadget would go on to revolutionize the way consumers acquire music, in turn impacting the music business and eventually how we consume media and communicate (see: the iPhone and iPad). The iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player on the market, but it quickly became the go-to accessory for music aficionados, regardless if their preference was a Mac or a PC. While the iPod itself ended its official run in 2009 with the last ‘classic’ model, through its various imitators and direct descendants, its legacy lives on. Vibe looks back at the innovation the game-changing product spawned over a decade… —Alvin Blanco
From Idea To iPod – The Evolution Of A Game-Changing Product (Pg. 2)