Steve Jobs launched 5GB iPod at $399

Apple introduced the first iPod on October 23, 2001, at a price of $399. The device held 5GB of data, which stored approximately 1,000 pop songs encoded at 160Kbps. Steve Jobs, then Apple chief executive, presented the player as a pocket-sized solution for carrying a full music library.

The launch occurred while Apple recovered from the dot-com bubble burst. Jobs had moved the company past its beige-box era with the release of Mac OS X. The company sold iBooks and iMacs during this period. Jobs positioned the Mac as the central hub for a digital lifestyle, connecting cameras, DVD players, and music devices.

Jobs identified music as the primary market target because it lacked a dominant leader. He noted that Creative, Sonic Blue, and Sony already sold portable players. However, he stated that none of those companies had found the correct recipe for digital music. The market contained four categories: CD players, MP3 CD players, flash players, and hard-disk jukebox players. Jobs selected the hard-disk format as the best entry point.

The original iPod played MP3, WAV, and AIFF files with CD-quality sound. It used a Toshiba 1.8-inch hard drive that was 0.2 inches thick. The device measured 2.4 by 4 by 0.78 inches and weighed 6.5 ounces. Jobs described it as lighter than most cell phones. It included 20 minutes of skip protection.

Data transfer relied on a FireWire 400 cable for both charging and file movement. Jobs claimed FireWire moved a full CD onto the player in five to 10 seconds. He contrasted that speed with the roughly five minutes required via USB connections available at the time. The system could fill the device with 1,000 songs in about 10 minutes, compared to five hours over USB. A lithium-polymer battery provided 10 hours of playback. Apple stated the battery reached 80% capacity in one hour.

The interface featured a minimal back and sides. Controls were designed for one-handed operation. An accelerated scroll wheel used a piezoelectric clicker for tactile feedback. Users could browse music by playlist, artist, or song. Sarah McLachlan's song Building a Mystery served as the first track demonstrated on stage.

Auto-Sync functionality launched alongside iTunes 2 on the same day. The software added MP3 CD burning and syncing support. Libraries built on a Mac automatically matched the iPod when connected. The device also functioned as a FireWire hard drive for data storage.

The first iPhone arrived in early 2007, more than five years after the iPod debut. The two products coexisted in Apple's lineup for over a decade. The iPod line faded as smartphones matured. Apple released the seventh-generation iPod Touch in May 2019. The company discontinued the iPod line in May 2022.