Apple Priced a 5GB Music Library at $399 25 Years Ago
The original iPod launched on October 23, 2001, promising to hold 1,000 songs in a device lighter than most cell phones.
By Leila Reynolds ·
Apple set the price tag for a pocket-sized music library at $399 exactly 25 years ago. On October 23, 2001, Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod to the public, positioning it as a breakthrough digital device distinct from the Mac. The product offered 5GB of storage, a capacity that held approximately 1,000 pop songs encoded as MP3s at 160Kbps. For most consumers, this capacity represented their entire music collection.
The launch occurred while Apple was recovering from the dot-com bubble burst. Jobs had already guided the company through the beige-box era into the Mac OS X market. Sales of iMacs and iBooks were strong during this period. Jobs envisioned the Mac as the hub for a user's digital lifestyle, connecting cameras, camcorders, and portable players. He identified music as the primary target for this hub because the market lacked a clear leader.
Competitors such as Sony, Creative, and Sonic Blue already sold portable players. Jobs acknowledged these firms but stated that none had found the right recipe for digital music. The market in 2001 was divided into four categories: CD players, MP3 CD players, flash players, and hard-disk jukebox players. Jobs selected the hard-disk category as the best entry point for Apple.
The device featured a 1.8-inch hard drive manufactured by Toshiba. The drive was 0.2 inches thick, allowing the iPod to measure 2.4 by 4 by 0.78 inches. The unit weighed 6.5 ounces, a mass Jobs described as lighter than most cell phones. It included 20-minute skip protection to prevent song interruptions during movement.
Data transfer relied on a single FireWire 400 cable for both charging and file movement. Jobs noted that FireWire could transfer a full CD to the player in five to 10 seconds. This speed contrasted sharply with USB connections of the era, which took roughly five minutes for the same task. Transferring 1,000 songs took about 10 minutes via FireWire, compared to five hours over USB. A rechargeable lithium-polymer battery provided 10 hours of continuous playback. Apple claimed an empty battery could reach 80% charge in one hour.
Design focused on durability and ease of use. The device featured a minimal back and sides. Controls were designed for one-handed operation, centered on an accelerated scroll wheel. The wheel used a piezoelectric clicker to provide tactile feedback, allowing users to browse music by playlist, artist, or song. The first track demonstrated during the presentation was Sarah McLachlan's "Building a Mystery."
The launch coincided with the release of iTunes 2. This software update added MP3 CD burning and syncing capabilities. Libraries built on a Mac automatically matched the iPod when the device connected for transfer or charging. The iPod also functioned as an external FireWire hard drive when connected to a computer.
The original iPod shared Apple's product lineup with the iPhone for over a decade. The iPhone arrived in early 2007, more than five years after the iPod debut. As smartphones matured, the need for a dedicated music player diminished. The last model in the line was the seventh-generation iPod Touch, released in May 2019. Apple stopped maintaining the line and officially discontinued it in May 2022.
