The iPod Turns Five

Posted on October 23, 2006

Apple's iPod device turns five today. The iPod has become an extremely popular digital music player. Nearly 9 million iPods were shipped last quarter according to a CNN Money news story.

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod on Oct. 23, 2001, he said: "With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again."
Indeed, the iPod and Apple's iTunes music store have transformed the music business, sparking a new way for users to legally download music - and spurring a stunning rise in Apple stock.
Apple (up $0.43 to $79.42, Charts) shares, which traded around $9 five years ago, have risen nearly nine-fold since then.
iPod sales are still growing - shipments rose to 8.73 million in the latest quarter, up 35 percent from a year earlier- even though there's some serious competition out there now for the world's most popular digital music player.

iLounge reports that nearly 69 million iPods total have been sold. iLounge also says they list over 2,000 iPod accessories in their databse. Next on Apples list is the ITV, a device targeting portable video players. Gaming and phone gadgets are also rumored to be in the pipeline for Apple. PC World has five lessons for the iPod's fifth anniversary. The fifth lesson says "tchnological races are never, ever over" -- Microsoft is probably hoping that is true as they ready the launch of the Zune music player.