The iPod Revolution

On October 23^rd, 2001, the world of music was revolutionized with Apple’s release of the iPod.  Though not the first mp3 player on the market, it took the world by storm with mass advertising campaigns and a simple interface.  Several generations later, people now have the option of iPod Nano, iPod Classic, iPod Touch, and the iPhone.  With a large array of capabilities, the iPod has opened up a new world for the music industry and people all over the world.  Though this technology comes with consequences and downfalls, as a whole it has been a very positive market and use of digital capabilities.

Types of iPods on the market

Apple: iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPod Touch, iPhone 3G, iPod Shuffle

Discontinued: iPod 1^st generation, iPod 3^rd Generation, iPod Mini, iPhone 1^st generation

Files Useable on iPods:

(all Apple Products): Mp3s, Mp4s, Wav

(all Apple Products EXCEPT Shuffle):  JPG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, PNG, MOV, some iTunes Games

(iPod Touch & iPhone Only): Applications

Files can be:

Bough from iTunes, uploaded from CDs, purchased/downloaded from websites.  All files not from a CD or iTunes must be saved onto one’s hard drive.

Interface on iPods:

5 buttons, most often seen in the form of the click wheel.  Easy scroll with the movement along the wheel.  The play/pause button is used for power down, the center button is used for power on.  At the top/bottom there is a “hold” key, slid into place keeps the iPod in on/off mode.  There is one jack for earbuds/headphones.

Interface on iPod Touch & iPhone

Completely touch sensitive, with images indicating different services the product provides.  At the top/bottom there is a “hold” key, slid into place keeps the iPod in on/off mode.  There is one jack for earbuds/headphones.

When you buy an iPod, you have free range to upload any content that is file acceptable by iTunes.  This content can come from anywhere, leading to internet piracy.  Someone who wants music and doesn’t want to pay has multiple options.  They can use a file sharing service such as Limewire or a bit torrent service such as the proudly named Pirate Bay.  Though these websites almost always have a provision on the homepage that tell users only to upload legal, owned content.  Every time someone uploads I’m on a Boat by Lonely Island to Limewire, and people download this content without purchasing it, they are committing a crime.  However, most people don’t want to spend the fifteen dollars to buy an album, or ninety-nine cents to purchase an individual song.  People want instant gratification and the buzzword, “free.”  The entertainment industry loses billions of dollars every year to pirated music, software, and movies.

In all of this information, don’t confuse “sharing” with piracy.  The music on this page, for example, was uploaded by the creator from her personal music storage so that it can be listened to and shown as media examples for educational purposes.  There is no intent to distribute to other users by having it on the site.  Music is meant to be listened to, but ownership comes with a price.

Apple has refused to adopt a piracy filter for their products.  This makes it easy for users to download content to their iPods, often leading them to contain volumes of illegal content.

Apple had one of the largest and memorable ad campaigns for the iPod.  They made the iPod a sort of fashion accessory that people had to have to be “cool”. Using billboards, television commercials, and the iconic symbols, Apple overwhelmed the world population, particularly in America, with iPod-Fever.  Apple kept the iPod exterior almost exactly the same for about 3 years, enough time to get the public to associate a certain image with iPod.  Their ads most commonly featured silhouettes of people dancing with trademark white earbuds in their ears and the iPod in their hand on bright, colorful backgrounds. This is brilliant for multiple reasons.  First, there is no location in the ad, these people could be anywhere in the world at any time.  Second, you don’t actually see the people, so it’s relatable to many different cultures (we all look the same in silhouette).  All you can see is people dancing which in most cultures symbolizes fun and joy.  People want to be a part of that.  Also, Apple often offers deals for iPods, bundling them with the purchase of a Macintosh Laptop or other Apple products.  So if you were already a Macintosh user, or were looking to find a new laptop, there was a prime incentive to choose Apple.

Apple outdid itself on the marketting end, and now mp3 player is synonomous with iPod.

(Reference: http://www.besttechie.net/2008/03/01/the-ipod-success-thank-the-marketing-department/)

Several companies have tried to release mp3 players to compete with the iPod.  Microsoft introduced Zune, which boasted the ability to also connect to local radio stations in addition to audio files uploaded to it.  With the average cost being about $200, a lower rate than the iPod at the time of release, in theory it could have been a less costly alternative.  However, the product didn’t have close to 50% of the ad exposure that iPod had, nor was the interface simple.  Soon the Zune became updated allowing wireless sharing, as well as supporting all of the same music, video, and podcasts that iPods used.  In September of 2009, Microsoft released Zune HD which boasted a touch  screen, applications, wireless synchronizing, and a web browser.  The current cost for Zune HD, the new generation of Microsoft’s mp3 player, is about $220.  However, critics do not believe it will surpass the iPod.

Other companies such as Target have released small, inexpensive mp3 players resembling the iPod shuffle.  They don’t have a screen to view the songs uploaded and can usually hold only 20 or 30 songs, but are popular inexpensive introductions to the major mp3 player business.  These do not compete at any high rate towards the iPod due to lack of features and minimal capacity.

In conclusion, not only is the iPod the most preferred device to supply people with their music fix, but is also useful for school, video, photography, and gaming.  After recent announcements from iTunes, modifying price scale from 69 cents to $1.29, there was a decreasing sales trend in the higher priced music.  However, this hasn’t stopped people from purchasing music and the music industry has applauded Apple for making this decision.  People have also continued to download files illegally for their iPod, and there has yet to be a block on that activity other than lawsuits towards mass file-sharers.  Though other companies have tried to compete with the iPod, none have come anywhere near the profit or success.  iTunes broadens horizons, introducing people to new genres, cultures, and boosting popularity for “underground” musicians.  The world of music would not be the same without it.