Apple iPod: The First 10 Years of the Ubiquitous Media Player

#ThrowbackThursday: The iPod is one of the most iconic devices of the 21st century and the product that put Apple on the road to its current behemoth market position. We wrote this article in October 2011 as the original iPod was just turning 10. This week, Apple announced they are fully discontinuing iPod products. We've bumped this article as a nostalgia piece and to gain some perspective of how we viewed these devices back then.

In 2001, Apple launched an MP3 player that can be partly attributed with shaping the landscape of today's mobile computing market. Along with being the best-selling portable media player and saving Apple from near irrelevance, the iPod influenced many of Cupertino's ambitious and revolutionary projects, forcing much of the industry into a perpetual state of catch-up.

The iPhone birthed the smartphone as we know it and stands as the top-selling device of its kind – likewise with the iPad and the tablet segment, despite Microsoft's early dabblings. Software-wise, the iTunes Store paved the road for digital music sales and represents the world's largest music retailer, while the App Store's sales dwarf all the competition combined – Android included.

In fact, the iPod and related products prompted Apple to change its name from "Apple Computer" to just "Apple." Without fawning over Apple's every endeavor, we'd like to pay homage to the company's game-changing gadget on its 10th birthday. Join us as we take a brief stroll down memory lane...