The iPod family cemetery
posted Sep 8th 2005 1:12PM
We're hard pressed to say the iPod family's fallen on particularly hard times, but being under such excruciating public scrutiny can take its toll on any dynasty; especially in a year like 2005, the family shaken to its core by so many tragic deaths. From the humble beginnings of the iPod that began the legacy so many years back, all the way up to the tragic loss of the iPod mini just yesterday, we felt it might be time to take a visit to the iPod family cemetary on this early autumn afternoon.
The first generation iPod
October 2001 - July 2002
The iPod head of the family.
The second generation iPod
July 2002 - April 2003
Survivor of the lean years.
But a few mournful months after the passing of the 5GB iPod and the birth of the 10GB iPod, came a new 10GB iPod and the 20GB, which started at $499. Perhaps one of the least well-remembered of the iPod family, this iPod included the first non-mechanical (solid state) scroll wheel, though the center and circumference buttons remained tactile. Perhaps most groundbreaking was the official Windows support (via Musicmatch Jukebox, ironically), though the wired remote, calendar, and artist search were all significant as well. Eventually this iPod would undergo tattoos by Beck, No Doubt, Madonna, and Tony Hawk before being committed to history in April of 2003.
The third generation iPod
April 2003 - July 2004
Educated and worldly.
This was the iPod—born of humbler pedigree—that grew up, provided for itself a higher education, and made its own way in the world. The third generation of the family rid itself entirely of mechanical buttons on its body, shed some of its baby fat around the waist down to 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.62-inches, and came forth at $299 for 10GB, $399 for 15GB, and $499 for 30GB. This was also the first iPod child to feature a remote connector and dock connector—which finally enabled USB 2.0. In September the 30GB iPod was priced at $399, and a 40GB model was released for $499.
The first generation iPod mini
January 2004 - February 2005
The prodigal son.
By January 2004 it was clear the iPod family had many more children on the way, the first of which being the iPod mini. The first iPod family member with a 1-inch hard drive, the 1,000 song 3.6 x 2.0 x 0.5-inch mini carried with it 4GB of space, yet asked $249—only $50 less than its parentage. Critics once again panned, but the mini bounced back anyhow, possibly due in part to its peacockish colors and ornate all-aluminum exterior. Or perhaps it had something to do with its click wheel—the final blend of tactile/mechanical and solid-state control for the iPod family.
The fourth generation monochrome iPod
July 2004 - June 2005
The beginning of the end of the beginning.
The first full-size iPod with a click-wheel, the fourth generation monochrome was prideful in its resplendent minimal glory and improved power-saving features when introduced in July of 2004 at $299 for 20GB, and at $399 for 40GB. Perhaps among the most long running and successful of the iPod family, even the fourth generation's good breeding could not save it from passing on in the wake of the iPod color in the fateful summer of 2005.
The iPod photo
October 2004 - June 2005
The family drunk - corpulent, befuddled, and confused.
When the iPod photo was first introduced to the family in October of 2004 along with the U2 iPod, there was more than a slight amount of confusion. Though the photo was the first iPod to feature a 60GB drive (and among the only of its time, as well), it was not granted the video viewing capabilities that were so longed for, but merely a color screen and limited support for imaging—and not without some fattening up to 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.75-inches. The $499 40GB photo was a full $100 more than its monochrome kin, while the 60GB photo was an astounding $599. To combat this price differential, a 30GB photo was reared in place of the 40GB in February 2005, which went for $350, but did not ship with a dock. The photo would eventually lose its 30GB version as well when its featureset was incorporated into the primary iPod branch of the family tree.
The HP iPod
January 2004 - August 2005
The legitimate half-sibling.
The HP iPod's date of birth is to this day debatable, but HP announced it was pregnant with the half-sibling sired by Apple in January 2004 at CES. The carriage went long, however, and HP didn't actually give birth until August 2004. But by then it was quadruplets: the HP iPod photo appeared in April 2005, the HP iPod mini in June, and the HP iPod shuffle in July. But HP sought to differentiate its lineage. After somehow befriending Sean "Diddy" Combs, HP went along with "Printable Tattoos," early music-themed skins which wound up somewhat disastrous to the augmented family as they stuck heavily to the iPod's body and left a sticky residue. But the Apple side of the family never seemed too displeased with the coming together—by the time of their unpropitious demise the HP iPod children accounted for 7% of the iPod family.
The second generation iPod mini
February 2005 - September 2005
The prodigal son returns.
At long last and with a heavy heart we commit thee, iPod mini, to your family's plot. The even more flamboyant aluminum-clad lovechild of its forbears, the second generation mini lost its golden gilding in favor of a more vibrant range of colors, and even came as large as 6GB. Taken from us so young while, the mini is survived by its younger siblings the shuffle and nano, and elder sibling the fourth generation iPod color.
My first generation iPod STILL WORKS! It has been dropped well over ten times; some of those times it went down damn hard, onto the sidewalk, hard time floor, wood, you name it! It's so old, my 10.5.1 Leopard sometimes crashes when I connect the Firewire cable! I wonder if I have a record here.
Make some more ipod graveyards! add on!
and all them sucks
ANYWAY I CAN GET ONE OF THOSE BLACK HP IPODS????? THANXS
aany 1 know were i can ge tone of thsoe hp ipods with diamonds???????
I found a great website www.buymybrokenipod.com that will buy any broken, damaged or used ipod for cash. Dont dump your old ipod when you can get paid for it. They will buy an iPod Video, Photo, Mini, Nano, 80GB, 60GB, 30GB, 20GB with any type of issues, sad face, water damage, hard drive broken, broken buttons, cracked screen, cracked lcd, broken plugs or dead. They have instant quotes (really cool so you can see who is paying the best out there and not have to wait), their prices are the highest ive seen out there, its really easy to use, the were very easy to work with, paid fast, they were trustworthy and the site was super easy to use.
Before anyone expresses their feelings on the timeliness of this piece, please know that it has nothing to do with the hurricane, and was intended to be very tongue-in-cheek (obviously).
As Peter and I stated in the last podcast, all our hearts go out out to the victims and those affected by this horrific disaster.
Best,
Ryan
Ryan,
Great job with this. Its really funny and well done. Stuck like this is why we read engadget!
Mitch
goes without saying. only the heartless would come on here and try to make that connection...
nice piece.
You forgot the monochrome 4G.
The HP iPod is more like the "red headed stepchild" of iPods... never really understood its place, and never really cared.
Yes, there are a few errors in this story, but don't nit-pick. It's pretty good.
Shouldn't this also include the 4g monochrome iPod?
I didn't really count the monochrome 4G as a totally different model from the color 4G. That bit was a little more subjective. But if there are factual errors, please let me know so I can amend the piece.
Best,
Ryan
I don't know if you tried to put a lot of pricing info in this, but that history gets long and complex fast.
The FIRST Hard Drive based MP3 player was the Creative Jukebox which introed with a 6 GB Laptop hard drive. The iPod came after that and it only had 5 GB. Which is why CmdrTaco of Slashdot said the following:
No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.
the monochrome 4G is different from the color one since it doesn't support the camera connector, which deeply pisses me off.
Add in the 4th Gen B&W iPod. Its was THE 4th Gen, and then the Mini and then the Photo. It was the first with the click-wheel. It's what I own! Addd it in!
*ahem*
please x x x
#6 So you're saying that the ipod photo is different enough than the current gen ipods (with colour screens) to warrant a mention in the article, but the b&w 4g is not?
Just constructive criticism :-)
I <3 my 3G.
but honestly, after going to apple.com and staring at the nano for a few minutes, the regular iPod just looks really bulky.
Ryan Block, You misspelled amend. I demand that you ammend your comment.
i've had most of the ipods, and to be honest, when push comes to shove and battery lives are dying--i use my 1st generation 5gig and it holds out perfectly. it currently has a better battery life than my new ipod mini.
keepin' it real with the 1st g
so it went from ipod cemetery to spelling bee contest ?
I'm also pretty sure that the first generation iPod was the one that eventually worked with Windows via MusicMatch.
But this was a very good article. I enjoyed the idea.
I've got an old 2G, a minor step up from the 1st Gen. its lasted 3 years (cost 450 bucks for 10gb) but i love, its a beast that won't quit...
although the nano is lookin quite appealing...
I have to say a disagree on two of your points here, firstly the 4G Mono most definitely should be included, the first mainstream iPod to sell mass amounts of stock and define the iPod to what it is now.
Secondly and this is more of an opinion but the 3G was a classic and many people consider it the best looking iPod, as I personally dislike the click wheel then naturally I love my 3G to bits!
#10, Slight nitpick on that.. The FIRST hard drive MP3 player was the Personal Jukebox, which was later bought out buy Compaq.
http://web.archive.org/web/19991129053738/http://www.pjbox.com/
Review: http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/personaljuke.html
I wanted one of those SOO bad.
Ok, everyone can calm down now, I've added the 4g mono.
u forgot to mention the 2nd generation iPod Mini had over 50% more battery life than the 1st gen.
i agree, the 3g is definitely the best-looking, and i couldnt go a day without mine.
great piece.... only an insensitive idiot looking to cause trouble would make any kind of connection between this and the horrible things that we as a *planet* have had to deal with over the past couple of years.
Very nice. Some pedantry: "unpropitious."
So I guess the Shuffle is the child the family doesn't talk about because of how awful it is?
The 1st gen 5gb iPod was still in production as of January 2003 (long after the July 2002 date of death listed above), when I gave in and bought one. They sold it alongside the 2nd gen 10 and 20gb iPods for quite a while. I don't think it came off the shelves until the 3rd gen devices were announced in Spring 2003.
Weasel, the shuffle's not dead yet.
So I guess the Shuffle is the child the family doesn't talk about because of how awful it is?
Did the photo really die or just change names. I dont think theres a real difference between it and the new iPod...
Nice post. But don't be too hasty to cast your Mini into the abyss, guys...
7 Things to Do With Your Old iPod Mini:
http://mashable.com/?p=20
Come on guys, let's kill the Shuffle. What was the point in it anyway? Shouldn't that just have been a new feature in the other iPods?
Cool article, by-the-way.
What about the U2 Special Edition iPod?
Funny piece...good job! :p
So any bets on the date of young son nano's demise? June or July 2006 is my guess. By then Apple will probably have a removable flash version ready.
One small correction for the 3G section..." In September the 30GB iPod was priced at $399, and a 40GB model was released for $499."
Actually both the 15 and 30 GB iPods were eliminated and replaced with 20 GB and 40 Gb iPods at the same price points, $299 and $299 respectively.
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2003/sep/08ipod.html
Well... thissis hella funny, good job. I'm still very sad about the passing away of 2nd G iPod mini but who the hell cares GO iPOD NANO! Oh yeah and hit Pete Cachmore's (no. 32)link to that website...
best,
Decee
The U2 iPod is still for sell. The Shuffle was decent, but due to its lack of a screen it won't last. Heck, the MobiBlue cube has got a screen and it's 1". The Nano is going to sell like hotcakes. mmm...hotcakes
akarol - the U2 iPod is still alive
#23 - I have a PJB100, the personal Jukebox you mention. To nitpik your nitpik, it was _designed_ by Compaq, but licensed & sold by a Korean company called Hango. (I bet some marketdroids at Compaq & later were kicking themselves over that one for a while...)
It was actaully a good player, with a good interface (not as simple as an iPod, but way better than the rest of the crap), 4gb drive, 10hr *removable* li-ion btty, and *Gapless playback*! Heavy tho.
It's.......Beautiful. *sniff*
Anybody that hates the shuffle - it's totally understandable, but I'm more than willing to bet that one'll be around for a while. I mean, c'mon, get in on the iPod fad for under $100? I'm sure that it sold/is selling just fine.
oh my GOD!
Shutup with the correcting already. Don't you have any senses of humour? He was making a FUNNY. Ever heard of it? How about laughing? It's this awkward undulation that is somewhere between weeping, and sex. GOD!
What you sould like
Pushes glasses up on pimply nose. "Well, um actually it's more E-volutionary rather than RE-volutionary, and to be completely honest with you I question the integrity of a man that can't tell the difference between a 1st and 2nd generation mini"
Good god, does the sun shine in your part of the world?! If so, go outside with a telescope and point it directly in the sun's direction and gaze into the lens. Then maybe it will burn out your nervous tick of nerdiness that compels you to correct every single nit-pickey thing someone says, JESUS!
You're like my grammar teacher!
I don't see the shuffle dead any time soon, they wouldn't have anything in the low end, and they sell pretty well! on the other side, I thing the mini is making a come back from the grave latter, maybe even this year. I mean, what could otherwise fill the 10GB gap? the 20GB is probably going 30 sometime in the next months, or with the 5g, i think the mini is just on hollydays :D
NOOOOOOOO not the mini !!!!! say it's not so
Man just think if they had updated the mini instead of replacing it with the nano. The power savings going to flash from a hard drive would have made the thing run for days on a single charge. And they could have kept the disk size the same or larger, I think there is a market form both the mini and the nano.
Ditch the shuffle not the mini
I'm tired of taking chargers every where for all these things (PDA, Phone, iPod) I much rather of had a longer running mini then the nano. We go on 2-3 day bike trips and have no power available and these things just dont last long enough.
I purchased a 1G 4gb mini when my 2G 20gb iPod was decomissioned (by a signature from Steve himself--read about my adventure here: http://www.garden2.net/share/archives/000356.html or just get the photo here: http://efg.textamerica.com/?r=1918381). ...and you know what? even with the 3 year old, used-up battery on my 2G 20gb iPod, it still outperforms the battery on my mini.
Yes! The mini will be resurrected. Look for an 8 and 10 gig model for Christmas. No one wants a Shuffle over 2 gigs without a screen and thats why we have the Nano with flash memory.
Thanks, guys, for bringing up a lot of old memories. My $500 2nd gen iPod 20 GB kicked it after about 18 months. I promised myself then that I would never buy another Apple product, but then there was the decomissioned 40 GB iPod photo that I picked up on buy.com for $319. (the day after the 30Gb came out, I think, for more money). That's still probably one of the best deals I've ever gotten. And I find myself lusting heavily after the iPod nano, but I could never justify the expense. (which means I'll own it within a few weeks)
Oh yeah, and I type this from a new iBook. I guess I have broken my promise never to buy Apple products again many times over.
You forgot to include the nano and the current iPod..
BTW: I still have a 3rd Generation iPod and It still works fine. The old ones last longer... studier construction and such ;-)
The 1G 5GB iPod was sold concurrently with the 2G iPods until both were discontinued in April 2003. After the 10 GB and 20 GB 2G iPods were released, all three models were produced in both Mac and Windows versions.
50 - He didn't forget,
put simply, in a "no-longer available" timeline, you do not put products that are CURRENTLY AVAILABLE!!!
:P.
I rather liked the first version design. The buttons were really nice and it blended with the apple style. Now, the translucent wheel is not really appealing.
"and *Gapless playback*"
Gapless? BACK THEN? Wow, that's amazing!
Seriously. I'm not being sarcastic.
#47: not the hard drive sucks most of the power, but the chip that decoded music. That's why when they switched from PP5002 to PP5020 the battery life increased.
The hard drive doesn't really suck that much power because of the buffer of the iPod: 32MB. You practically run the disk few seconds per song.
Mike S,
Congrats on completely missing the point, this article is about discontinued iPods, not current ones.
That really sucks bad...
I have a NeonGreen 2nd gen Mini (4GB one). I like it alot better than all the others. The bigger ones are all grease plates...allways coverd in fingerprints, and just the simple fact that they are a little too big. (At least to me they are.)
btw. I really hate the Shuffle...thats just wrong...why would you want 1,000 MP3s and then have no way to browse through them?! Even CD based MP3 players from freaking RIO have a 2 line LCD screen to scroll through! Nano is a better Idea, but why stop mini? Mini holds more than nano. :)
fuckin' morons.
Is it just me or was the iPod mini like that little creative phase Apple had a few years ago with the iMac and iBooks. When they first came out they were all bright and multicolored, but once they became part of the basic lineup those bright colors were dropped in favor of regular Apple white.
Just a thought.
Not quite the same though - as the iMacs and iBooks came out in multiple colors first, then dropped the multi-color scheme, whereas the iPods started out in one color and expanded to include multiple colors.
As a previous owner of the original 5gb, then a 2nd gen 10 abd 20gb eventually moving on to the 3rd gen. 4 button ugly ipod. As my taste matured as well as my income, I moved up to the beautiful and svelte 4th generation 40gig, by far my favorite but I TOO had lust in my heart like Jimmy Carter and had to wet my tastes on the 2nd gen 60gb ipod photo. Yet along the way I dalliances with a 4gb silver mini: who could resist it's silver, metallic curves and then my brief fling with the minimalistic 1gb shuffle. I have come to understand that I will never be satisfied with just one ipod and that it is obvious that I have commitment issues. I guess this explains my new affair with my 4gb nano, I just can't help myself, I just haven't seen a ipod that I could not love, even if for just a brief moment!
It seems to me that depending on what Creative decides to do and how successful they are with it, we could see the complete iPod line-up end up here. Remember that they were awarded the patent for there brilliant gui, the same gui that made the iPod so popular and easy to use. I'm NOT saying the iPod WILL die within the next 5-10 years, i'm just pointing out that if Creative plays their cards right, we could see the end of a fad. (cmon, everyone knows that it's just a fad. once someone else comes out with something more, stylish, trendy, and expensive, it will become the new fad. but i will admit Apple has set the bar pretty high for those requirements.)
Nick
The 1st gen machine did work with windows, I have one sitting near by, it used the terrible Music Match service but also worked with iTunes when that was released.
It also had a remote control, which used the ring around the headphone socket.
I h8 my iPod mini. Damn thing breaks after the warranty is out and it cost $50 more to fix than buying a new one. What kinda crap is that?
I don't really count The iPod photo (October 2004 - June 2005) as being dead as it has just had a name change. And if so, the name really died in Febuary when Apple started calling them Ipods w/ color screens with the release of the 30gb & 60gb price cut.
#37 - I don't think Apple will ever go to removable flash. I doubt it goes along with their philosophy.
61: Just like that little Sony 'Walkman' fad that lasted 25 years.
I have 4th generation (monochrome) iPod for over a year, I am still very happy with it.
68: Yeah about the Walkman...isn't the modern equivalent the iPod? If Sony can own a market for 25 years, why not Apple?
Sony could have owned this market, too, but they were too in love with themselves (ATRAC) to make truly useful products.
Getting a 4g 20gb ipod tomorrow! Holy junk. Its hard to contain the excitement... good ol' apple.
i got a mini for christmas and couldnt stand it so i went onto ebay and bought a g2 20gb and its ill, i brushed out the scratches on the back and the battery lasts for like 16 hours its great i couldnt be more happy, i would'nt mind having a new one but, well im broke so anyone want to send me one?
to 63. you are wrong my friend. This is not a fad. If listening to music is a fad, than it is the longest running fad in history I think.....the only longer fad I can think of is maybe walking....
So is the iPod mini really dead and buried for good...? Or is waiting to rise from the ashes with a color screen and bigger hard drive when the full size iPod is put to rest this holiday season. When not coinicidentally it's prodigy is revealed as the iPod vid with larger screen and DRM-ed QuickTime playback ability for iTunes movie rentals.
Good Gawd! Do all of you work for Apple or something? You're completely taking this article out of context. It's meant to be somewhat amusing. The defenders of things IPod and all of the fact checkers should sit down, have a beer, listen to their dead IPod, and freaking relax.
#73 Luis A. Listening to music is not a fad. Owning an iPod is. I'm not necessarily saying follwing a fad (also known as a trend) is a bad thing. I'm just pointing out that ALL fads/trends do eventually come to an end. And just because everyone does it doesn't mean it's a fad, so don't try and say something like wearing clothes period is a fad. That has a practical reason to it. Though listening to music on a specific product only serves to entertain us and has no other practical application. And for those who say the iPod can act as a portable hard drive for files, that is not the main reason people buy them. The fad in place is listening to music on an iPod, not transporting data files on an iPod. Once people move onto another device for listening to music, people will not continue to buy iPods just to transport files. There are FAR cheaper alternatives for transporting files. The iPod is a trend that will eventually die and Engadget may even do a piece on it like they did the Rio. THAT will probably dpend on whether it goes out in style, prematurely, or if it just kinda wanes, trying desparately to cling to life, and then die without anyone remembering it's former glory (the way sitcoms that run too long die).
Nick
While thinking of early MP3 players, don't forget the Neo25
http://pcweb.mycom.co.jp/news/2000/11/15/09.html
It was the size (and a good bit of the weight!) of a brick, and you had to bring your own HD, but at the time it was wonderful. I had my whole music collection with me on a 20G drive when the iPods were only a gleam in Steve's eye.
After a foolish fling with the Rio Riot (great screen, but terrible support), I would come into the iPod fold with the 20G 2nd gen units. Now happily listening to a 40g 4th-gen.
Man, if I ran a site like this, I'd get discouraged by all the idiots commenting and just stop writing. Kudos to you for the great (and funny) article!
To the rest of you (detractors), stop crying like little girls who had their iPod taken away, and ask your mommy to take you to McDonald's for a happy meal.
Why isn't it metioned in this writeup that the whole iPod family is openly flaming gay?
Fun read!
Ignore the gripes, or pick & choose from them _if_ you do updates. Either way, keep writing!
I just wanna give a shout out to the real OG
who will be keeps it real--
with that mechanical scroll wheel.
started out with a 4th generation 40 GB iPod. At first i was wary of carrying it around, afraid to break it, but, after a year, a trip to vermont, a trip to spain, and many a normal day, me and my iPod are inseperable.
Ali <3's his iPod, lol.
Except for the 2G and the iPod mini, I've owned every model. My 1G was unreliable and the wheel got so dirty. It died on me twice and I had to send it in. Its still up in the air to me which I like better (design-wise), 3G or 4G. I think the 4G makes more sense, force feedback and all. But the 3G was really cool. But now I have the nano and it is BY FAR my favorite. When I hold my 4G now it feels like a brick! I can't imagine if I got a hold of my 1G.
When the 1G shuffle dies and is replaced with one that has a screen, you should call it the blind, autistic iPod offspring. I find that really funny with the shuffle being random and all. Maybe I'm sick like that?
#79, why is the iPod family gay? Have you tried to get with one of them and got rejected or something?
Great article... but all I can say is GOOD RIDDANCE!
The (first-generation) mini has now become a collector's item. Wait long enough and one that still works will be worth as much as a Faberg?gg. Plus, Faberg?ggs don't play music. The Nano is cool, but it's just a gadget.
Still have a 5GB 1st Gen iPod running strong - no battery problem.
What about the baby.. The nano?? Great review!!
i heard they have a new ipod video, that can play music videos and even movies
i like mermaids
and ipods, i have an ipod and im getting the new ipod video. The ipod mini is gay.
Love the ipod graveyard! I really enjoyed it! Wonder what the graveyard will contain in 10 years!
It'd be interesting to see a Macintosh graveyard as well. I used to own a Mac Plus with 1 MB of RAM. We upgraded to the maximum of 4 MB in 1991, I think. Now printers have 32MB or more. :)
Great article!!! Probably will require a new (dead) product entry bi-annually.
IMHO, the 3Gs are the most stylish. The grey click-wheels of the 4Gs just deface the d@mn things, but I will admit that I prefer the 4G color version overall. Album art is cool!!!
One can only wish that they had done a scroll-wheel, four-button version with a color screen and photo capability.... * sigh *
why is the nano replacing the mini, it is more expensive and holds less songs?