Before the iPod, MP3 players were either big and unwieldy or small and useless. Steve Jobs tasked Apple Senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive and a group of hardware engineers to produce an alternative that could become iconic.
Developed in less than one year, the 5GB iPod, holding 1,000 songs, was unveiled on October 23, 2001 for $399.
About nine months after releasing the first iPod, Apple made a few minor updates and released the second-gen iPod on July 17.
Apple realized in 2003 that 5GB may just not be enough room for growing music collections. Announced April 28, the third-generation iPod was offered in 10GB, 15GB, and 30GB capacities, and, five months later, 20GB and 40GB.
In just two years, the iPod went from a 1,000-song capacity to a 10,000-song capacity.
By January of 2004, Apple had sold over 2 million iPods, staking its position as the No. 1 digital music player in the world.
The iPod photo looked just like an ordinary iPod, but had a larger hard drive capacity, a color display, and a larger battery.
As for the fourth-gen iPod, the player lost its auxiliary buttons and took on the mini's click wheel.
2005: iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod mini, iPod 5G/Video iPod
Releasing 5 new iPods in 2005, Apple introduced two completely new models to the iPod family: the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle.
iPod nano was especially thin at 0.27-inches thick, and was 62 percent smaller than the iPod mini.
iPod shuffle was extremely simple with a white shell and a four-way rocker ring and play/pause button on the front.
iPod mini, this was the last time we'd ever see this line of iPods.
After such a busy year in 2005, 2006 was a bit mellower. Apple released its largest-capacity iPod to date: the 80GB iPod.
Apple updated the nano, releasing the second-gen version, in plastic body for an eye-catching, scratch-resistant anodized aluminum casing.
The iPod shuffle also got a revamp, Less than half the size of its predecessor, Apple branded the shuffle as the "world's smallest MP3 player.
The iPod shuffle also got a revamp, Less than half the size of its predecessor, Apple branded the shuffle as the "world's smallest MP3 player.
2007: iPod touch, iPod nano 3G, 160GB iPod
By the time 2007 rolled around, Apple had already sold 88 million iPods. The year also marked the launch of a new product that would affect iPod sales: the iPhone.
A new shorter, wider, heavier iPod nano was also introduced in 2007 included video playback, and support for new iPod games.
In 2008, America's No. 1 music retailer was no longer Wal-Mart. The iTunes store surpassed the major chain, topping five billion songs sold.
The second-gen iPod touch featured a thinner design, a volume button, and built-in speakers. It was also the first nano to include an accelerometer which allowed you to turn the screen from vertical to horizontal.
2009: iPod shuffle 3G, iPod nano 5G, iPod touch 3G
2009: iPod shuffle 3G, iPod nano 5G, iPod touch 3G
In March of 2009, Apple released the third-gen iPod shuffle which introduced VoiceOver, a feature that announces song titles, and informs you when your battery needs to be recharged.
The fifth-gen iPod nano boasted a larger screen than its predecessors, and a feature many iPod users had been waiting for for years: an FM radio.
The third-gen iPod touch featured a faster processor, support for Open GL, and was marketed as a gaming platform to compete with the PSP and Nintendo DS.
2010: iPod touch 4G, iPod shuffle 4G, iPod nano 6G
With over 10 billion songs in the iTunes Store, and over 5 billion downloads in the App Store, 2010 was a great year for Apple.
The fourth-gen iPod touchwith retina display, which made the text and images look incredibly sharp. It also was able to shoot HD video and take high-quality photos.
At $49, the fourth-gen iPod shuffle was the lowest-priced iPod ever.
2011: iPod nano 7G, iPod touch 5G
2011: iPod nano 7G, iPod touch 5G
So far, most of Apple's attention in 2011 has been on the iPhone and the iPad.
In October, Apple announced it's keeping the touch-screen-style of the last generation iPod nano. The physical appearance is the same, but Apple made few tweaks to the iPod nano's user interface.
The iPod touch also got a small update. Available in black or white, it now runs iOS 5, which includes 200 new features, including iMessage (Apple's form of BlackBerry Messenger), Notifications, and Wi-Fi Syncing to iTunes. It also works with iCloud, Apple's set of free cloud services.
