With iPod’s fifth birthday around the corner (October 23rd), Steve Jobs discusses the MP3 player’s design, cool factor and impact with Newsweek’s Steven Levy:
During the iPod’s development process did you get a sense of how big it would become?
Jobs: The way you can tell that you’re onto something interesting is if everybody who knows about the project wants one themselves, if they can’t wait to go out and open up their own wallets to buy one. That was clearly the case with the iPod. Everybody on the team wanted one.
Other companies had already tried to make a hard disk drive music player. Why did Apple get it right?
Jobs: We had the hardware expertise, the industrial design expertise and the software expertise, including iTunes. One of the biggest insights we have was that we decided not to try to manage your music library on the iPod, but to manage it in iTunes. Other companies tried to do everything on the device itself and made it so complicated that it was useless.
Now people at some labels think that iTunes, with its dominant market share has too much power.
Jobs: We’ve never once gone to them and asked them to lower their prices.
Do you think that it’s fair to the customer that the songs they buy from Apple will only work on iTunes and the iPod?
Jobs: Well, they knew that all along.
Microsoft has announced its new iPod competitor, Zune. It says that this device is all about building communities. Are you worried?
Jobs: In a word, no. I’ve seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you’ve gone through all that, the girl’s got up and left! You’re much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you’re connected with about two feet of headphone cable.
In the full article, Jobs talks about the the design lesson of the iPod, iPod popularity and coolness, how he got the record labels to sign up, and more here.
Related articles:
Apple announces iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition, iTunes (PRODUCT) RED gift card – October 13, 2006
RUMOR: Apple to announce wireless video iPod in ‘very near future’ – October 10, 2006
The Channel Checkers: Apple iPod recommended by over 73% vs. other MP3 players – October 05, 2006
Study reveals Apple continues to gain share in music markets – October 04, 2006
Mossberg: Apple’s new iPod+iTunes are ‘better products at better prices’ – October 04, 2006
Computerworld review: ‘Apple’s new iPods are better than ever’ – September 27, 2006
PC Magazine’s 19th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards for MP3 players: Apple iPod line – September 25, 2006
USA Today reviews new Apple iPod nanos, updated iPods, iTunes 7 (each earns 4 stars out of 4) – September 21, 2006
Time Magazine’s Gadget of the Week: Apple iPod 80GB – September 21, 2006
CNET Editor’s Choice: Apple fifth-gen updated iPod – ‘best, most attractive iPod to date’ – September 20, 2006
Disney’s remarkable 1st week iTunes movies sales should have studios clambering aboard Apple train – September 20, 2006
Disney sells 125,000 movie downloads via Apple’s iTunes Store in first week – September 19, 2006
PC Magazine review: iTunes 7 ‘Apple’s best effort yet’ (4 stars out of 5) – September 15, 2006
CNET Editor’s Pick: Apple’s new 2G iPod nano – ‘sure to be top choice among wide range of users’ – September 14, 2006
Apple debuts new iPod in 30GB and 80GB with Hollywood movies, games and new lower price – September 12, 2006
Apple intros new iPod nano with new aluminum design in five colors and 24-hour battery life – September 12, 2006
Apple unveils new iPod shuffle: world’s smallest digital music player – September 12, 2006
Apple debuts iTunes 7 – September 12, 2006
Microsoft’s Ballmer: Zune device not money loser, wishes Apple’s 30GB iPod was $299 instead of $249 – October 11, 2006
Microsoft’s consumer electronics track record: long string of failures – October 11, 2006
MP3.com founder: ‘Zune will be an expensive failure for Microsoft because consumers aren’t stupid’ – October 06, 2006
Microsoft fails to secure key Zune domains – October 04, 2006
Microsoft rigs Zune with tricky pricing and proprietary money schemes – October 03, 2006
Why Microsoft’s Zune won’t kill Apple’s iPod – October 03, 2006
10 Apple iPod vs. Microsoft Zune myths – October 02, 2006
Analyst: Zune could lead to ‘civil war’ between Microsoft and Windows Media partners – September 29, 2006
Thurrott on Microsoft’s Zune: ‘The makings of a disaster, what the heck are these people thinking?’ – September 29, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft Zune’s as good as dead on arrival – September 28, 2006
Microsoft sets 30GB Zune price at $249.99 – September 28, 2006
How Microsoft’s Zune can kill Apple’s iPod – September 21, 2006
Microsoft’s Zune insanity – September 21, 2006
The Microsoft Zune 1.0 dud – September 20, 2006
Microsoft’s underwhelming Zune a ‘viral DRM’ device – September 18, 2006
SanDisk teams with RealNetworks against new common foe: Microsoft Zune – September 18, 2006
Creative does Apple’s dirty work by immediately attacking Microsoft’s Zune – September 17, 2006
Motley Fool’s Jayson: Microsoft’s ‘just plain ugly’ Zune a meager offering, not an iPod killer – September 15, 2006
What’s in a name? ‘Zune’ a French-Canadian euphemism for penis or vagina – September 15, 2006
Crave at CNET: ‘Microsoft Zune, all the excitement that brown can bring’ – September 15, 2006
Microsoft’s Zune underwhelms – September 15, 2006
Enderle: Microsoft Zune ‘a design mistake’ – September 15, 2006
Microsoft hypocrisy exposed with Zune: What ever happened to ‘choice?’ – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft Zune with fake scroll wheel ‘hardly an Apple iPod killer’ – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft Zune won’t spoil Apple’s biggest iPod Christmas ever – September 14, 2006
Microsoft unveils Zune 30GB player, Zune Marketplace; declines to disclose prices – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft’s Zune an ‘underwhelming’ repackaged Toshiba Gigabeat; no threat to Apple iPod – August 30, 2006
Microsoft confirms brick-like Zune to be made by Toshiba – August 25, 2006
Microsoft Zune is chunky brick made by Toshiba – August 25, 2006
Microsoft to spend hundreds of millions, several years on Zune trying to catch Apple iPod+iTunes – July 27, 2006
Zune: Apple cannot lose. Microsoft cannot win. – July 26, 2006
Guess what? Personal computers have become ubiquitous here in America and pretty much anybody who can afford a $149 iPod can probably also afford a $350 Windows PC to get music on it.
But you fail to understand that most people don’t care, afford, want to or “get” computers.
The college crowd is introduced to computers, the occasional office worker may be trained like a monkey to push a few keys. But most everyone either views them as work or never has touched a computer.
But any monkey can buy a $24 cd and stick it in a portable cd player and press play right?
The reason the iPod is joined with the computer is simple. Browsing music to buy is a better experience on a computer with a nice big screen than on an iPod with a 2.5 or 3-inch screen.
Managing/buying music on a larger device/screen/computer is better, I agree. Much like the difference between a laptop screen and a 30″ cinema display, but is the 30″ really necessary to manage music? People do just fine with PDA’s to recieve and send emails, which is a lot more complicated than managing and buying music.
The idea that the “halo effect” is planned is rediculous–especially when you figure that the iPod, iTunes, and the iTunes Music Store were Mac-only for the first year or more of their life.
Certainly the “iPod halo effect” was planned, Apple is a hardware company and the iPods are hardware. Apple embraced the Windows camp to sell more iPods which is a lure for people to embrace the Mac platform.
Apple is doing a lot of Windows embracing lately. “Boot Camp” for instance. iTunes trojan horse for another, all lures designed to get people introduced to Apple products.
The Mac evangelism days are over.
Oh God, I don’t have time for this but here goes:
“If one takes a close look at the Zune they would notice the screen size, the graphics and especially the wifi capability is a idea combination for the eventual advancement of a store on the device itself.”
It’s the same size as the iPod screen – they’ve just stretched the pixels.
“The other “shoe” of a device hasn’t been dropped yet, it could be the X-Box add on, it could be a ‘hard drive/dock/DSL modem’ combination.”
Coulda’ woulda’ shoulda’ – “Don’t buy Apple, because sooner or later Microsoft will get it right and we’ll all be grateful!” You’re the same kind of guy that’s hoping Vista will solve all your virus problems.
“However most everyone enjoy’s music, especially portable music. Cd players and walkmans are their staple.”
Yes, and these are playback devices ONLY – that’s why they are so popular – are you seeing where this is going yet? (Obviously not)
“A Mp3 player with a music store/interface on the device itself would offer a easy upgrade for these people without the cost, trouble or hassle of learning a computer.”
Leaving aside the fact that most people already have a computer anyway, and this trend is more likely to go up, not down, I still say – what about backing this device up? Whether you like it or not it’s still got a hard drive, which will fail. They already no how to use a computer, they do learn this at school now you know…
“Processors are always getting cheaper by the day and there is a large enough storage space on these Mp3 players to offer a basic operating system.”
Yes, processors are getting cheaper and cheaper, so therefore computers will get cheaper, so people are more likely to buy them.
“The clue of what M$ is up to is obvious with the integrated WiFi capability. All they have to do is change (or reveal) the store interface to show their true plans, all the hardware needs are in place.”
So in your mythical device, you have to manage all your music collection (with less than a dozen buttons), and use wifi – what’s that going to do to battery life exactly? Oh yeah, that’ll be solved when Microsoft reveal there new 80 year lifetime, never needs recharging battery that you just made up.
“I bought an 80gig iPod, and loaded pretty much all my favorite music on it. Now I can throw the computer in the bin if I want. My iPod is set up. And if the iPod breaks then what? What if you want new music or manage songs? Can’t do without a computer right?”
And this proves what exactly? you’ve just stated that you need a computer for an MP3 player. I cannot see from your arguement why I would not need a computer at some point during the Zune’s life.
What about = “And if the Zune breaks then what? What if you want new music or manage songs? Can’t do without a computer right?”
“I think M$ is going to offer a X-Box add on or a seperate device with hard drive (for auto backup) /DSL modem / Wifi ability to provide the link to the M$ Music Store. We haven’t seen this second device yet but should appear around the Holidays.”
Yeah right, and I think Apple gonna release an iTablet soon as well. Creating mythical devices in order to get ahead in an arguement, doesn’t mean you win the arguement. Let’s stick to the facts.
Oh yeah, and I just thought:
“I think M$ is going to offer a X-Box add on or a seperate device with hard drive (for auto backup) /DSL modem / Wifi ability to provide the link to the M$ Music Store. We haven’t seen this second device yet but should appear around the Holidays.”
So a bit like a computer then, or the iTV that Apple HAS ALREADY ANNOUNCED and will release next year? Whilst we’re making things up as we go along, let’s just assume that Apple’s iTV has all these things as well.
Unlike your vapourware, or should we maybe call it “Windows-fanboy-dreamware-that-will-crush-Apple-once-and-for-all”.
With your arguement, what’s to stop a potential Zune user saying, “oh a Zune? You need to buy a expensive computer/XBox/device with a hard drive, DSL modem & wifi ability, to use them.”
I don’t usually flame like this, but God your arguement (if you can call it that) is so full of holes you could call it Vista…
zero
Please get your own name, there is only room for zerO here.
No offense intended, I don’t think that you want my views attributed to you.
Thank you
gagravaar,
Look not at what the Zune is now, but what it can become with it’s larger processor, wifi ability and larger screen.
I’m not saying M$ will defeat Apple, but they might be surprising them with a device that appeals to a larger segment of the population before Apple has a chance to respond.
I personally would love a iPod with integrated store, if I get a request for a song at a party I can download it over the phone line nearly instantly.
Let’s look at Rabid Dog’s assertions:
“If one takes a close look at the Zune they would notice the screen size, the graphics and especially the wifi capability is a idea combination for the eventual advancement of a store on the device itself.”
A runon sentence with dangling participles, leading to nonsensical gibberish. Trying to parse out this nonsense, I think if you look at the fact that QVGA resolution is still QVGA resolution regardless of screensize. And, wifi is a battery life pig. What happens when you try to download a song and your Zune dies?
“You see, most people in the world don’t have, can’t afford, are not interested or “get” computers.”
Okay, I grant you this point.
“The other “shoe” of a device hasn’t been dropped yet, it could be the X-Box add on, it could be a ‘hard drive/dock/DSL modem’ combination.”
Let’s see, how about, “you see, most people in the world don’t have, can’t afford, are not interested or “get” X-Box.” Voila, from your own mouth, you have shot your own argument right in the foot. If, you’re worried that people don’t have PCs, then what of the X-Box?
However most everyone enjoy’s music, especially portable music. Cd players and walkmans are their staple. A Mp3 player with a music store/interface on the device itself would offer a easy upgrade for these people without the cost, trouble or hassle of learning a computer.
Have you considered that these smart devices, are essentially small, dedicated computers? So, instead of using a large-screen computer with lots of computing power, they’ll prefer to use tiny devices with tiny screens and hard-to-use input features?
“Processors are always getting cheaper by the day and there is a large enough storage space on these Mp3 players to offer a basic operating system.”
Right, it’s a tiny computer. What about those people who don’t want to use a computer that you mentioned?
“The clue of what M$ is up to is obvious with the integrated WiFi capability. All they have to do is change (or reveal) the store interface to show their true plans, all the hardware needs are in place.”
Yes, and how difficult would it be for Apple to offer a wifi capable iPod? They already offer users the ability to sync separate computer libraries with one iPod, there’s no reason that that couldn’t allow a wifi purchase to be synced with those libraries.
“I bought an 80gig iPod, and loaded pretty much all my favorite music on it. Now I can throw the computer in the bin if I want. My iPod is set up.”
Or you could throw your CDs away, or did you steal all that music? What happens when your iPod craps out? Gonna rip all those CDs again, or steal the music again?
“And if the iPod breaks then what? What if you want new music or manage songs? Can’t do without a computer right? I think M$ is going to offer a X-Box add on or a seperate device with hard drive (for auto backup) /DSL modem / Wifi ability to provide the link to the M$ Music Store. We haven’t seen this second device yet but should appear around the Holidays.”
Uhm, so your XBox becomes the music server, right? How is that different than a PC that plays games? Are there more PCs in the world or XBoxes?
Basically, you’ve shown yourself to be a XBox fanatic and so your little mind is focussed on that. What about all those people without the darn XBox, what is MS going to sell them?
“Steve Jobs should be very concerned.”
You should be in school.
“The college crowd is introduced to computers, the occasional office worker may be trained like a monkey to push a few keys. But most everyone either views them as work or never has touched a computer.”
Ok – that is just a bizarre opinion. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t know how to use a computer or owns one, and I am a girl from a tiny town who moved to small city, so its not as if I am around alot of high-tech people. My 89-year-old grandmother surfs the net; before she got on the web that my grandfather(90+)used to play games on the computer. Actually, I do know someone who barely knows how to use the computer, my 67 year old mother can barely use the computer, she can get to her word processing program, and that’s about it. But she still owns and uses it.
My 7 year old nephew has been using a computer since he was about 4, he can’t read well, but he knows how to get disneychannel.com. Oh and all of those people (unfortunately) use Windows, so its not as if the computer is very easy to use.
Computers are ubiquitious, it is insane to say people don’t use computers. I fully belive that within 15 years (probably much less), that it will be basically impossible to find a household without a computer that isn’t Mennonite, Amish, etc. It will be like the TV is today – everyone will have one, and most households will have several.
“You see, most people in the world don’t have, can’t afford, are not interested or “get” computers.”
…and yet these people are going to want a portable, digital, wi-fi enabled music device? *mind boggles*
“Look not at what the Zune is now, but what it can become with it’s larger processor, wifi ability and larger screen.”
…so essentially you’re saying “don’t buy the Zune because it currently offers none of the features people without computers really want”.
I suppose I’ll put off buying that Yugo because the original model wasn’t what all the millions that had Hondas really may have wanted. Their new models, however are SPOT on. Oh way….Yugo died because nobody wanted to buy the originals and the few that did hated them?
Oh….
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If, you’re worried that people don’t have PCs, then what of the X-Box?
The price of a X-Box is cheaper than most PC’s and a heck of a lot easier to use. With it’s seperate components people can attch what they think is necessary. Just like what they are doing with the HD-DVD, X-Box add on.
And, wifi is a battery life pig. What happens when you try to download a song and your Zune dies?
Same thing if your power goes off while downloading a iTMS song.
Have you considered that these smart devices, are essentially small, dedicated computers?
Yes but the user interaction is considerably less and therefore less complicated, just like the computer in your car or toaster.
Right, it’s a tiny computer. What about those people who don’t want to use a computer that you mentioned?
People who view computers as undesirable due to their complexity. Lots of people use computers without the complexity. Less complexity, more user friendly and instant reward. Click, download and enjoy.
Computers are ubiquitious, it is insane to say people don’t use computers. I fully belive that within 15 years (probably much less), that it will be basically impossible to find a household without a computer that isn’t Mennonite, Amish, etc. It will be like the TV is today – everyone will have one, and most households will have several.
Computers are much to expensive for that to happen, the price point will have to come down to below $100 a machine and internet access nearly free.
Much like TV is.
I wonder how long it took Steve Jobs to realize that his Zune/girlfriend joke was tragically unfunny?
I would have rather him spent more time elaborating on the trtue question, other than just “No.”
“Same thing if your power goes off while downloading a iTMS song.“
Kinda reaching here buddy. Have you ever had this happen? Ever know anyone who had this happen?
I did have my cable connection go down once while downloading an iTMS song. It gave an error message, told me to try again, and recovered gracefully when the connection came back up.
Good luck with your Zune. I’m good with my iPod(s), thanks.
“Lots of people use computers without the complexity. Less complexity, more user friendly and instant reward.”
Sounds like a Mac 😀
BTW-I have used the other MP3 players and they are (or were, its been a couple years) quite complex and not very userfriendly.
MW=”ran” As in Zune isn’t an also-ran, its a barely walk.
The difference is when Steve slithers up to a guy at Macworld and puts his earbud in that guys ear, the guy goes “Wow, you’re Steve Jobs, Take me now Big Boy”.
When a Pimply Mac Daily News Reader slithers up to a girl on a bus and tries to put his earbud in her ear she screams “Get a way from me Now or I’ll taser you, you Freak!”