iPod: A 21st Century American Cultural Icon

iPod: A 21st Century American
Cultural Icon
December 7, 2005
Rainier J. Reyes
TCXG 470: The Material World: Art and Artifacts
Professor Julie Nicoletta
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The iPod, an acronym for internet portable open databasei, can be considered an American
cultural icon of the 21st century. A cultural icon is “the embodiment of the complexities of a
culture[, and t]hey reflect and enrich it often by both challenging and embracing their society.”ii This
can be said of the Sony Walkman in the 1980’s, but the iPod differs in many ways.
When Apple Computer introduced the iPod…Steve Jobs [Apple’s CEO] described his new
player as ‘the 21st-century Walkman.’ With 98 years remaining in the century, that was an
early call. But he was correct. The iPod in 2001 was a Walkman successor, but smarter, its
hard drive easily navigated with well-designed software.iii
An icon because of its innovative design, ease of use with its iTunes music program, and exponential
sales growth reaching millions of users, the iPod changed the music industry. It positively affected
Macintosh computer sales against the dominating Windows platform. Apple brought a higher level
of customer service for its iPod and Macs with Genius Bars in their growing number of Apple
Stores. The iPod product models changed, making controls easier to use, growing the size of their
hard drives, and adding new functionality. The iPod and iTunes are the recipients of many awards
and recognition, but beyond these is the simple fact that the iPod is fun to use, helping make it a
breakthrough product that promotes individuality.
The third generation 20GB iPod (see figure 1) examined in this paper is about the size of a
deck of playing cards. Compared to a deck of playing cards, it is longer by 0.47", narrower by 0.23",
and thinner by 0.005". Its dimensions are 4.1" high by 2.4" wide by 0.62" thick, forming a
rectangular shape that can easily be held in one hand. The eight corners of the iPod are equally
smooth and rounded, making its handling an ease with no sharp edges. It weighs just 5.6 ounces or
about two decks of playing cards. The front of the iPod is made of a clean, smooth white plastic
with a clear plastic 2" diagonal screen that is 1.625" wide and 1.31" tall. The back or base of the
iPod is made of a reflective and slick stainless steel with surprisingly no screws visibly holding it
together. One has to guess that the front and back are somehow held together by articulation on
the inside.
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Four depressed circles in a row run along the bottom of the screen on the front of the iPod.
Each circle is 10.9 mm in diameter with symbols on the inside. From left to right, the first circle
contains a symbol with two triangles pointing to a vertical line on the left. The second circle has
“menu” printed in the middle of it. The third has a triangle pointing to the right with two vertical
parallel lines. The last circle in the row has two triangles pointing to a vertical line on the right.
Below the row of four circles is a larger depressed circle that is 38.7 mm in diameter with a
smaller raised circle in its center that is 14.5 mm in diameter. The four circles in a row and the
raised circle in the middle look like they can accommodate the touch of a finger. Likewise, the
depression from the edge of the larger 38.7 mm diameter circle to the perimeter of the raised 14.5
mm diameter circle in its center make a circular path or ring. This ring along with the row of four
circles make a circular pattern reinforced by the rounded edges of its corners and sides.
At the top edge of the iPod, are two ports on its stainless steel base that extends 1.1 cm until
it reaches the white plastic that is 5 mm deep. One port is cylindrically shaped and is 6.4 mm wide
by 3 mm tall. The other is a circle 4.8 mm in diameter with white plastic lining less than 1 mm thick
along its perimeter along with the other port. The symbol next to the port is a headphone. To its
right is a sliding cylinder 11 mm wide and 3 mm tall with the word “HOLD” on its left. On the
bottom edge of the iPod and also on the stainless steel base is a rectangular port that is 23.1 mm
wide and 3 mm tall also lined with white plastic. There are no markings on the bottom.
The back of the iPod is laser engraved with the Apple Computer, Inc. logo of an apple with
a bite taken out of its right side. Below the logo, which is the largest feature on the back and is
about 1 cm tall and wide, is the word “iPod” in 6 mm tall sans serif type. Further down in small 1
mm tall type is the serial number, followed by the line “Designed by Apple in California Assembled
in China.” The next line is the model number and “EMC No. 1961 Rated 8-30Vdc 1.0A Max.”
The small type ends with the line “© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.”
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Along with the main unit are two white cords and a white cube-shaped object (see figures 2a
and 2b). The headphones cord is 0.0625" thick and is 45" long. One end of the cord is the metal
connector for the headphone port that is 14 mm long connected to the cord with a white plastic end
that is 7 mm in diameter and is 12 mm long. The headphones are shaped like the upper portion of a
sphere connected to a rounded stick end that extends 1" long to the cord. The speaker portion of
the headphones is a meshed metal circle 14 mm in diameter. On the other side of the white spheres
are the letters “R” and “L” in white on a gray circle. Six round holes 1 mm in diameter on each
white sphere follow its curvature ending about where the rounded stick connects to the sphere. The
cord connected to each ear bud extends 34 cm until it joins the single cord that connects to the
headphone jack.
A longer cord 0.125" thick and 70" long connects to the port on the bottom edge of the
iPod through a rectangular metal connector extending 6 mm and is 22 mm wide by 2 mm tall. The
white plastic rectangular box that joins the connector to the cord has rounded edges and is 26 mm
wide, 16 mm tall and is 7 mm thick. The other end of this cord has the Apple logo in grey and on
the other side the symbol of a “Y” with a circle in the middle and a grey box with two rectangular
boxes with a white line through the middle. This connects to a white power cube that is 2.375"
square and 1.125" deep. The power cube has eight rounded corners and no sharp edges with the
Apple logo in depressed relief on its two largest sides. The power cube has grey printing 1 mm tall
that states, “Apple iPod Power Adapter” and on the next line “Designed by Apple in California
Assembled in China.”
The stainless steel side of the third generation 20GB iPod is cooler to the touch than the
white plastic side. The laser engraving on the stainless steel side breaks the smooth line as a finger
glides over those areas. The sight of this reflective stainless steel side is bright against a light source
and is almost like a mirror. The white plastic side is clearly defined by the four depressed circles in a
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row that run along the bottom of the screen and the large depressed ring below them. A thumb
glides effortlessly within the ring while coming to a stop at the four smaller circles. Ergonomically
designed for control with just one hand, the iPod is easily controlled by a thumb.
Upon removing the hold selected on the top edge of the iPod, the screen is populated with
the time, battery level, title of song, artist, album, time elapsed, and time remaining. It now becomes
clear that this device is used for playing songs. The buttons’ functions reinforce this since they
mimic the symbols found on a tape or cd player. The symbol with two triangles pointing to a
vertical line on the left is for rewind or previous song. The symbol with a triangle pointing to the
right with two vertical parallel lines is for play and pause. The symbol with two triangles pointing to
a vertical line on the right is for fast forward or next song.
The menu button is for moving up in the menu of items. The upper most menu lists
Playlists, Artists, Albums, Songs, Genres, Composers, Extras, Clock, Contacts, Calendars, Settings,
Shuffle Songs, Backlight, Sleep, and Now Playing. The larger ring below the four buttons, acts as a
mouse navigating up and down a list of items quickly. The ring and the four buttons are touch
sensitive, working like a laptop computer’s touchpad sensing where your finger moves. When a
song is playing and you hold down your finger for two seconds on the next song or previous song
buttons, they will change to the fast forward or rewind functions to search through a song. The
center of the ring has a button that acts like a mouse button selecting an item from a menu going
down the menu. They form a rather intuitive combination for control of the iPod. A responsive
clicking sound emanates from within the iPod when you move up or down the menu, and it clicks as
you select an item. This gives the user feedback that the proper selection has been made, and the
sound is reassuring.
Navigating the menu system, one can select a song by many categories including by artist,
album, genre, or composer. Select artist, and a listing of available artists is shown. Selecting any one
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of those artists will then display a listing of all the albums available from that artist. Finally selecting
the album will display the songs available within that album. Select album, and a listing of all the
albums available will be displayed. Selecting an album will display the songs available within that
album. Select genre, and a listing of the available genres is shown. Selecting any one of those genres
will display the listing of available artists. The remaining menu is like the artist menu mentioned
above. Select composer, and a listing of the available composers is shown. Selecting any of those
composers will then display a listing of all the albums available from that composer. The remaining
menu is like the artist menu mentioned above. Selecting Shuffle Songs will randomly sort the songs
in the iPod and play them in that order.
There are many amusements, aside from just listening to the music on the iPod. One of the
selections from the main menu is Clock which when selected gives options for an Alarm Clock,
Sleep Timer, and Date & Time. Alarm Clock will return with alarm on or off, time, and sound
where you select a song as your alarm. Sleep Timer will turn off the iPod after 15, 30, 60, 90, or 120
minutes. Date & Time allows you to set a time zone, set the date and time, display time in 12 or 24hour mode, and whether or not the time is displayed in the title bar of the iPod.
Two of the selections, Contacts and Calendars, are synchronized with your computer when a
FireWire connection is activated so that all the addresses, phone numbers, and emails of your
contacts on your computer will be synchronized with that on your iPod. The FireWire connection is
the 70" long white cord that connects from the bottom edge of the iPod to a computer. The end of
its connector that connects to the computer has a “Y” symbol that stands for FireWire. The
Calendar function works the same way as the Contacts, synchronizing all appointments or events
listed on your computer’s calendar with that on your iPod. Sleep immediately turns “off” the iPod
conserving battery power. Backlight turns on a light blue backlight on the iPod’s screen and lights
the four buttons below in a red light. Holding down the menu button for two seconds can also
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activate the backlight function. This is a comforting feature, especially in the dark, but it also
connotes a patriotic fervor with a blue-lighted screen and red-lighted buttons on a white iPod. It is
nice to know that Apple designed the red, white, and blue into this iPod.
Selecting Extras will display Notes and Games. Notes will select notes that can be loaded on
the iPod when the FireWire connection with the computer is established. Selecting Games will
return a list of games including Brick, Music Quiz, Parachute, and Solitaire. Brick is a game like
Pong where the object is to bounce a ball destroying bricks that pile up at the top of the screen.
Music Quiz gives you a certain amount of time to guess the title of song that is being played among
a list of five song titles that gets shorter as time goes on. Parachute is a game where you shoot down
parachutes being dropped from helicopters. Finally, Solitaire is the card game where you try to
alternate red and black suited cards in consecutive order.
The iPod itself is a portable hard disk drive. It can store almost 20GB of information on its
tiny internal hard disk, which is roughly equivalent to 4,000 songs. The songs are transferred from a
computer to the iPod using the FireWire connector and software called iTunes. iTunes is a program
developed by Apple for both the Mac and PC that organizes music collected in the computer’s
library and synchronizes it with the iPod, so that the songs listed in the library on the computer
matches the songs listed in the iPod. The iPod, the FireWire cable, and iTunes provide a simple trio
of hardware and software that enables the simple ease-of-use indicative of the iPod experience. It is
designed by a single company providing all the solutions to digital music management.
In iTunes you can browse through your “Library” by genre, artist, and album with the name
of the song, time of song, kind of file, bit rate, year, track #, size, disc #, composer, date added,
BPM, play count, last played, my rating, date modified, equalizer, and sample rate displayed.
Selecting a song will display its album art if available, and if you “Get Info” on the song you can go
to a “Lyrics” section that allows you to enter and save lyrics to songs. “Podcasts” allow you to
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manage your podcast subscriptions or downloads on the internet. Podcasts are audio blogs or audio
files that someone has produced that can be downloaded or subscribed to from the internet.
“Videos” allows you to manage the video files that may be downloaded from the internet or
subscribed to from Podcasts. Double-clicking on a video file will play that video in a preview pane
that can be selected and enlarged to fill the screen. “Party Shuffle” is a feature that allows you to see
a listing of shuffled or randomly selected songs. The order of the listing can be altered, and you can
always see what the next song in the queue is. “Radio” requires an internet connection for
streaming audio feeds or internet radio stations. They are sorted by genre and name with the bit rate
and a brief description of the type of music played.
Another feature that requires an internet connection, and preferably broadband due to the
large files, is the “Music Store.” From here you can buy songs for 99¢, see “Today’s Top Songs,”
and add them to your library, where they can be synchronized with the iPod. The store has a
“Podcast” section where you can browse through the many podcasts or see “Today’s Top
Podcasts.” There is an “Audiobooks” section where you can purchase audiobooks online. Sections
listing the “Billboard Charts” and “Radio Charts” are available. There is a “Movie Trailers” section
where you can watch the previews of many movies that are available. New sections on “Music
Videos”, “Pixar”, and “TV Shows” have been added where you can download a music video, a Pixar
short, or episodes from five TV shows for $1.99. They can be downloaded and viewed on any
iTunes-capable computer but can only be synchronized with the new fifth generation iPods.
Playlists are another important feature of iTunes. They allow you to organize songs in any
particular order and to be played in that order on the iPod when synchronized. “Smart Playlists” are
also available which are dynamic playlists based on criteria you establish, such as a particular genre or
artist or rating. These playlists are synchronized with the iPod when the FireWire connection is
established, so that the playlists on your computer match with those on the iPod. CD’s can be
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burned based on the playlist order by simply pressing the “Burn Disc” button. CD’s can also be
imported into the iTunes library converting the songs on the CD into MP3 audio files that the
computer and the iPod can play.
It is easy to see how utilizing the iPod would make a strong impression on the user. From
its clean, simple, and streamlined design to its intuitive functionality and transparent connection with
the computer, the iPod seems to be the most useful blend of hardware and software in quite some
time. Merging that functionality with the strong emotional ties of music make this product the fun
“toy” of the decade. It evokes a strong emotion of joy when the user comes in contact with it
through its hours worth of listening to any favorite genre of music.
The iPod’s design by Apple Computer, Inc. in a unique way contributed to its commercial
success as a product. Unlike other technology companies, Apple’s design emphasis included both
the hardware and software. Everything from the shape of the iPod, its controls, the FireWire
connection, to the software that ran the iPod with the iTunes computer program was made by a
single company. Apple provided all the solutions to all the problems that arise from an MP3 player.
Jonathan Ive, vice president of Apple’s industrial design stated, “From early on we wanted a product
that would seem so natural and so inevitable and so simple you almost wouldn’t think of it having
been designed.”iv Greg Joswiak, the worldwide vice president of iPod marketing provided insight
into Apple’s processes:
Somewhere along the way innovation in technology disappeared as companies scrambled to
deliver one product after another. Saving money was put ahead of innovative design. At
Apple we recognized that great design and easy functionality were critical in delivering
technology products to market.v
That technology product, the iPod, was not the first of its kind. The Eiger labs/Saehan
MPMan F20 (see figure 3) was the first MP3 player introduced in the summer of 1998.vi It was not
until October 23, 2001 when the first iPod debuted.vii MP3 players prior to the iPod had limited
memory capacities like 64MB for the MPMan or 96MB for the Diamond Multimedia Rio PMP300
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(see figure 4) that was released in late 1998.viii This was enough for an hour to an hour and a half
worth of music. The first iPod dwarfed their competitors with 5GB of storage capacity for 1,000
songs.
Another key difference that MP3 players prior to the iPod shared was their connection
method to the computer via parallel port. Parallel port connections can transfer at 2,000KBps
taking four minutes to transfer an album versus the iPod’s FireWire connection, also developed by
Apple,ix that transfers at 50MBps taking just 10 seconds to transfer an album, which is 25 times
faster.x It was quicker to transfer songs from your computer to your iPod, and the iTunes computer
software, again designed by Apple, simplified the process.
iTunes was released January 9, 2001 for Macintosh computers ten months before the first
iPod.xi This program organized your entire digital music library, allowing you to import CD’s to the
collection and burn CD’s based on your playlist. Once iPod support was built-in to iTunes, both the
iPod and iTunes became inseparable. The Apple Computer website even has a section titled “iPod
+ iTunes.” iTunes is the essential piece of software that synchronizes music files on the computer
and the iPod. It does so invisibly in the background once the FireWire connection between the
iPod and computer has been established, and it accentuates the ease of use of the iPod.
After April 28, 2003, the iTunes Music Store added new functionality to iTunes.xii It added
the ability to purchase songs for 99¢ from all four major record labels, EMI, Sony BMG, Universal
and Warner Bros.xiii Today the iTunes Music Store features more than two million songs from the
major record labels and over 1,000 independent record labels plus 10,000 audiobooks.xiv The iPod
and the iTunes Music Store represent what Harvey Molotch calls a lash-up conspiracy. “The idea is
to succeed not just with a particular element but with all the elements that intertwine—the razor and
the razor blade that can be used only with one another.”xv The iPod is the razor and the songs
purchased from the iTunes Music Store are the razor blades. With the combination, Apple provided
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the complete solution from the hardware, software and media content to be used with the iPod,
making “buying and playing music ridiculously easy.”xvi In providing individual songs for download,
Apple changed the way we buy music by allowing buyers to purchase singles rather than an entire
album. Never again will buyers be stuck with only three good songs after the purchase of an entire
album. As of July 19, 2005, the iTunes Music Store sold over half a billion songs.xvii
Windows compatibility came to the iPod on March 21, 2002xviii and iTunes support was
added on October 16, 2003xix greatly increasing the market share for the iPod. 381,000 iPods were
sold in 2002 (see figure 5) compared to 939,000 in 2003 and 4,416,000 in 2004 with 16,046,000 sold
so far in 2005.xx iPods are selling at an exponential rate with almost 30 million sold.xxi According to
a Time magazine article, “Apple has a commanding 74% of the U.S. digital-music-player market—
and that’s a market likely to grow.”xxii These statistics coupled with the fact that the iTunes Music
Store accounts for 84% of the legally downloaded music files in the U.S. and has sold more than half
a billion songs as of July 19, 2005 make the iPod + iTunes combination a success.xxiii
This success fuels what some call the iPod halo effect. Charles Wolf, a financial analyst at
Needham & Co. in New York has observed the following.
[T]he momentum of the iPod, in conjunction with the ubiquity of malware on the PC, has
created a halo effect that benefits the Mac platform. Windows users are buying Macs in
increasing numbers. We estimate in the first three quarters of calendar 2005, over one
million of them have purchased a Mac.xxiv
Growing popularity of the iPod coupled with the growth of viruses, spyware, and worms on the
Windows platform make this phenomenon real. The Macintosh has never suffered from these daily
irritants since the release of Mac OS X five years ago.xxv With arguably the most stable operating
system, the Macintosh shares the unique blend of hardware and software design integration with the
iPod. Apple was able to “Think Different,” the title of their 1997 ad campaign, in designing the
iPod and the Mac, blending hardware and software together.
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Another unique approach Apple capitalized on was their retail stores, called “the Apple
Store.” There one can try out the various iPod and Mac models while receiving free technical
support through their Genius Bar. No waiting on the phone for a call center in a foreign country,
any questions about Apple products can be asked of the real life Geniuses that man those stations.
There are 119 retail stores in 30 states across the United States, and four in Washington state.xxvi 25
retail stores have opened in 2005, and another 10 are expected to open for the holidays.xxvii “Apple’s
retail stores continue to be a driving force behind the company’s recent success, and Apple has no
plans to let up on store openings in the future.”xxviii
The iPod itself has gone through a number of changes since its release in 2001 including the
simplification of its controls. There have been over 15 iPod product announcements averaging to
about a new model every three and a half months. The initial 5GB model (see figure 6) was
followed by 10GB and 20GB models with an interval of four and nine months, increasing song
capacity from 1,000 songs to 2,000 and 4,000.xxix The first generation 5GB model with a mechanical
scrollwheel differed from the second generation 10GB and 20GB models with a cover for the
FireWire port and a touch-sensitive scrollwheel on the second generation models.xxx The third
generation 30GB model (see figure 7) that could hold 7,500 songs changed the controls from four
narrow buttons that outlined the touch-sensitive scrollwheel to four touch-sensitive buttons above
the scrollwheel (see figure 16).xxxi A third generation model with 40GB that could store 10,000
songs was released 4 months later.xxxii
To gain market share, a lower-priced iPod mini (see figure 8) was introduced on January 6,
2004 available in five colors with a 4GB storage capacity or 1,000 songs.xxxiii This differed from
previous iPods in its smaller size and clickwheel that incorporated the four buttons that used to be
above the scrollwheel. The fourth generation iPod (see figure 9) carried over the simplicity of the
clickwheel in its design (see figure 16). In this way it made using the iPod even more easy to use. A
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fourth generation iPod with 60GB capacity or 15,000 songs was released three months later.xxxiv
Signatures from U2 were laser-engraved on the back of the black with red clickwheel U2 Special
Edition iPod (see figure 10) on October 26, 2004.xxxv
Another attempt to gain market share for an even lower-priced iPod, the Shuffle (see figure
11) was released on January 11, 2005.xxxvi With 512MB and 1GB storage capacities, it could hold 120
and 240 songs respectively. With its February 23, 2005 introduction, the iPod photo (see figure 12)
added new functionality to the iPod.xxxvii At 60GB, it could store 15,000 songs or 25,000 photos.
The color screen enabled the user to view the photographs individually, in thumbnails, or on a
slideshow with music. Album art was also displayed as a song played. A 6GB version of the iPod
mini that could hold 1,500 songs was released the same day as the iPod photo.xxxviii Color was added
to the U2 Special Edition on June 28, 2005, enabling the same functionality as the iPod photo.xxxix
Replacing the iPod mini, the iPod nano (see figure 13), introduced on September 7, 2005,
was smaller than the mini and thinner than a number 2 pencil.xl It was available in 2GB and 4GB
capacities for 500 and 1,000 songs respectively with a color screen. The latest iPod model, the fifth
generation (see figure 14), came with a larger 2.5-inch color screen with the ability to play video and
debuted October 12, 2005.xli With 30GB and 60GB capacities it could store 15,000 songs, 25,000
photos, or 150 hours of video. Video could be added to iTunes and then synced to the iPod. The
iTunes Music Store made available over 2,000 music videos, six Pixar short films, and five television
shows from ABC and Disney for $1.99 commercial-free.xlii On October 31, 2005, Apple announced
that iTunes Music Store customers have purchased or downloaded more than one million videos in
less than 20 days.xliii This added functionality to the iPod is now changing the way we watch
television.
The added functionality of displaying photos and playing video were not the only
enhancements to the iPod. On June 28, 2005 Apple added the Podcasting functionality to the iPod
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and iTunes. Two days later over one million subscriptions to podcasts were placed.xliv Podcasts are
audio versions of weblogs, where anyone can discuss topics ranging from news to arts &
entertainment or any subject. Subscriptions to and downloads of podcasts are free, and are autosynced to the iPod when connected to the computer. According to the Pew Internet and American
Life Project, 6 million Americans are listening to podcasts, and researchers at the Diffusion Group
predicted that “the U.S. podcast audience will climb from 840,000 last year to 56 million by 2010.”xlv
Many are listening to their iPods and some are hearing their praises. The iPod and iTunes
have received a number of awards and recognition. In 2003 Time magazine named the iTunes
Music Store “Invention of the Year.”xlvi At the Index:2005, the world’s largest design and
innovation award ceremony in Copenhagen, iPod and iTunes won for “Play” category.xlvii The
D&AD 2005 (Design and Art Direction) awarded the fourth generation iPod and the iPod mini a
Silver Award in the “Products for the Home” category.xlviii Jonathan Ive, Apple’s vice president of
industrial design, won the President’s Medal for his contribution in promoting engineering
excellence from the Royal Academy of Engineering.xlix Even the iPod packaging won the Annual
Design Review award from I.D. Magazine 2004.l
Beyond design and functionality, the success of a product can be measured by how fun it is.
Molotch states the following.
[T]he first railroad was a London amusement ride…The telephone won its greatest
following…from social conversation…The phonograph…gained its audience through
music…If there is such a thing as true breakthrough, fun seems to be a key source.li
The iPod and iTunes make listening to music or podcasts, and now watching TV fun. Gone are the
days of shuffling through CD libraries for the right song. The entire library can be stored on the
handheld, portable 5.6-ounce sliver of technology. A connection to the car’s audio system can be
established for commercial-free, continuous music on long, traffic-congested commutes. Even
listening to the iPod during breaks at work or waiting for and riding the bus seem like time well
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spent. The iPod reacquaints one with music from your own collection, old gems. It remains current
with recent selections arranged in a myriad of different ways. It provides a break or escape from a
hectic schedule or demanding bosses. Background music for those long nights of studying or
writing papers, it generates the creative drive and makes working fun.
Some argue that it is too early in this century to call the iPod a 21st century cultural icon.
However, the facts suggest that this title is warranted. Almost 30 million iPods have been sold, and
over half a billion songs have been purchased on the iTunes Music Store. The rate of iPod sales
growth is also hyperbolic with no hint of decline. “It’s become a household name used in describing
an MP3 player.”lii Much like the Walkman was used to describe the portable tape player in the
1980’s, the iPod is the 21st century’s Walkman. “Owners of iPods develop a more personal
relationship with the digital players, calling them life changing and even giving them names, like
PankyPod, Smeagol and the Mad Mango Magnificent Music Machine.”liii This strong sense of
individuality is further reinforced by the choices made in music or podcast programming. “New
research shows that the ability to create personal playlists for digital audio players is causing a shift
away from traditional radio, where playlists are controlled by a DJ or program director.”liv The “life
changing” impact of iPods coupled with their strong support of individuality lends to its cultural
icon status.
The iPod has had an impact on 21st century American culture in many ways. Changing the
way we buy and listen to music, podcasts, look at photos, and watch TV and videos, the iPod’s
functionality matches the expectations of its users with its ease of use. That same unique blend of
hardware and software propel Apple to solve technical challenges in this new century, driving
Windows users to the Macintosh. With a broad line of iPod models from the shuffle and the nano
to the fifth generation, their clickwheel controls represent the simplified evolution of the iPod. With
almost 75% of the U.S. digital-music-player market, Apple has a commanding lead ahead of the
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competition. A product with many design awards and recognition, the iPod’s distinction is its fun
use promoting individuality with customized playlists. All of these points make this product a true
21st century American cultural icon.
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ENDNOTES
i
Dylan Jones, iPod, Therefore I Am (New York: Bloomsbury, 2005), 66.
ii
“Cultural Icon,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_icon (accessed 5 November
2005).
iii
Randall Stross, “How the iPod Ran Circles Around the Walkman,” The New York Times, 13
March 2005, Late Edition (East Coast), Sec. 3, p. 3.5.
iv
Jones, 63.
v
David Richards, “iPod Marketing Exposed,” Smarthouse, (9 November 2005):
http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Entertainment/Industry/Magazine%Articles/X9678H6&page=1
(accessed 9 November 2005).
vi
Eliot Van Buskirk, “MP3 Insider: Introducing the World’s First MP3 Player,” AEC One Stop
Group, Inc., (20 January 2005): http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6450_7-5622055-1.html (accessed
4 October 2005).
vii
“iPod (5.0 GB, 10.0 GB, 20.0 GB – 1st & 2nd Gen) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod.html (accessed 4
October 2005).
viii
ix
Van Buskirk, “MP3 Insider: Introducing the World’s First MP3 Player.”
“FireWire,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FireWire (accessed 4 October 2005).
x
Jeff Tyson, “How Parallel Ports Work,” HowStuffWorks, Inc.,
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/parallel-port.htm/printable (accessed 4 October 2005).
xi
“iTunes,” Absolute Astronomy Reference,
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/i/it/itunes1.htm (accessed 4 October 2005).
xii
Ibid.
xiii
“iTunes Music Store,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes_Music_Store (accessed
7 October 2005).
xiv
Apple Computer, Inc., “Apple Announces iTunes 6 With 2,000 Music Videos, Pixar Short
Films & Hit TV Shows,” Apple Computer, Inc. Press Release, 12 October 2005,
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/oct/12itunes.html (accessed 13 October 2005).
xv
Harvey Molotch, Where Stuff Comes From: How Toasters, Toilets, Cars, Computers, and
Many Other Things Come to Be As They Are (New York: Routledge, 2005), 108.
Reyes – 17
xvi
Stross.
xvii
“iTunes sells half a billion songs,” Telecomworldwide, p. 1.
xviii
“iPod (5.0 GB, 10.0 GB, 20.0 GB – 1st & 2nd Gen) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod.html (accessed 4
October 2005).
xix
“iTunes.”
xx
Chad Langager, “AAPL Rotten to the Core?” Investor Advisor, 12 September 2005,
http://advisor.investorpedia.com/news/02/AAPL_Rotten_to_the_Core.aspx (accessed 29
September 2005).
xxi
“iPod’s impact wows Windows crowd,” CNN Money, 8 November 2005,
http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/08/technology/ipod_mac/index.html (accessed 8 November
2005).
xxii
Lev Grossman, “Stevie’s Little Wonder,” Time, 19 September 2005, Vol. 166, Iss. 12, p. 63.
xxiii
iTunes sells half a billion songs,” Telecomworldwide, p. 1.
xxiv
Thomas Claburn, “Viruses Pushing Windows Users to Mac,” Yahoo.com, 8 November 2005,
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20051109/tc_cmp/173600066&printer (accessed 9 November
2005).
xxv
“Why people are switching from Microsoft’s Windows to Apple’s OS X,” MacDailyNews, 10
November 2005, http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/7527/ (accessed 10
November 2005).
xxvi
“Apple Store,” Apple Computer, Inc., http://www.apple.com/retail/ (accessed 10 November
2005).
xxvii
Ryan Katz, “Apple retail notes: Genius Bars to receive facelift, more stores slated for
Studios,” Think Secret.com, 3 November 2005,
http://www.thinksecret.com/news/05011retail.html (accessed 10 November 2005).
xxviii
Ibid.
xxix
“iPod (5.0 GB, 10.0 GB, 20.0 GB – 1st & 2nd Gen) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod.html (accessed 4
October 2005).
xxx
Eliot Van Buskirk, “iPod Refund Alert,” MP3.com, 13 June 2005,
http://www.mp3.com/iPod%20Refund%20Alert/stories/1423.html (accessed 29 September
2005).
Reyes – 18
xxxi
Ibid.
xxxii
“iPod (15.0 GB, 20.0 GB, 40.0 GB – 3rd Gen/5th Rev) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_5threv.html (accessed
4 October 2005).
xxxiii
“iPod mini Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_mini.html (accessed 4
October 2005).
xxxiv
“iPod (20.0 GB, 40.0 GB – Fourth Generation) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_4thgen.html
(accessed 4 October 2005).
xxxv
“iPod U2 Special Edition (20.0 GB) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_u2_se.html (accessed
4 October 2005).
xxxvi
“iPod shuffle Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_shuffle.html
(accessed 4 October 2005).
xxxvii
“iPod photo/“Color” (40.0 GB, 60.0 GB) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_photo.html (accessed
4 October 2005).
xxxviii
“iPod mini (4, 6 GB – 2nd Generation) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_mini_2g.html
(accessed 4 October 2005).
xxxix
“iPod U2 Special Edition “Color Display” (20.0 GB) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_u2_se_color.html
(accessed 4 October 2005).
xl
“iPod nano (2 GB, 4 GB) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_nano.html (accessed
4 October 2005).
xli
“iPod 5th Generation/Video (30.0 GB, 60.0 GB) Specs,” EveryMac.com,
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod_5thgen.html
(accessed 21 October 2005).
xlii
Apple Computer, Inc., “Apple Announces iTunes 6 With 2,000 Music Videos, Pixar Short
Films & Hit TV Shows.”
Reyes – 19
xliii
Apple Computer, Inc., “iTunes Music Store Sells One Million Videos in Less than 20 Days,”
Apple Computer, Inc. Press Release, 31 October 2005,
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/oct/31itms.html (accessed 31 October 2005).
xliv
Apple Computer, Inc, “iTunes Podcast Subscriptions Top One Million in First Two Days,”
Apple Computer, Inc. Press Release, 30 June 2005,
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jun/30podcast.html (accessed 29 September 2005).
xlv
Alorie Gilbert, “Researcher sees huge growth in podcast audience,” CNET Networks, Inc., 6
July 2005, http://beta.news.com.com/2102-1025_3-5777201.html?tag=st.util.print (accessed 4
October 2005).
xlvi
Brad Miser, Absolute Beginner’s Guide to iPod and iTunes (Indiana: Que Publishing, 2004),
3.
xlvii
“And the INDEX:2005 Winners are…,” INDEX, http://www.index2005.dk/ (accessed 30
September 2005).
xlviii
“2005 Awards: Product Design,” D&AD,
http://www.dandad.org/awards2005/category.asp?category_no=29 (accessed 30 September
2005).
xlix
“Jobs, Ive Receive Design Awards In London,” iPod Hacks, 26 May 2005,
http://www.ipodhacks.com/article.php?sid=1375 (accessed 30 September 2005).
l
Brad Gibson, “iPod Packaging Wins Design Distinction Award,” The Mac Observer, 6 July
2004, http://macobserver.com/article/2004/07/06.4.shtml (accessed 30 September 2005).
li
Molotch, 118.
lii
Benny Evangelista, “The iPod generation: Portable digital audio player becomes the apple of
techno-centric eyes,” San Francisco Chronicle, 27 December 2004, Sec. E, p. E – 1.
liii
Ibid.
liv
Ibid.
Reyes – 20
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Figure 1. Apple iPod 3rd Generation 20GB
Figure 2a. Apple iPod 3rd Generation 20GB with Headphones, FireWire cable, and Power Adapter
Figure 2b. Close Up of Previous Picture
The First MP3 Player
Eiger labs/Saehan MPMan F20
Summer of 1998
Figure 3
Diamond Multimedia Rio PMP 300
Late 1998
Figure 4
iPod (1st Generation) — 5GB
October 23, 2001
iPod (2nd Generation) — 10GB
March 21, 2002
iPod (2nd Generation) — 20GB
July 17, 2002
Figure 6
iPod (3rd Generation) — 30GB
April 28, 2003
iPod (3rd Generation) — 40GB
September 8, 2003
Figure 7
iPod mini — 4GB
January 6, 2004
Figure 8
iPod (4th Generation)
July 19, 2004
Figure 9
iPod U2 Special Edition — 20GB
October 26, 2004
iPod (4th Generation) — 60 GB
October 26, 2004
Figure 10
iPod Photo
February 23, 2005
iPod Shuffle — 512MB, 1GB
January 11, 2005
Figure 12
Figure 11
iPod nano — 2GB, 4GB
September 7, 2005
iPod mini — 6GB
February 23, 2005
iPod U2 Special Edition — Color
June 28, 2005
Figure 13
iPod (5th Generation)
October 12, 2005
Figure 14
The Current iPod Family
(From Left to Right: iPod, iPod nano, iPod Shuffle)
Figure 15
Simplification of iPod Controls
1st Generation
3rd Generation
Figure 16
4th Generation