If Sony's Walkman led the revolution of audio players in the 20th century, then iPod is the Walkman of the 20th century, subverting the carrier of music and completely interpreting the word Walkman. Today's iPod has already surpassed the meaning of consumer goods and become a cultural phenomenon rooted in the people. It is the idol of the times, the darling of fashion and the embodiment of a life attitude. With the sensational release of the new generation iPod nano, the iPod has once again become the focus of the spotlight. In addition to marveling at the brilliance of Apple, whether the old products that have created countless glories are going forward or going forward will touch the hearts of countless fans. The so-called romantic love is better than wind and rain. No matter what fate, a series of products of iopd will leave a heavy mark on the development of music. Witness Apple's past lives and future with our brush strokes.
IPod generation
The first generation of iPod was born in 200 1, 101October 23rd. Once it was launched, it caused a sensation. It is not only beautiful, but also has a unique humanized operation mode and huge capacity, which also brings new ideas for the development of MP3 players. The advanced wheel selection wheel allows users to complete all operations with only one thumb, which is simple and fast, while the super-large capacity can accommodate more songs, which makes people fully reflect the fun brought by music anytime and anywhere. The first generation iPod has a capacity of 5GB, can store 1000 MP songs, uses IEEE 1394 interface for transmission, has a bandwidth of 400Mbps, and cooperates with iTunes on Mac operating system for file management. The design concept is advanced, and the capacity version of 10GB was added on March 2, 2002. Shortly before the iPod went on the market, it was the "9 1 1" incident that shocked the world. At that time, there was a panic in the United States, consumer confidence was not strong, and the economy slowed down or even declined. From the release to the end of 200 1, about125,000 iPods were sold, which is not easy to do.
IPod ii
The second generation iPod is exactly the same as the first generation iPod in appearance design, but the first generation is specially designed for Mac operating system, so it is difficult to use it on PC. Apple doesn't want to miss this business opportunity. On June 17, 2002, it launched the "iPod for Windows" which can support the Windows operating system, and at the same time added a 20g version. Since then, both Mac and Windows versions of iPod have three capacities: 5GB, 10GB and 20GB. Therefore, compatibility with PC+ large capacity is a remarkable feature of the second generation of iPod. Because of the good solution of compatibility problems, iPod has since embarked on the road of being popular all over the world.
IPod three generations
The third-generation iPod was released on April 28th, 2003, with three capacities of 10G, 20G and 30G, which can be said to be an overall improvement on the basis of the first-generation and second-generation iPods, especially in terms of shape design. The fuselage has become slimmer and smaller, the lines are more beautiful and round, and it is full of the flavor of the times. The buttons on a turntable were originally adjusted to four different buttons, arranged horizontally. All the buttons are touch-controlled, which is faster and more convenient to use, and a very beautiful transparent display screen is added, which is particularly touching at night. The third generation iPod also added USB 2.0 transmission interface, which greatly increased the storage capacity. It is equipped with an exquisite cradle, which is convenient for connecting personal computers and audio devices, and adds functions such as customizable main menu and "On-The-Go" playlist.
The difference between the second generation and the first generation of iPods is that it has increased the support for Windows and provided a 20G model with larger capacity. In addition, the second generation of 10G and 20G iPods adopts touch wheel, the second generation is improved on the basis of the first generation, and the third generation is completely redesigned, with little change compared with the technical specifications of the first and second generations. Only thinner and lighter, with greater capacity. All adopt touch wheel design, the body becomes smoother and provides USB2.0 interface support. In addition, the interface is changed to the bottom, and only the wire control interface and the earplug interface are reserved at the top.
As far as circuit design is concerned, the first generation to the third generation of iPods are similar. Although the third-generation iPod has a new battery and redesigned the motherboard, Apple uses the same Texas Instruments Firewire controller in the new and old iPod. Moreover, all iPod use the decoder produced by PortalPlayer to decode all MP3 and AAC. Of course, the models of the first, second and third generations are different.
IPod iv
The fourth generation iPod was officially launched on August 19, 2004. * * * There are 20G and 40G versions. Compared with the third generation, the fourth generation has only made modest improvements, including the battery playing time has been increased from 8 hours to 12 hours, the function of "Shuffle Songs" which can automatically change the playing order of songs has been added, the earphone interface has been switched to the top and center position, and the body volume has also been reduced. The fourth generation has also changed the retro route, and the third generation of buttons such as menu, pause and play have also been designed into the disc, making the body more compact, and the control is of course the familiar click wheel.
On the basis of four generations, the iPod has successively launched a U2 commemorative version signed by the famous British band U2 and a color screen iPod photo adapted to the development of the times. Generally speaking, the configuration of the fourth-generation iPod was originally relatively high, but its price dropped greatly, which is also a place that makes consumers happy.
iPod mini
Although it has dominated the market of large-capacity hard disk mp3 players, Apple is still not satisfied. While being challenged by many international audio giants, Apple has begun to open up a second battlefield. IPod mini bears the brunt, and the increasingly popular microdisk mp3 market bears the brunt.
IPod mini was released on June 6th, 2004. However, due to the quality and output, fans waited for nearly half a year before going public in July. On the day of the release, there was a long queue outside the store, and its charm was almost unstoppable, and sales were very hot. According to the data, the iPod mini has sold one million units so far. Because of the micro hard disk, the size of the iPod mini is obviously reduced, with a metal shell and a variety of versions, which are more sought after by young men and women. IPod mini and iPod iv were launched in the same year, with basically the same design style and functional configuration, while iPod mini was launched earlier, so it seems more appropriate to call IPod mini ipod iv. In order to solve the battery problem that has always been disdained by players, the second generation of iPod mini has also come out. The battery life has increased from the nominal 8 hours to 18 hours, and the actual test has basically reached more than 20 hours, and there are 6GB capacity versions available for purchase. However, it should be noted that the second-generation accessories omit the live wire and charger, and only attach a USB interface cable. Other accessories need to be purchased separately, and the price is not cheap. The unified price is $29.
IPod Shuffle and iPod nano
The history of the flash memory field that Apple has not paid much attention to has come to an end with the advent of an iPod shuffle. The initial capacity of IPod shuffle is 5 12M, and it was launched in June 2005, 65438+1October, 65438+April. Once it went on the market, it was called the stupidest mp3 player in history by its rivals, because the iPod shuffle has nothing but music playing and mobile storage. However, this stupid chewing gum once again shows the brand charm of the iPod, and its sales have maintained a good performance. After tasting the sweetness, Apple launched the most sensational flash MP3——iPod nano this year.
The IPod nano with flash media has all the functions of the hard-disk IPod, and has added a color display screen, while Apple's style and modeling have been preserved as always. On the basis of flash media, iPod nano controls the volume within an ideal range, and its ultra-thin and stunning figure is amazing. IPod nano is available in 2GB and 4GB capacities, and has been sold in some cities in China. The quotation is 1.900 yuan and 2300 yuan respectively. The relatively high cost performance has caused great repercussions in the field of hard disk and flash memory, and many manufacturers have to adjust their strategies accordingly. Under the influence of iPod nano, I believe there will be some great changes in the mp3 market in the next few days.
Summarizing the history of iPod, design (shape)+technology (iTune software)+content (music store) constitute an indispensable factor for its success. IT takes popular elements as a selling point, binds products with music, obtains the greatest social recognition, obtains high profits and economic added value, and provides a brand-new concept and way for the sales of IT products. In the field of hard disk mp3, iPod has been the absolute leader. If we continue to succeed in the field of flash memory, then the iPod is not far from the position of the ruler (I space).