The iPod at 20: A complete timeline of Apple’s iconic music player

On October 23, 2001, Steve Jobs announced that Apple was venturing into the field of music and unveiled the very first iPod in a small room. Although the reaction from the crowd was positive, there was a whole lot less fanfare than today’s release events have.

“Why music?” Jobs asked in his introduction on that day. “Well, we love music, and it’s always good to do something you love. More importantly, music is a part of everyone’s life. Everyone! Music’s been around forever; it will always be around. This is not a speculative market.”

Twenty years on, Apple’s pocket digital music and media player has evolved through multiple generations, designs, functions, and styles, such as the Mini, Nano, Shuffle, and Touch models, and has inspired some of Apple’s greatest products, including the iPhone and iPad.

Apple die-hards likely remember and