The first iPod debuted 17 years ago.
The “breakthrough digital device” with a scroll wheel carried up to 1,000 CD quality songs in a ultra-portable 6.5.ounce design that retailed for $399!.
The name “iPod” came from a freelance copywriter named Vinnie Chieco, who as soon as he saw the pure white device thought of Stanley Kubrik’s 2001 and the immortal line: “Open the Pod Bay doors, Hal.”
Steve Jobs was talking a lot about the iMac and iLife, so adding the “i” prefix was a natural thing to do. Jobs initially rejected the iPod name, but later came around to it.
