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Library/Product/The original iPod
Grade B22 sourcesHIS-01444

The original iPod

Product · 2001 · Notable

53Editable slideCertificate

Apple reported over 125,000 iPods sold in its first selling quarter.

The original iPod on a wooden table, photographed in 2022. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0.
Blake Patterson, CC BY 2.0
Apple’s photograph of the original white iPod with its mechanical scroll wheel.
Apple
First-generation iPod photographed by Aaron Logan; Creative Commons Attribution 2.5.
Aaron Logan, CC BY 2.5

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth40Velocity54Longevity9453

Numbers

Seed to milestone
2.2 years
Nov 10 ’01 to Jan 6 ’04
Platforms
3
Started on Retail
Origin
Mixed
Technology

Mechanics

  • Identity badgePrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Controversy
  • Pairing

How it spread

Trace the origin

Apple released a Mac-only player, then added Windows support, retail demos and paid silhouette ads. White earbuds marked owners in public. It reported $256 million in quarterly iPod revenue; the peak anchor is a cumulative sales milestone.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

Google searchesOct ’01DecApr ’02AugNovMar ’03JunOctDecFeb ’04JulNovMilestoneOpen webPressRetail
Open webPressRetail

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. October 2001

    Apple precursor · Oct 23 ’01

    Apple unveiled a Mac-only iPod and promised 1,000 songs in a pocket.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. November 2001

    Walt Mossberg / The Wall Street Journal precursor · Nov 1 ’01

    Walt Mossberg recommended the iPod after testing a pre-release unit.[3]

  3. Apple seed · Nov 10 ’01

    The iPod became available in stores at a suggested US price of $399.[4][1][5]

  1. press · Nov 16 ’01

  2. commercial · Dec 29 ’01

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Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

Pro opens the playbook, all 11 sourced numbers and 22 sources. Start with a free account.

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Technology
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

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$5.6B revenue

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How the next thing spread, the week it does.