The beautiful and ugly faces of 24 hours and 7 days

When Apple first introduced the iPod MP3 players near the end of 2001, they were far from popular. In fact, these first-generation portable devices utilized mechanical rotating wheels instead of touch-sensitive pads. Apple attempted numerous new designs along the way, but it was not until summer 2004 that they finally enjoyed a copious harvest.

In 2004, the fourth generation iPods had a glorious success with its creative control interface, which super-imposed a touch-sensitive wheel on top of clickable buttons. This innovative control added an element of fun to the portable player, and became an instant fashion trend among teenagers. A year later, Apple’s success with these new iPod designs allowed its stock to rise a multiple of ten times compared to what it was two years ago.

As of now, almost a hundred million iPods have been sold worldwide. To many people’s surprise, Apple iPods continue to have a strong sale. Have you ever pondered… Exactly how many people in the world listen to a portable music player anyways? Shouldn’t the market saturate already? So will iPods continue to sell just as well, perhaps even better in the future?

Personally, I believe it will. The answer is simple: Apple iPods have become more than just fashion now. It is part of the culture among teenagers. Although many teenagers may not realize themselves, peer pressure and curiosity are convincing them to purchase iPods, even for those who do not really listen to music on the road.

The Apple iPod is not a revolutionary product based on a brand new technology. In fact, touch-sensitive pads existed more than a decade ago. However, the creative design has changed the status of portable MP3 music players from a tech gadget into a fashion accessory. This is what makes iPod a quasi-disruptive product.

This year, Apple has topped the annual Amazon sales chart once again. Furthermore, Apple has sold so many iTunes gift cards over this holiday season that their iTunes store overloaded from unprecedented traffic.