iPod Turns 10. Has It Really Been That Long?

Ten years ago Sunday, the late Steve Jobs promised that the introduction of the iPod would inspire more people to buy Macintosh computers to keep up with the superior technology offered by the new music player.

The iPod sold for $399 and had enough memory to store 1,000 songs when it became available Nov. 10, according to The New York Times.

In 2005, Apple Computer Inc. said its second-quarter profits jumped more than six-fold as the popularity of iPods soared.

Today, the iPod remains the most popular product of its kind; it commands nearly 80 percent of the market, according to the Chicago Tribune. And it remains a cultural phenomenon. Shortly after the death of Jobs Oct. 5, Tim Hill of Columbia and Jobs had inspired him in his efforts at physical fitness.

“He was a great man and without that invention, we’d still be using primitive things like the Walkman,” he said.