Few pieces of technology can genuinely claim to be iconic. But Apple's iPod, first launched in 2001, arguably fits the bill.With its distinctive click-wheel design, and those ubiquitous white bud headphones, the iPod brought good looks to portable audio technology - with a "cool" factor not seen since Sony's Walkman over a decade earlier.
And for the record industry, a sigh of relief - the iPod's accompanying music store iTunes paved the way for legal digital music downloading to hit the mainstream, tempting at least some music fans away from the free-for-all of piracy.
But 12 years, and 26 devices later, the generation-defining iPod range looks like it's about to fade into history without so much as a whimper.
"I think all of us have known for some time that iPod is a declining business," said Apple boss Tim Cook earlier this week, speaking during a conference call discussing the company's latest earnings report.
He announced massive profits - as ever - but noted that iPod sales had dipped: 52% down on this time last year, with further drops expected.
That's not bad, or even surprising, news for the company. The people who would have previously bought iPods are now more likely to buy iPhones or iPads.
But it's bad news for the humble iPod - a tiny-but-mighty device that many say was the catalyst that propelled Apple into its boom era of iPhones and iPads.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25927366I just wish they'd make an iPhone with the same capacity as the classic iPods (160Gb) for a reasonable price.
Topic: Apple's iPod: is the end nigh? (Read 8001 times)