This Week Marks the 20th Anniversary of the iPod and 30th Anniversary of the PowerBook

Apple's virtual "Unleashed" event coincides with two major Apple product anniversaries this week, including the 20th anniversary of the original iPod being announced and the 30th anniversary of the original PowerBook's introduction.

ipod 2001 1000 songs
Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPod on October 23, 2001 at a small press event at Apple's former Infinite Loop headquarters. Jobs famously pitched the iPod as offering "1,000 songs in your pocket" and compared the device's "ultra-portable" size to a standard deck of cards, which was impressive at the time.

"With iPod, Apple has invented a whole new category of digital music player that lets you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go," said Jobs in a press release. "With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again."


Alongside the iMac and the iPhone, the iPod was one of a few key products that helped Apple become successful again after the company flirted with bankruptcy in the late 1990s. The device has since become a niche product for Apple, though, with the iPod touch being the only remaining model available for purchase today following the discontinuation of the iPod classic in 2014 and the iPod nano and iPod shuffle in 2017.


Fittingly with Apple expected to unveil redesigned MacBook Pro models today, this week also marks the 30th anniversary of the original PowerBook models being unveiled on October 21, 1991 at the COMDEX trade show in Las Vegas. By modern day standards, these PowerBook models were Apple's first true laptops with a hinged form factor still familiar today.

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Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
46 months ago
I feel like an old fart now
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djinn Avatar
46 months ago
Still have the first iPod announced. Brings back memories.



Attachment Image
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shaun3000 Avatar
46 months ago
Best product intro, ever. It was in his pocket the entire time! I continually kick myself for not buying Apple stock then and there.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KPOM Avatar
46 months ago
The original iPod required FireWire and wasn’t officially compatible with PCs. I remember installing a FireWire card on my desktop PC and finding some unofficial software online to get it working. Along the way, I managed to accidentally erase the iPod, but I took it to one of those brand new Apple Stores and they restored it for me. :)
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johnnytravels Avatar
46 months ago
So, fingers crossed for a new iPod later... I would get one for sure.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cashville2400 Avatar
46 months ago
That old iPod looks like a thing of beauty.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)