Apple Looked To Startup For iPod Interface Help

T he San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that when it came time to make the iPod work like the iPod, Apple turned to a small startup named Pixo. According to the report, Apple approached the company for help in getting the iPod ready for market. From the article:

After weeks of hammering out the business side of the deal, Pixo was on board to help Apple create an operating system that would run the user interface of the iPod.

"We were able to get something running and demonstrate it in a couple of weeks,ii said Paul Mercer, founder of Pixo, which was sold to Sun Microsystems last year. Although more time was needed to work out the kinks and add features, the project was essentially finished in time for Apple to put iPods on store shelves by November 2001.

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An Apple representative refused to comment about Pixois involvement except to say that the company contributed a piece of technology in the iPodis development.

Thereis a lot more about Pixo, the companyis background, its involvement with Apple, and new plans for products, in the full article at the San Francisco Chronicle. We recommend it as an interesting read.