W hen the iPod was released in October of 2001, few imagined that it would take off like it has. The company sold 216,000 of the MP3 players during the December quarter alone, and the mainstream press has been tripping all over itself to heap praise on the device, including local newspapers. Adding to the ever-lengthening list of those newspapers praising the iPod is the Oakland (California) Tribune. In an article in Mondayis Business section, the Tribune looks at the sales of the iPod, the many fans that hung on every word of Steve Jobsi recent keynote, and the vast array of accessories available, including the new iPod jacket from Burton. From The Oakland Tribune:
At the show where Jobs introduced new applications, two new laptops and a new browser, he left enthusiasts hungry for more enhancements for the MP3 player which, unlike any others is also a hard drive and can be used to boot your Macintosh computer. But they found plenty to slake their thirst in the exhibition hall where manufacturers and retailers showcased a robust array of accessories for the device.
Retailers and analysts following the iPod say they have not seen such accessorized creativity for any other MP3 player and very little for any other hand-held device.
Kevin Langdon who bills himself as Fearless Leader of Crywolf, a San Diego based Apple dealer ( www.coolmacstuff.com said that before the show, his company carried 15 products that supported the iPod, mostly cases of different colors and styling.
"I thought there was no room in the marketplace for anymore," he said.
But he was besieged by manufacturers offering him new gadgets and fashion accessories. At the end of the show he was carrying 25 iPod products. The majority were chic cases for the device.
"Everybody wants a case that reflects them," he said. "We put out a neon pink one just to try it. It sold out the first day."
You can read the full article at The Oakland Tribuneis Web site.
In other iPod news, a story making the rounds at TMO in November has appeared in a more mainstream source. PCWorld has an interesting article about the researcher who stores the Human Genome Project on his iPod.