When was mp3 player made

In , the first iPod came out. In , Hewlett-Packard acquired Compaq. I know I'm reducing the situation, but it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assert that the entity now known as HP beat Apple in the race to make a high-capacity portable music player by three years--an eternity in the world of MP3 players--and still somehow lost. I promise that the next MP3 Insider column will be a bit more forward-looking, but I just had to make it clear, once and for all:. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic.

We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Eliot Van Buskirk. Say it with me: "MPMan. Compared to the Walkman and cassettes, the story was very different for mp3s.

You couldn't purchase them in traditional retail settings. Downloading an album--legally or not--could be a multi-hour affair. It didn't matter that MPMan was first--it wouldn't have mattered if they were 6th, 23rd, or 42nd. Without the widespread availability of mp3s and broadband, the value proposition could not come together.

The MP3 player market did eventually consolidate around a dominant product, Apple's iPod. But the iPod, launched in late three years after the MPMan--was anything but a first mover. How can we understand the iPod's success despite its delayed entry?

Apple waited, and then waited some more--until it finally made its move, putting the last two pieces in place to create a winning innovation: an attractive, simple device supported by smart software. Steve Jobs knew that, on its own, the mp3 player was useless. He understood that, in order for the device to have value, other co-innovators in the mp3 player ecosystem first needed to be aligned. And, in October of , when Apple announced the iPod, those pieces were solidly in place: both mp3s and broadband were finally widely available.

It boasted an intuitive interface design and was, for its time, lightweight. But the value of the device was cemented by its seamlessness with the iTunes music management software.

He even considered features that we often take for granted, like having the ability to "select any track in any order" or download new content onto the device "in a matter of seconds.

It's almost unbelievable — how many trends Kramer invented 20 years before MP3 players would hit the mainstream market. In his proposal for IXI Systems , Kramer predicted that MP3s would "replace the heavy costs of distribution of records and tapes," would provide "immediacy of delivery," and "eliminate the need for retailers to carry any inventory. Eye Candy Gadgets IPods. You May Also Like. Celebrity Instagrams.

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