Amaya Toman I-iPod ibiyingxenye yohlu lwemikhiqizo yakwa-Apple kusukela ngo-2001, ngesikhathi kukhishwa isizukulwane sayo sokuqala. Nakuba yayikude nesidlali somculo esiphathwayo sokuqala emlandweni, yashintsha imakethe ngendlela ethile futhi yathola ukuduma ngokushesha phakathi kwabasebenzisi. Ngesizukulwane ngasinye esilandelayo somdlali wayo, i-Apple yazama ukuletha izindaba nentuthuko kumakhasimende ayo. I-iPod yesizukulwane sesine ayizange ihluke, eyayisanda kucetshiswa ngesondo lokuchofoza elisebenzayo.
"Isidlali somculo esingcono kakhulu sedijithali sesingcono kakhulu," kuncoma uSteve Jobs ngesikhathi sokukhishwa kwayo. Njengoba kuvame ukwenzeka, akubona bonke ababonisa intshiseko yakhe. I-Apple yayenza kahle kakhulu ngenkathi kukhishwa i-iPod yesizukulwane sesine. Ama-iPod abethengiswa kahle, kanti nesitolo somculo we-iTunes, ngaleso sikhathi esasibungaza ingqophamlando yokudayiswa kwezingoma eziyizigidi eziyi-100, nazo zazingenzi kabi.
Ngaphambi kokuba i-iPod yesizukulwane sesine ibone ngokusemthethweni ukukhanya kosuku, kwaba namahemuhemu okuthi le nto entsha izohlelwa kabusha ngokuphelele kusukela ekhanda kuye ozwaneni. Isibonelo, kube nenkulumo ngesibonisi sombala, usekelo lokuxhumeka kwe-Bluetooth ne-Wi-Fi, idizayini entsha ngokuphelele kanye nesitoreji esingafika ku-60GB. Ngenxa yalokho okulindelekile, ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukudumala okuthile ngabasebenzisi akukwazi ukumangala, noma kunjalo kungase kubonakale kuyinqaba kithi namuhla ukuthi othile angathembela kakhulu ekuqageleni okungalawuleki.
Ngakho-ke into entsha ebaluleke kakhulu yesizukulwane sesine i-iPod kwakuyisondo lokuchofoza, i-Apple eyethula nge-iPod mini yayo, ekhishwe ngonyaka ofanayo. Esikhundleni sesondo lokuskrola elibonakalayo, elizungezwe izinkinobho ezihlukene ezinemisebenzi eyengeziwe yokulawula, i-Apple yethula i-iPod Click Wheel ye-iPod entsha, eyayizwela ukuthinta ngokuphelele futhi ihlanganiswe ngokuphelele ebusweni be-iPod. Kodwa isondo kwakungelona kuphela okusha. I-iPod yesizukulwane sesine kwaba i-iPod yokuqala "enkulu" ukunikeza ukushaja ngesixhumi se-USB 2.0. I-Apple iphinde yasebenzela impilo engcono yebhethri yayo, eyathembisa ukusebenza kwamahora ayishumi nambili ngokushajwa okukodwa.
Ngesikhathi esifanayo, inkampani ye-Cupertino ikwazile ukufinyelela amanani abekezeleleka kakhulu nge-iPod entsha. Inguqulo eno-20GB wesitoreji ibiza u-$299 ngaleso sikhathi, inguqulo engu-40GB yabiza umsebenzisi amadola ayikhulu ngaphezulu. Kamuva, i-Apple nayo yaqhamuka nezinhlelo ezilinganiselwe ze-iPod yayo - ngo-Okthoba 2004, isibonelo, i-U2 iPod 4G yaphuma, futhi ngo-September 2005, i-Harry Potter Edition, ifakwe ama-audiobook ehlelo lika-JK Rowling.
