Apple Kills the iPod

The iPod Touch will only be available for a limited time, marking the end of a 20-year era for the dedicated portable music player.

The iPod was the gateway to digital music for many. In the same way that the CD helped kill it, the iPod's days were numbered when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone.

In 2001, the original iPod was described as a portable hard drive with CD-quality music that let you purchase songs at a low price and store them in your pocket. It's hard to make that sound revolutionary in today's world, but it was a big deal when people were carrying around CD players.

Jobs said that with iPod, you can put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go.

The iPod gave customers more portable options for using on a run or at the gym, but also larger ones with big screens for easier navigation. Each year, Apple kills off the iPods, iPod Mini, and iPod Shuffle. The iPod touch was the only thing that remained. It will meet its end now.

A device I still hold close to my heart is a 3rd Gen Nano, a stumpy rectangle with a tiny display and a signature white dial. I remember blowing my eardrums listening to emo bands like Taking Back Sunday and Death Cab for Cutie. I still listen to some of the artists I discovered. We all own iPods. For Andrew, it is the screen-less iPod Shuffle, for its basic design and simple functions.

The iPod touch is still available for $199 on Apple's website. Let's have drinks at the iPod wake and chat about our iPod memories.