As Apple iPod turns 15, we trace the evolution of the iconic music player

On October 23, 2001, Apple Co-Founder and former Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled iPod, a portable music player, that changed the way people buy and listen to music even 15 years from its launch.

The first generation of iPod came in 2001 and featured a 5GB hard drive, FireWire port for syncing, a physically-rotating scroll wheel that could save 1,000 songs, tech website Venture Beat reported on Monday. 

In 2002, the second generation came with touch control, added Windows support and was capable of storing up to 4000 songs. 

The third-generation iPod that was thinner and lighter than two CDs and held up to 7500 songs was launched in 2003.

Available in five colours, the iPod Mini was introduced in 2004.

Today, there are three versions of iPod-- the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano and the touchscreen iPod Touch. 

In January 2005, the iPod Shuffle debuted while in September of the same year, iPod Nano replaced the iPod Mini and it went on to become the best selling music player ever.

The new fifth-generation iPod was unveiled in October 2005.

In September 2007, Apple unveiled the iPod Touch with Multi-Touch interface and built-in Wi-Fi wireless networking.

In June 2003, Apple sold its millionth iPod, and by the end of 2004, Apple had sold 10 million units. The year end of 2005 marked sales of 42 million and by September 1, 2010, the sales grew to 275 million.

In January 2015, Apple said that it would stop reporting iPod sales as it was pushed back by iPhone, whose design was partly influenced by the iPod.

Apple's iTunes music software is still going strong, and has become a big focus of the company's current strategy as instead of downloading songs to a portable device, people are simply streaming them.

The man behind the iPod, Tony Fadell, left Apple in 2010 and co-founded Nest Labs, which was acquired by Google. 

(With IANS inputs)