Happy Birthday iPod!
The hand held music device that propelled Apple celebrates its 5th birthday...

Lance Ulanoff - PC Magazine

Oct. 23

Dear iPod,

First of all, let me say Happy Birthday.

You don't look a day over five. It is five, right? So young and yet, you've obviously had some work done. I mean, your face is quite different from when I first met you. You dropped the buttons and you've lost a lot of weight. Not that you were fat before, but gosh you're incredibly slim these days—easy to carry around.

I've never met your father, Steve, but I can only imagine how proud he must be of you. Like any good dad, he predicted big things for you. He said you'd transform the music industry. I, for one, did not believe him. The idea of playing digital music on portable players wasn't new and, up until 2001, it had been an abysmal failure. Plus, I don't know if you know this about your dad, but he has a tendency to overstate things.

Whenever someone I know or care about reaches a milestone, I like to reflect on how they got there and what makes them special. And you are special, iPod. Pretty much all my doubts disappeared the first time you arrived at PC Magazine labs. Your face (or should I say interface) was unlike anything I'd ever seen on a portable device. The circle buttons and "scroll wheel" offered a seamless marriage of form and function. Steve doesn't kiss and tell, but I'd love to know who your mom is, because your looks must come from her side of the family.

The other big surprise was your relationship with iTunes. For someone so young, you had (and continue to have) and unbelievably tight bond with the music software and download service. Again, downloading music was nothing new (many of us were doing it illegally). I remember thinking that no one would ever pay for music—no matter how good the player and software service. You proved me wrong iPod.

Read all about it here, courtesy of :

-Eric