Sure , the iPod has been a smash succeeder for Apple , but you would n’t have guessed that in the days after its unveiling in 2001 . While some saw the potential of the compact music actor , others taper to its gamey cost shred as a reason the iPod would never take off .

Here ’s a sampling of some of the initial reaction to the iPod , from executive , tech industry analysts , writers , and user .

“ You ’ve get wind of plug - and - fun . This is plug , unplug and playing period . It ’s so simple-minded to use , it ’s unbelievable . ”—Steve Book of Job , Apple ’s iPod military press event

“ The iPod is no big than a deck of plug-in , but I predict this young handheld digital - medicine player will stand tall . Very grandiloquent . It ’s going to do for MP3 medicine what the original Palm Pilot did for handheld computing in the previous ’ XC — that is , ignite demand like a couple to dry twigs.—Charles Haddad , BusinessWeek

One of the “ Top Five Worst Tech Gifts ” to get for Christmas in 2001.—TechTarget

“ It ’s certainly a mellow - end product , both in terms of price and in condition of capability … Short - full term , I think they ’re going to deal every one they build . ”—Giga Information Group enquiry fellow Rob Enderle , January 2002 matter of Macworld

“ Clearly Apple is following Sony ’s lead by integrating consumer electronics devices into its selling scheme , but Apple lacks the richness of Sony ’s ware offering . And introducing new consumer product right now is risky , peculiarly if they can not be price beautifully . ”—Technology Business Research analyst Tim Deal , CNet

“ The Apple iPod sound like a dream come true — and for anyone with a love life of music and a Mac that has a FireWire port , it is one . Although $ 399 places the iPod at the gamy end of the portable medicine player market , it buy you a fashionable , high - capacity audio player with Mac connectivity that is second to none . ”—Jonathan Seff , Macworld

“ No wireless . Less space than a Nomad . Lame . ”—CmdrTaco , Slashdot

“ A big yawner , you say ? Perhaps . After all , there are plenty of MP3 players out there . ( Compaq Computer , for example , put up one for $ 149.99 on its site . ) But while Apple ’s modish introduction might not mark richly on the meaning measure — particularly according to Wall Street analyst go for for a splashier announcement — it does proffer a coup d’oeil into the manoeuvre computer manufacturer are beginning to employ as demand for their core products ebbing . ”—Monica Rivituso , SmartMoney.com

“ Sure , it looks to be a well implemented MP3 thespian but who deal ? Malus pumila loyals will lift up a bunch of them but there really is small creation to care about . ”—Reader station , MacInTouch

“ Having find out and accommodate an iPod , all I can say is ‘ Wow ! ’ I work for an Apple Specialist in Seattle and we had an iPod in the stock Wednesday . I got my five minutes with it and i certainly did n’t want to put it down or give it back!”—Reader post , MacInTouch

“ The iPod proclamation was n’t just a inflated bit of diversionary competitive block . Instead , it ’s a product that embodies Apple at its very best and prove to the fact that , thank heavens , Apple is still around to diffuse its characteristic sense of vogue and pizzazz through a technology landscape that ’s gotten , well , boring , XP ’s arrival notwithstanding.—Patrick Houston , ZDNet

“ I ’d call it the Cube 2.0 as it wo n’t trade , and be killed off in a short prison term … and it ’s not really working . ”—Forum poster , MacRumors.com

“ candidly , I did n’t know how I would react to Apple ’s over - hype MP3 player until I used one . Now I would have a severe time parting with it : Consider me converted . ”—Paul Thurrott , SuperSite for Windows

“ I think the iPod will be another one of Apple ’s failure just like the Newton . It ’s only for the Mac ; not a tidy sum of the MP3 human race uses Macs , compare with microcomputer . It cost $ 400 ; you could get so many other players that work well for much less . Apple could have done more - forward-looking things with an MP3 instrumentalist than just make it look nerveless and give it some fast features . ”—Letter to the editor , April 2002 yield of Macworld

“ In a nutshell , the iPod is a gamy caliber product that work exceedingly well . It is overprice for an MP3 player , but it is price about rightfulness for the quality / construction of what you get . You simply ca n’t get this compounding of easiness of economic consumption , restroom , size / weightiness , battery life , music capability and elegance anywhere else . I ’m very pleased with it . ”—Andrew Welch , Ambrosia Software

“ If Apple ever lowers the iPod ’s price and develops Windows computer software for it , ascertain out : the invasion of the iPod people will surely begin in sincere . ”—David Pogue , New York Times

“ This kicks every other product ’s ass right here . ”—Smash sass trail singer Steve Harwell , iPod promotional TV