Seven years ago today (Oct. 23, 2001) Apple's Steve Jobs introduced a new device he claimed would revolutionize music. The invention, an MP3 music player which he called the "iPod," the same size as a deck of cards, could hold your entire music collection.
Now, in 2008, more than 150 million iPods have been sold. More importantly, the music industry as a whole was upended as the new device changed how people listen to music.
Podcasts re-invented radio as a time-shift-able medium.
Bands and labels devalued albums as fans began collecting songs.
Check out Jobs' introduction:
It's hard to believe, watching the video, that it's only been seven years. It feels almost like a distant chapter in history — further proof how fast the world moves in the information age.
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2008.