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The story begins with the launch of the original iPod on October 23, 2001. It's easy to overlook its significance given the tumultuous context of its release: the world was grappling with the aftershocks of the dotcom crash, and just a few weeks earlier, the tragic September 11 attacks had shaken the global consciousness.
Despite these challenges, Apple, led by Steve Jobs, introduced a revolutionary product that redefined portable music. Before the iPod, other companies attempted similar devices, but Apple's ingenuity lay in seamlessly integrating storage, processing, speakers, batteries, and marketplace functionality—the iTunes store—into a compact form that fit into a pocket.