computer, Jobs turned his attention to coming up with a portable
device that individuals could transfer their music onto and take
with them everywhere. The device was named the iPod.
Similar devices known as MP3 players were already available,
but they were clumsy, unattractive, difficult to use, and did not
hold many songs. As a music lover, Jobs craved a better way to
listen to music; so did many members of his Apple team. So Jobs
decided to create it.
With that in mind, Jobs insisted that the iPod have excellent
sound, be so simple to use that listeners could access any song
they wanted in less than three pushes of a button, and be capable
of holding one thousand songs. In addition, he insisted the device
be small and stylish. While it was in development he constantly
checked and rechecked the device for design, sound, and ease
of use. He was not satisfied until it fit his specifications. “We did
iTunes because we all love music. We made what we thought was
the best jukebox in iTunes,” he explains. “Then we all wanted to
carry our whole music libraries around with us. The team worked
really hard and the reason that they worked so hard is because
we all wanted one. You know? The first few hundred customers
were us.” 55
The iPod was released in October 2001. It turned out to be
Apple’s best selling product yet. It also changed the way people
listened to music forever. But Jobs was not finished yet. At the
time, many people were downloading music and trading music
files via the Internet, without paying for them. Such action was
not simple, was illegal, and hurt the music industry. Jobs got the
idea of setting up an online music store, known as the iTunes
Music Store, which would allow consumers to download their
favorite songs for ninety-nine cents per tune. It would be inex-
pensive, legal, simple to do, and give music lovers access to thou-
sands of songs, including new releases.
Jobs was sure that his idea was the way music would be dis-
tributed and sold in the future. He explains:
When we created the iTunes Music Store, we did that
because we thought it would be great to be able to buy
music electronically . . . I mean, it just seemed like the writ-
76 Steve Jobs