I-iPod ende: I-Apple idonsa ipulaki kudivayisi yayo yesithonjana

Umdondoshiya wezobuchwepheshe wase-US ezinze eCupertino u-Apple umemezele ukuthi nakuba amathuluzi asele e-iPod Touch asesitokweni asazotholakala ukuze athengwe ezitolo ezisemthethweni eziku-inthanethi noma ngqo ezitolo ze-Apple, kuyilapho ukuthengwa kusekhona, awekho amamodeli amasha e-iPod azokhiqizwa ikusasa.

Eminyakeni engaphezu kwamashumi amabili, i-iPod ibibusa imakethe yomsindo ephathekayo. Inguqulo yokuqala ye-iPod enesondo lokuchofoza nesikrini esincane yethulwa umsunguli we-Apple ongasekho uSteve Jobs ngo-2001.

“Kusukela yethulwa eminyakeni engu-20 edlule, i-iPod ithathe abasebenzisi emhlabeni wonke abathanda ikhono lokuhamba nomculo wabo lapho usohambeni,” Apple kusho esitatimendeni.

"Namuhla, ulwazi lokuthatha umtapo wolwazi womculo uwuyise emhlabeni wonke luhlanganiswe kuwo wonke umkhiqizo we-Apple."

Ikwazi ukubamba izingoma eziyi-1,000 zekhwalithi ye-CD, i-iPod yokuqala yaguqula imboni yomculo ngezindlela ezimbili ezinkulu. Phakathi kokunye, kwakuvumela abathandi bomculo ukuba baphathe ama-albhamu abawathandayo ngaso sonke isikhathi ephaketheni labo. I-iPod iphinde yethula umqondo 'wokushova' kubasebenzisi bayo, okubavumela ukuthi balalele izingoma nomaphi esikhundleni sokukhetha.

Lo mshini uguqule i-Apple ecishe yaqothuka yaba ibhrendi yezobuchwepheshe ebaluleke kakhulu emhlabeni. Iphinde yavula indlela yomkhiqizo ophambili wakwa-Apple - i iPhone. 

“Ukube asiyenzanga i-iPod, i-iPhone ibingeke iphume,” kusho umqambi we-iPod uTony Fadell. 

“Kulethe u-Steve [Jobs] ukuzethemba ukuthi singenza okuthile ngaphandle kwemephu nokuthi empeleni singaqhubeka nokusungula izinto ezintsha.”

U-Apple ucaphune esitatimendeni sakhe u-Greg Joswiak, iphini likamongameli omkhulu wenkampani we-Worldwide Marketing ethi: “Namuhla, umoya we-iPod uyaqhubeka. Sihlanganise umculo omangalisayo kuyo yonke imikhiqizo yethu, kusukela ku-iPhone kuya ku-Apple Watch kuya ku-HomePod mini, naku-Mac, iPad, ne-Apple TV yonkana.”

Umhlaba ubone isibuyekezo sokugcina se-iPod Touch, enesikrini esikhulu futhi esebenza njengenye indlela eshibhile kune-iPhone, ngo-2019. Futhi namuhla, njengoba i-iPhone isiwumkhiqizo odayiswa kakhulu we-Apple, inkampani ayisaboni ukusetshenziswa ukukhiqiza ama-iPod amasha.

Ngokwemibiko yangaphambilini, imali etholwa yi-Apple ku-Q1 yalo nyaka inyuke ngo-9% uma iqhathaniswa nesikhathi esifanayo ngo-2021 futhi yafinyelela ku- $ 97.3 billion (iqhathaniswa nama- $ 90 billion ngo-2021).