My collection is going through a major revision. I need to figure out the best way to display all my things. I post some old pics and promise to update as soon as possible.
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Tag Archives: Original
iPod First Generation
The original
5 GB Scroll wheel: M8513LL/A
If you look at the box, the outside sleeve has the word iPod in Apples Garamond serif typeface. On the top you see the inner box with the apple logo in white. On the bottom there is a sticker with part number and serial number. The colors of the sleeve are white, black and gray and the clamshell box that holds the iPod and accessories is silver. There is NO text about the hard drive size, NO orange color, NO text about Mac or Windows and most definitely NO pictures of artists.
So it begins
Say hello to iPod
What is in the box
Ultra Portable
Top
Bottom
How the inner box should sit in the sleeve
The inside compartment is made of white styrofoam. When you open the box up, the iPod rests in a recessed slot to the right under the silver cover flap with the text iPod in white. To the left you find an apple logo in white on the silver envelope with the CD and paperwork that covers the accessories. The iPod is wrapped in transparent cellophane plastic with the words “Don’t steal music” in english, french, german and japanese. In the slot under the iPod you find the headphones and one set of lightgray foam pieces in a sealed silver envelope. I have no source to make me absolutely sure this was the original place for the headphones in the box. To the left there are three slots for accessories. In the top left slot there was a silver paper flap to cover up the empty slot. My guess is that this slot was used for different pluggs to the power adapter when sold in other parts of the world, but I haven’t been able to confirm this. The lower left slot is for the power adapter which was also wrapped in transparent cellophane. In the right slot you found the FireWire cable. It was neatly wrapped in a figure eight and hold together with a white plastic coated metal wire. It was also wrapped in thin plastic with a perforation to make it easy to tear open. Both ends of the cable was also covered in thin transparent plastic sleeves.
A round sticker as a seal
It opens like a clam shell
iPod to the right
Earbuds under the iPod
Power adapter and FireWire cable
Inside the envelope
My guess is that less than 200 000 iPods were made and sold worldwide of the first generation. From November 10 to December 31 roughly 125 000 units were shipped. And I know of less than 10 pieces in the world that are unopened and still shrink wrapped from the factory in Taiwan. A piece like that can easily fetch a couple of thousands dollars on ebay. A used iPod in good condition with the original box (matching serial numbers) and the original accessories could also be interesting to many collectors. Do not expect to become millionaires like some sellers though. Thats just ridiculous.
iPod Specifications
Capacity
- 5GB 1.8 inch Toshiba hard disk drive
-Holds up to 1,000 songs in 160-Kbps MP3 format
-Stores data in FireWire disk mode
Size and weight
- Height: 4.02 inches (102 mm)
- Width: 2.43 inches (61.8 mm)
- Depth: 0.78 inch (19.9 mm)
- Weight: 6.5 ounces (185 g)
Input and output
- FireWire (IEEE 1394a) port
- 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
Power and battery
- Built-in rechargeable lithium polymer battery (1200 mAh)
- Playtime: 10 hours when fully charged
- Charges via FireWire connector to Mac system or power adapter
— Fast-charge time: up to 1 hour (charges to 80% of battery capacity)
— Full-charge time: up to 3 hours
Audio
- Up to 20 minutes of skip protection
- Maximum output power: 60 mW rms (30 mW per channel)
- Frequency response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
- Audio formats supported: MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), MP3 Variable Bit Rate ( VBR), WAV, AIFF
- Upgradable firmware enables support for future audio formats
Customizable settings
- Shuffle
- Repeat one or all
- Backlight timer
- Display contrast
- Clicker
- Sleep timer
- Startup volume
- Languages: English, French, German, Japanese
Headphones
- Earbud-style headphones with 18-mm drivers using Neodymium transducer magnets
- Frequency response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Sensitivity: 104-dB sound pressure level at 1 mW
Display
- 2-inch (diagonal) liquid crystal display with white LED backlight
- 160-by-128-pixel resolution, 0.24-mm dot pitch
- Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Environmental requirements
- Operating temperature: 32° to 113° F (0° to 45° C)
- Nonoperating temperature: –4° to 158° F (–20° to 70° C)
- Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
- Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
Power adapter
- 6-pin FireWire connector
- AC input: 100V to 240V at 0.4 amp maximum
- Frequency: 50 to 60 Hz
- DC output: 12V at 1 amp maximum
iPod Fourth Generation Story
Fourth Generation iPod
One can say that the third iPod model acted as a catalyst to transform the iPod from being a MP3 music player into becoming an icon. This new version, the fourth generation, was designed to attract new customers rather than old ones wanting to upgrade. July 19, 2004 Apple released the fourth generation iPod. This iPod was a mix of the third generation iPod and the first generation Mini. The form factor was same as the previous model, but the controls were taken from the mini. The prices on each model were dropped $100, but this time Apple didn’t include any cases or the remote. The 40GB model was shipped with a dock. The case and the remote could be bought separately for $39 each. The iPod came in two different sizes, 20GB for $299 and 40GB for $399. They begun shipping July 20. In the end of 2004 Apple had shipped six million iPods.
The sleeve had the now famous silhouettes from ad company TBWA/ Chiat/ Day on two sides and the color scheme was very bright colors. The size of the box was the same as third generation iPod. The new version iPod offered better battery life and small changes to the user interface.
August 27, 2004 Hewlett-Packard announces the iPod+HP version. This was a repacked fourth generation iPod, sold by HP with HP support and only for windows customers. HP also announces a special printer with special printable tattoos to cover the iPod.
October 26, 2004 Apple debuts iPod Photo capable of displaying photos and album art on its new color screen. It was sold in 40GB ($499) and 60GB ($599) capacities and was physically identical with the previous version. It was also shipped with an A/V cable and an iPod photo dock. In November 16 the name was changed from capitalized Photo to lowercase photo.
At the same time a Special Edition U2 iPod was announced. It was designed with a black front and a red click wheel to match the coming U2 studio album “How to dismantle an Atomic Bomb” released November 24. The band members autographs were etched to the iPods polished steel back side. Bono and the Edge attended the unveiling and performed the first track “Vertigo” from the new album. The iPod had a 20GB hard drive and was sold for $349. The first U2 iPods were shipped from Apple November 16.
February 23, 2005 the 40GB photo model was discontinued and replaced with a 30GB photo ($349). This iPod was shipped in the new small box and had only documents and CD, earbuds, ac adapter and usb 2.0 cable in the box. The original iPod was also shipped in this small box, only the 60GB iPod photo had the old bigger box and all accessories inside. Late March Apple released a small device called iPod Camera Connector, which made it possible to connect cameras directly to the iPod. The small device costed $29.
In June 28, 2005 Apple made the last update to their fourth generation iPods, both the regular model and the U2 Special Edition. Two regular models were released, 20GB at $299 and 60GB at $399. Both had color screens and could show both photos and album art. The U2 Special Edition was still 20GB but the price was reduced to $329.
iPod “First and a Half” Generation
iPod First Generation Second Revision
5 GB Scroll wheel: M8513LL/A
10 GB Scroll wheel: M8709LL/A
The artist boxes had the new Myriad font without serifs. There were also the hard drive size printed on the outside sleeve.
The inside was exactly the same as the first generation. The word “iPod” was printed on the right paper flap with the old typeface. The paperwork inside the gray envelope was however printed with the new font. The CD with iTunes was also different from the first generation. The envelope below is not complete.
Opens like a clam
iPod to the right
Earbuds under the iPod
Instructions
Accessories
Inside the envelope
What is the deal with 1.5 generation iPod? Well, the purist collector like myself, think that this is not the original iPod. The first version of the 5 GB iPod is exactly the same as the first version 1.5 revision of the 5 GB iPod. All except from the serial. The cellophane around the iPod differs and the sleeve around the box. That’s it. Not much but still. If you want to own a “real” first generation iPod the serial number should show it was produced before week 11 2002.
I also want to make something clear. The boxes with the different artists is NOT “special edition” iPods. They are exactly the same as the regular ones, only with different sleeves. You can find them att auction sites offered as “Special edition iPods” which is not true. I have pictures of the Hendrix, Holiday, Marley and Morissette editions. These are not my pictures, but they can be found online. I have never ever seen the Davis version.
iPod Specifications
Capacity
- 5GB 1.8 inch Toshiba hard disk drive
-Holds up to 1,000 songs in 160-Kbps MP3 format
-Stores data in FireWire disk mode - 10GB 1.8 inch Toshiba hard disk drive
-Holds up to 2,000 songs in 160-Kbps MP3 format
-Stores data in FireWire disk mode
Size and weight
- Height: 4.02 inches (102 mm)
- Width: 2.43 inches (61.8 mm)
- Depth: 0.78 inch (19.9 mm)
- Weight: 6.5 ounces (185 g)
Input and output
- FireWire (IEEE 1394a) port
- 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
Power and battery
- Built-in rechargeable lithium polymer battery (1200 mAh)
- Playtime: 10 hours when fully charged
- Charges via FireWire connector to Mac system or power adapter
— Fast-charge time: up to 1 hour (charges to 80% of battery capacity)
— Full-charge time: up to 3 hours
Audio
- Up to 20 minutes of skip protection
- Maximum output power: 60 mW rms (30 mW per channel)
- Frequency response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
- Audio formats supported: MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), MP3 Variable Bit Rate ( VBR), WAV, AIFF
- Upgradable firmware enables support for future audio formats
Customizable settings
- Shuffle
- Repeat one or all
- Backlight timer
- Display contrast
- Clicker
- Sleep timer
- Startup volume
- Languages: English, French, German, Japanese
Headphones
- Earbud-style headphones with 18-mm drivers using Neodymium transducer magnets
- Frequency response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Sensitivity: 104-dB sound pressure level at 1 mW
Display
- 2-inch (diagonal) liquid crystal display with white LED backlight
- 160-by-128-pixel resolution, 0.24-mm dot pitch
- Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Environmental requirements
- Operating temperature: 32° to 113° F (0° to 45° C)
- Nonoperating temperature: –4° to 158° F (–20° to 70° C)
- Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
- Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
Power adapter
- 6-pin FireWire connector
- AC input: 100V to 240V at 0.4 amp maximum
- Frequency: 50 to 60 Hz
- DC output: 12V at 1 amp maximum
Earbuds generation 1-3
Apple ships their iPods with ordinary in-ear headphones called “Earbuds”. They became the classical telltale sign that someone used an iPod. Even more so when Apple launched their iconic “dancing silhouettes” campaign in late 2003.
The earbuds from the different generations are slightly different. The first generation iPod was shipped with earbuds with one set of foam pieces. The color was light gray, but I’ve seen first generation earbuds with black foam coverpieces. And I’ve seen second generation earbuds with two sets of light gray foam pieces. I have even seen white (!) foam pieces shipped from factory with third generation earbuds. The metal part in the earpiece wasn’t mesh, but rather a perforated metal disc.
The second generation iPod was shipped with the second generation earbuds which was packed in a silver envelope with two sets of foam covers. The standard color was black on those cover pieces. The perforated disc was replaced by a thin metal mesh. Also the material in the pieces where the cable connected to the hardware was changed from a soft to a more rigid plastic. One of the reasons was to stop it from discoloring due to sun light.
The third generation earbud was shipped with the third generation iPod. It was slightly smaller in diameter, but had a longer body than the previous models. It also had a smal plastic piece that could slide on the cables to the earpieces to lock the cables under the chin. It was also delivered with two black foam pieces.
Below you see a comparison between the three first generations of earbuds. The first generation is to the right, the second generation is in the middle and the third generation to the left. It clearly shows the discoloring on the first generation. It should be as gray as the other two.
Different Foam Cover Pieces
Second Gen earbud with black foam
Second Gen earbud with gray foam
Say Hello To iPod 