While true, Apple also iterated (and took advantage of higher capacity disk drives). It took until the 4th generation to get the iconic version of the click wheel. It also took some time for Apple to offer iTunes on Windows. So while some of us could have been more forward looking at the time, it wasn't obviously a world-changing product out of the gate.
Re:20 years of the iPod
by pseudalopex on Sunday October 24, 2021 @03:47PM
(#28981264)
The iPod's wheel was distinctive immediately. The click wheel was just a refinement.
Windows support followed within 9 months. Do you think it wasn't planned before launch?
No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame.
(for those unaware, back in 2001 Slashdot was the premier location on the internet for talking about tech. This was the summary review from the Slashdot founder, Rob Malda. It's a facinating example of how early tech adopters might understand the features, but would easilly mistake what was important in a massmarket)