They came, they saw, they conquered. Digital audio player, or MP3 player, was already common technology when Apple entered the market. First portable MP3 players where introduced as early as 1998. There were also many pioneering online music stores before the Apple launched iTunes. Apple made several things very well indeed as it plowed it's way to digital music success. It managed to transport their good brand image to a portable music player and an online store and suddenly something previously considered geeky was seen as trendy. Also the integration of these two key components seems to have been a very good strategic move, and something competitors did not have for a long time. And the result - a stunning 100 million iPod devices and a staggering 2.5 billion songs sold. Cha-ching!

November 2001, when the first edition of the company’s revolutionary MP3 player was launched, it sold more than 100 million units, making the iPod the fastest selling music player in history.

Since its debut, the iPod has undergone a series of changes and improvements meant at strengthening even more its undisputed dominance in the digital music business. Apple released more than 10 new models of iPod in the five and a half years of existence for the craved gadget, including two revised editions of iPod mini, two generations of iPod nano and two generations of iPod shuffle. The iTunes-iPod duopoly has ensured Apple a tight grip on the digital music market, allowing the company to dictate the price for the downloaded songs during the negotiations with record companies.

Source: Playfuls.com