Product Description

Essentially it's just a little collection of microchips in a plastic case, but in a few short years the iPod has become the quintessential accessory for music fans everywhere. It's the defining symbol of the role advancing technologies play in every aspect of our lives. In "The Perfect Thing", Steven Levy traces the roots of the download phenomenon with Napster and MP3.com, the seismic shockwaves sent through the music industry around the globe by the burgeoning popularity of internet file-sharing and downloads, to the setting up of iTunes and the invention of the iPod. He talks to the people who were there at the inception, including Apple CEO Steve Jobs and design guru Jonny Ive - the visionaries who designed and sold the iPod to the world. He explores the cultural effects of the iPod: a statement of personal fashion; a point of contact with other users swapping tips and playlists; a tool that has changed the way artists make music in the first place; a multi-billion dollar brand where accessories range from replacement 'white bud' earphones to a full steering wheel iPod set-up for a BMW. Finally, Levy looks to the future of the music industry in the new era and of the iPod itself, and the new technology and marketing nous needed to stay ahead of the competition. Much more than a book for gadget freaks, this is the unique inside story of how a little machine the size of a cigarette packet is conquering and defining the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #500605 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

From the Publisher
The story of the genesis of Apple’s revolutionary iPod and its phenomenal rise as a cultural icon

About the Author
Steven Levy is senior editor and chief technology writer at Newsweek, which he joined in 1995.He has also worked on many other magazines, including Macworld, and New Jersey Monthly, where one of his assignments led him to discover Einstein's brain in a pathologist's office. His previous books include the bestselling Hackers, and Crypto, which won the grand eBook prize at the 2001 Frankfurt Book festival. He lives in New York City and western Massachusetts with his wife, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Teresa Carpenter, and their son.

Customer Reviews

suprisingly gripping - not just for geeks
I bought this book for my IT fan husband LAST year and i am now myself engrossed in it. A great account of the development of the ipod; design , naming, branding and why it's cool. Odd layout of paragraphs but the font and the cover make it almost as touchable as the thing itself. Loved the chapter on the random ness ( or not) of the shuffle.