This Week's Sponsor:

Kolide

Ensure that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps.  It’s Device Trust for Okta.


Death or Refresh? The iPod Classic Was the 5th Most Popular Player in 2010

This week was filled with rumors that Apple may finally be pulling the plug on its traditional-spinning-hard-drive MP3 player. Well, the NPD Group revealed to AppleInsider the overall portable media player sales rankings for 2010 in the US. Guess what placed fifth in the rankings?

Apple’s black 160GB iPod classic was the fifth best selling media player in the U.S. for all of 2010, suggesting that the hard drive-based device won’t be exiting the company’s product lineup in the near future.

Apple’s fourth-generation iPod Touch 32GB came in third and third-generation 32GB came in fourth behind the cheaper, 8GB versions of the iPod Touch. Right behind these was the iPod Classic 160GB black model - still having a very strong presence in the MP3 player category.

Availability at retails stores have dwindled as of recent, but maybe we’re going to see an unscheduled refresh instead. Toshiba has revealed new, 1.8-inch hard drives with capacities up to 220GB. Updated iPod Classics with storage this size could keep the legacy going, many people want their entire music library with them and this would work for most people.

Apple is still the dominent media player company of 2010 with 2011 expcted to also be great. 9 out of the top 10 devices from 2010 are Apple (entire list in graphic). The only non-Apple device to make the list: the 4GB Sandisk Sansa Clip+, with a retail of around $30.

[via AppleInsider]

Unlock More with Club MacStories

Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for over six years.

In that time, members have enjoyed nearly 400 weekly and monthly newsletters packed with more of your favorite MacStories writing as well as Club-only podcasts, eBooks, discounts on apps, icons, and services. Join today, and you’ll get everything new that we publish every week, plus access to our entire archive of back issues and downloadable perks.

The Club expanded in 2021 with Club MacStories+ and Club Premier. Club MacStories+ members enjoy even more exclusive stories, a vibrant Discord community, a rotating roster of app discounts, and more. And, with Club Premier, you get everything we offer at every Club level plus an extended, ad-free version of our podcast AppStories that is delivered early each week in high-bitrate audio.

Choose the Club plan that’s right for you:

  • Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with app collections, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, a Club-only podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;
  • Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus exclusive content like Federico’s Automation Academy and John’s Macintosh Desktop Experience, a powerful web app for searching and exploring over 6 years of content and creating custom RSS feeds of Club content, an active Discord community, and a rotating collection of discounts, and more;
  • Club Premier: Everything in from our other plans and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.