The iPod Touch 1st Generation
iPod Touch 1st Generation... we didn't know it was going to be a 1st Gen back then'
In January 2007, the first iPhone was revealed. Apple didn't have it manufactured for sale at the time of the announcement. They revealed it and said it would be available in mid-June that year. Their purpose was clear, get people to see and respect the touch interface it used *and* make sure they didn't buy any other pricey smart phone while waiting for the iPhone to actually be available.
In the computer world, the selling of a non-manufactured prototype as "real" is referred to as selling "vaporware". Apple is better at this than anyone.
The iPhone was a sell out success. And there were a few of us, that thought... "Hey, the Touch interface would make a useful iPod interface too!" Without a doubt it would make for a very pricey iPod, but Apple has never been shy about selling something that was expensive. The first iPod that came out with a 5GB hard drive in October of 2001 cost $500 and they created a market for that. They could create a market for a Touch based ipod.
In September with basically no notice, Apple introduced the first iPod Touch. The device was available immediately. It was basically an iPhone without the radio-telephoney or Blue Tooth aspects.
It went over well, it was clear to me it was "the Trojan Horse" intended to teach people how to use the Touch interface while waiting to get old enough to actually own and use an iPhone... or later an iPad.
The 1st Gen Touch was overly well made. Apple had some engineering things to sort out and learn from. As of January 2011 I am still getting them sent to me for battery replacements. I'm out of the upper glass/digitizer, but the device is still fairly serviceable.
This was also an early example of Apple making something to never be repaired. The replacement of a broken LCD screen or cracked upper glass required separating the glued down battery from a metal backplane and the removal of nearly 40 small screws by hand with a tiny screw driver.
The battery in the Touch 1st Gen was also soldered in, so there was no intent that it was ever going to be replaced.
Also the headphone jack was soldered down with high temperature solder. I replace these often enough even though Apple never planned it.
It was the Touch 1st Gen that finally made clear to me, "refurbished" iPods were in fact brand new. Factually there was no way Apple could take in, rework and put back out an iPod Touch. The entire 'refurbished' moniker was a fiction to make people think they got something "nearly as good as" the one they once had (and now traded back).
To keep the fiction of "refurbished" as being a reworked iPod, Apple stores allowed you to trade in your non-working iPod for 10% off. The un-spoken presumption when you got a "refurb" was that it was an iPod someone had traded in previously... which I can tell you is rubbish. They are brand new. I've been saying this for years now and Apple has not arrived with legal papers to challenge me on this, though they have arrived twice already on other matters ;)
I'm still here though!
The original Touch isn't a bad device and is handed to me regularly for repair.
Call 707-544-4400
or
email me at repair0121@isickbay.com
with questions or to set up a repair.
HOURS:
Monday through Friday from 10am to 7pm, and Saturday & Sunday noon to 6pm.
I'm in Sonoma County... Northern California wine country,
Frank Walburg
Service Court
Santa Rosa, Ca 95403-3139
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