tl;dr - Language (kanji are hard) and culture (electronic devices as standalone devices, not a digital hub). The iPod was a triumph of consumer-friendly embedd

tl;dr - Language (kanji are hard) and culture (electronic devices as standalone devices, not a digital hub). The iPod was a triumph of consumer-friendly embedded systems. I got interested in iPodLinux, having a computer more powerful than my Mac Plus in my pocket that I could program! Now I'm an embedded software engineer at a medical device manufacturer. If I saw embedded engineering as boilers and fridges, I doubt that my teenage self would have been excited about it (not to insult those working in those essential industries!) Culture in the west has changed since 2008, though. The "digital hub" model has shifted to a cloud-based SaaS subscription model. This is more profitable for service providers, especially phone companies. But it's not because people like the cloud! It's because the iPod had no data input, no social experience. The music community was separate at the time (on MySpace). The iPhone came, threw music to the side, and pushed everyone towards cameras, screens, and sharing photos with each other (Facebook, Instagram). The network effects of community were stronger than the technical superiority of the iPod (larger storage, reliable software, USB disk mode). I believe that these things go in cycles, and personal music will become popular again. Probably in some open-source, decentralised way, which can leverage that community effect. It won't happen until concert tours can restart, but it could be powerful enough to displace the major players (Apple, Google, Spotify) who seem to be neglecting the music community that brought them their market in the first place.