Because only Apple could create the iPod? Duh! No, seriously, there were a lot of competent MP3 players before the iPod, but Apple did it the was they do it mo

Because only Apple could create the iPod? Duh! No, seriously, there were a lot of competent MP3 players before the iPod, but Apple did it the was they do it most of the time: wait until a technology is really ready for mass market adoption, and then present their own compelling version of it. In the case of the iPod, it was the integration with iTunes (the software and the store) which made the iPod easier to use than the competition. Of course, it helped that Apple was also a computer maker and had far more software competence than a regular electronics company. Also, Apple was in an unique position to convince the record companies to "play along" with the iTunes store. And then they did it again with the iPhone...