Apple Admits iPod Is From 1970s UK

MattSparkes writes "Apple has all but admitted that a British man invented the iPod over three decades ago in the 1970s. Unfortunately, he let the patent run out. When another company tried to grab a portion of its iPod profits, though, Apple went running to him to defend them in court. In return, it looks like he's in for a share of the cash generated from the sale of 163 million iPods."

So Close to Perfect!

[Anonymous Coward]

Now we just need the news to break that this man was once employed by The Beatles' label and you will hear the sound of a thousand lawyers climaxing at once.

Right

[kellyb9]

So - let me get this straight, he invented the "iPod" before stored music was even available? Before any substantial file compression existed? Right.. I actually, ummm, invented televisions back during the Taft administration.

Re:first post

[Anonymous Coward]

More like third fail.

Hmmmmm..

[spasmhead]

More amusing than this story is trying to imagine what a 1970's iPod would have been like. I'm sure its "ultra portable" battery would have needed wheels but the white headphones, which would be so heavy as to break your neck, would still scream "MUG ME!".

Re:A biit of overstatement

[NoisySplatter]

But his will be called the iMail and will use proven technology to do things other devices already do in a proprietary vaguely patentable way. In spite of this he will fail to achieve any results himself and after the patent expires he will then make his money by being paid to act as a coprorate shill in a scam lawsuit.

Apple admits iMac based on 1940's patent

[paiute]

on something called a "transistor". Apparently Apple hovered in the wings waiting for the patent on this technology to expire so they could steal it.

Who is this Taco fellow and why can't he read for comprehension?

Wow

[Bogtha]

Unfortunately, he let the patent run out.

Now there's a sentence I didn't expect to see on Slashdot.

Apple took the day off?

[wcrowe]

"Apple was unavailable for comment at the time of writing."

What, the entire company?

Re:Not patent-worthy

[snoyberg]

the iPod wasn't exactly the first mp3 player to be released anyway, just the first successful one in marketing and generating hype

There, fixed that for you.

There, fixed that for you.

Re:Not patent-worthy

[MPAB]

Wow! You were college friends with Bill Gates?

Re:Seems Like A Bad Summary

[Anonymous Coward]

A very bad summary indeed, and a quite bad article to start with.

You sir, have summed up Slashdot quite well in one sentence.

Re:Not patent-worthy

[Y-Crate]

Not even the first successful mp3 player; Linux Journal had one on the cover (IIRC) a couple of years before the first iPod was launched.

I hear the drivers are almost ready!

Nuh-uh!

[commodoresloat]

Apple's was the first (and only, so far) to become a cultural phenomenon

What about the Zune!? Oh, wait...

Star Trek

[Dr. Tom]

Star Trek invented the flip phone in the '60s, too. Not to mention the stun gun, the replicator, matter transport, and FTL. :-)

Re:Summary.

[Awptimus Prime]

How dare you take the hype and charm out of a Apple article by stating facts.

If I had a goatee and a latte, I'd be using Safari to mod you as a troll with my only mouse button.

Re:Not patent-worthy

[clyde_cadiddlehopper]

On the bottle was a picture of company founder Henry John Heinz, and a quote:

"To do a common thing uncommonly well, brings success."

Punctuation, commonly, is not one of those.

Re:Seems Like A Bad Summary

[martinw89]

which wasn't the "first" by any measure

Yes, because for those who remember, there was also this doohickey called a Creative Nomad. It happened to have more space and be much less lame than an iPod at the time.

Re:Star Trek

[SlappyBastard]

Not to mention the redshirt, interracial on-screen romance and genetically engineered supersoldiers.

Re:Seems Like A Bad Summary

[jcwayne]

In other news, welfare checks shall hereafter be referred to as "dividend payments".

Re:Seems Like A Bad Summary

[philspear]

My Ipod is made entirely of gas. It plays one song called "fart."

Re:Seems Like A Bad Summary

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't even read the comments

Re:OT: Readaholics

[Nefarious Wheel]

Last night I was at a restaurant and being one of those people who can't spend more than one minute of idleness without something to read

*sob* And I thought I was alone in this world...

There are support groups for that, but I got tired of reading their newsletters.

Re:Seems Like A Bad Summary

[SLOviper]

A very bad summary indeed, and a quite bad article to start with.

You sir, have summed up Slashdot quite well in one sentence.

But you forgot to mention all of the off-topic comments that are inevitably modded "+5 Funny".
What were we talking about again?