There you have it folks. The real inspiration for Apple’s game-changing iPod, courtesy of the world’s unluckiest Briton, Kane Kramer, 52 (not including the fifth Beatle). You see, in the dark technological days of 1979, Kramer saw a beacon of light in his IXI.
Capable of playing a mind-busting 3.5 minutes of music, the IXI prototype was Kramer’s ticket out of obscurity. Sadly, when he couldn’t raise enough venture funding to renew the IXI patent in 1988, the device became the Zune of its time, and was largely forgotten. Fast forward to the present, when Apple, fresh from making year-over-year record profits with the iPod, needed Kramer something fierce to bail them out of a lawsuit jam with Burst.com.
Apple called Kramer so he could serve as a consultant for the trial, and so his patents and drawings could be used to settle the suit out of court.
Thank you! I love the Ralphie iPod ad. Brilliant.
Well, I hope Mr. Kramer gets to send Apple a nice fat invoice for his time.
Does anyone want to speculate on how the device would have stored 3.5 minutes of music in 1979 digitally? Just curious on what the underlying technology would have been. I was using a tape recorder to store data then.
He built the first solid-state studio recorder. IXI was never a portable player. But he had the idea I guess.
Join the club Kramer.
Wow… although it is not much, for Apple to call upon his services must be a form of recognition for his invention… I really hope Apple payed him well for his assistance…
I hope Kramer got paid.
I can draw a picture of a laser cannon, but only the USAF and 50 billion tax dollars can make one.
Should I sue?