(CNN) — As the tech world watched the birth of the Apple Watch on Tuesday, another iconic device from the Cupertino company was being laid to rest.
The iPod Classic, the (relatively) big and blocky version of Apple’s music player that represented the straightest line back to its original form, was quietly removed from the company’s lineup on Tuesday.
The signs had been there for a while. Apple hadn’t updated the the Classic since 2009 and had quit mentioning it, even at iPod-specific events.
But some loyalists still love it. Although it doesn’t have the touchscreens of new models like the Touch and is downright huge in comparison with the sleek Nano and miniscule Shuffle, the Classic packed a whopping 160 GB of storage.
That’s enough to hold 40,000 songs, according to Apple.
On social media, users were reacting with real emotion, bidding farewell to a “good buddy” and “old friend.” To some, it was perhaps a bit of nostalgia, losing the only remaining iPod that bears a resemblance to the original and other early models.
For others, it was about the utility of the thing. Sure, it’s bigger and bulkier. But it holds 40,000 songs!
“Farewell #iPodClassic,” wrote London tech consultant Phillip Downer on Twitter. “Replacing a device that does one thing supremely well with multiple gadgets doing multiple things quite well.”
The-CNN-Wire
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