ers ▁had ▁well - est ab lished ▁main stream ▁mark ets , ▁but ▁the ▁company ▁found ▁existing ▁digital ▁music ▁players ▁" big ▁and ▁cl unk y ▁or ▁small ▁and ▁useless " ▁with ▁user ▁interfaces ▁that ▁were ▁" un bel iev ably ▁awful ," ▁so ▁Apple ▁decided ▁to ▁develop ▁its ▁own . ▁As ▁ordered ▁by ▁CE O ▁Steve ▁Job s , ▁Apple ' s ▁hardware ▁engineering ▁chief ▁Jon ▁Rub in stein ▁assemble d ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁engine ers ▁to ▁design ▁the ▁i Pod ▁line , ▁including ▁hardware ▁engine ers ▁Tony ▁F ad ell ▁and ▁Michael ▁D h ue y , ▁and ▁design ▁engineer ▁Sir ▁Jonathan ▁I ve . ▁Rub in stein ▁had ▁already ▁discovered ▁the ▁T os hib a ▁hard ▁disk ▁drive ▁while ▁meeting ▁with ▁an ▁Apple ▁supp lier ▁in ▁Japan , ▁and ▁purchased ▁the ▁rights ▁to ▁it ▁for ▁Apple , ▁and ▁had ▁also ▁already ▁worked ▁out ▁how ▁the ▁screen , ▁battery , ▁and ▁other ▁key ▁elements ▁would ▁work . ▁The ▁a est h etic ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁Braun ▁T 3 ▁trans istor ▁radio ▁designed ▁by ▁Di eter ▁R ams , ▁while ▁the ▁wheel - based ▁user ▁interface ▁was ▁prompt ed ▁by ▁Bang ▁& ▁Ol uf sen ' s ▁Be o Com ▁ 6 0 0 0 ▁tele phone . ▁The ▁product ▁(" the ▁Walk man ▁of ▁the ▁twenty - first ▁century " ▁) ▁was ▁developed ▁in ▁less ▁than ▁one ▁year ▁and ▁un ve iled ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁Job