Apple discontinues the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle....

From this post from theverge,  Apple has stopped producing one of the last throwbacks to the earlier pre-iPhone devices - the iPod line. The iPods - in my opinion - helped to solidify Apple's 'comeback' with not just computer owners, but people who in the past weren't interested in the computers Apple offered. By improving on the portable media players that were offered at that time, Apple enabled a whole new group of people to become fans of their products, and helped to eventually propel the company to one of the most valuable companies in the world. Without these devices, I don't think we get to the iPhone being a success that it is today, along also with iTunes and the App store.

I have a 4th generation iPod that stopped working two years ago, I had a lot of music on it that I lost most of it - it was great for just a music player - didn't have to worry about e-mail or phone calls like on the iPhone causing a disturbance. Of course the iPod Touch is still in production, I had a few of those and they are great, but something about the 'click wheel' on the original iPod's set them apart.

Apple confirms iPod nano and iPod shuffle have been discontinued

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The iPod touch is the last iPod standing

by Chris Welch  Jul 27, 2017, 12:18pm EDT

The last of the traditional iPods that lacked internet connectivity are gone. Apple has quietly taken down the websites for both the iPod nano and iPod shuffle today. As of now, searching for the products still results in “learn more” and “buy” links, but they lead to URLs that are no longer available. An Apple spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that both products have met their end and are now officially discontinued. Apple has long maintained that the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch would ultimately cannibalize its traditional music player hardware. The iconic iPod classic was discontinued in 2014.

"Today, we are simplifying our iPod lineup with two models of iPod touch now with double the capacity starting at just $199 and we are discontinuing the iPod shuffle and iPod nano,” the spokesperson said by email. The iPod touch now comes in 32GB and 128GB storage options, with the latter priced at $299. The previous 16GB and 64GB capacities are no longer available.

You should still be able to find some remaining iPod shuffle and nano units from Best Buy and other authorized retailers until stock runs out.

The iPod nano hasn’t been significantly updated since 2012, when the company redesigned it with Bluetooth support for wireless headphones and speakers. Apple released a new batch of colors for that seventh-generation model in 2015. The clip-on iPod shuffle last saw a redesign with the fourth-gen model in 2010, which made a quick return to physical controls after the poorly received third-generation model of 2009. Since then, Apple has updated the color options from time to time — just like the nano.