iPod watchers predict Apple will make it official on Tuesday during its iPhone press conference. There will likely be little protest by Apple fans. But the iPod Classic will be remembered as one of the most pivotal portable music devices.

Happy Birthday, You're Dead!

It's hard to think of a single device that has changed the tech industry in the last 10 years as much as the original iPod. When at the Apple campus on October 24, 2001, digital music foreign to most except for geeks and Napster music pirates. Many consumers hadn't even heard of an MP3 player.

Now that iPod is at a crossroads.

Fast-forward ten years. Today the word "iPod" is iconic. Apple dominates the business of selling digital music tracks and has a lock-tight grip on digital music players. While Apple and the iPod can't take all the credit for that change, they've certainly been a driving force behind online music.