iPod: Panic studio unveils one of the first prototypes… absolutely huge

The Panic studio, known for its independent games and its mini hand-cranked console, has just unearthed from its boxes the strange and gigantic prototype of an iPod, a prototype probably developed well before the release of the first iPod in 2001.

We already find the famous scroll wheel, four buttons, and a tiny monochrome screen displaying the word iPod. The inside of the case contains mainly… empty space, but also some electronic components connected to the front buttons. Obviously, this machine was never designed to be commercialized (the “SPG Development” sticker is quite clear about this).

It was more likely a working model to illustrate some of the key features of the “final” iPod (like the scroll wheel). Panic doesn’t explain how they got this giant prototype, and to be honest, this is the biggest mystery of the whole story.