Portable MP3 players have been around since the late 1990s, but didn't really gain traction until the turn of the millennium. Let's check out -- and take apart -- one of the best hard drive-based players from the time before the iPod.

Sources:

PC Magazine, January 2001.
Maximum PC magazine, March 2001.
RioVolt CD player photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nic221/2842334957
Panasonic CD player photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Panasonic-sl-sv553j.jpg
Maximum PC magazine, February 2001.
Kozmo catalog image: https://medium.com/lots-of-crazy-things-have-happened-in-san/i-call-this-kozmo-com-catalog-spring-2001-9498d115b3df
Nomad Jukebox box contents photo: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-RARE-Creative-Nomad-Jukebox-20GB-Media-Player-NW-FOR-PARTS-or-REPAIR-/283939846506?hash=item421c22396a%3Ag%3AKaUAAOSw4PBe-qMh&nma=true&si=c5ZB0ewNun9we6aDei6X9do9e5w%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
AnandTech article about hard drive filesystem: https://www.anandtech.com/show/803/5
Nomad…