Pixo
| Industry | Mobile software |
|---|---|
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | Sun Microsystems |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Paul Mercer |
| Defunct | 2003 |
| Products | Pixo OS |
Pixo was a company that developed infrastructure for hand-held devices. It was founded in 1994 when Paul Mercer, a software developer at Apple, left to form his own company.[1] The company developed a system software toolkit in C++[2] for use on cell phones and other hand-held devices. They were acquired by Sun Microsystems in 2003.[1]
Pixo OS and use in Apple's iPod
In 2001, Pixo was rehired by Apple to adapt their system software for use in the iPod.[3] The use of the Pixo OS in the iPod was never formally announced, although the first-generation iPod's "About iPod" display includes a mention of Pixo, and a Connectix biography of their VP of engineering Mike Neil mentions his role as "lead architect on the Pixo OS that is used in ... the Apple iPod".[4] Apple acquired the Pixo OS shortly after shipping the iPod and removed mention of Pixo from the "About iPod" display with a firmware update to the first-generation iPod.
On April 9, 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the shipment of its 100 millionth iPod,[5] making the Pixo OS one of the most widely used embedded operating systems.
With the 2014 discontinuation of the iPod Classic[6] and the 2017 discontinuation of the iPod Nano[7], which did not run iOS.[8], Apple no longer sells a Pixo-based iPod.
References
- 1 2 Markoff, John (27 February 2006), "He Helped Build the iPod; Now He Has Built a Rival", The New York Times, archived from the original on 2015-07-05, retrieved 4 January 2011
- ↑ Stroustrup, Bjarne, C++ Applications, retrieved 26 August 2012
- ↑ Yi, Matthew (16 August 2004), "Little-known startup was behind iPod's easy-to-use interface", San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved November 10, 2012
- ↑ About Connectix at the Wayback Machine (archived August 6, 2003)
- ↑ 100 Million iPods Sold, retrieved 4 January 2011
- ↑ "iPod Classic retired: Fans mourn as Apple quietly kills off its most iconic gadget". The Independent. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ↑ "Apple removes iPod nano and shuffle from website hinting at discontinuation". 9to5Mac. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
- ↑ "6G iPod nano hack just beginning of long road to nano apps". Ars Technica. 3 January 2011. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
External links
- Pixo.com website at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
- Capabilities and features of the Pixo OS Platform 2.1 at the Wayback Machine (archived August 15, 2001)
- Sun Press Release announcing completion of acquisition at the Wayback Machine (archived January 17, 2007)
- Bill Mogridge video interview of Paul Mercers involvement in the design of the iPod