Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates predicted a decline. iPod It happened long ago. Nearly two decades ago, when the iPod was revolutionizing music consumption and Apple was dominating the MP3 player market, Gates made a bold prediction about its future. In a 2005 interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, he said that the iPod’s dominance would eventually end as smartphones emerged, offering much more than just music playback. At the time, this prediction was unlikely, as the iPhone would not debut until 2007, and smartphones were still primarily used by business professionals.
Despite the immense popularity of the iPod, Gates predicted a change in consumer needs. “I don’t think the success of the iPod can last as long as Apple has,” he said again, stressing that consumers will soon demand devices with wider capabilities.
Gates compared the iPod to Apple’s earlier Macintosh computers, which initially led the market but were overtaken by competitors offering more versatile solutions. Gates’ insight into the evolving tech landscape proved to be extremely accurate, as smartphones gradually replaced single-function devices like the iPod.

Bill Gates shares a parenting ‘tip’ from his childhood.

Bill Gates believes that the constant distractions of smartphones and social media hindered his path to becoming a billionaire. In a recent blog post, Gates reflected on a childhood marked by significant periods of unstructured time spent reading and thinking. He believes that this developed his ability to focus and engage in deep thinking that was critical to his success.
Gates cited Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation and questioned whether the current technology-driven environment would allow them to develop these habits. They also highlighted that excessive screen time, particularly on social media, is linked to an increase in mental health problems among young people, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm and low self-esteem. is included.