Early iPod creator leaves Apple for good

Tony Fadell, previously iPod designer and CEO Steve Jobs adviser, steps down

After nine momentous years at Apple, one of the original creators of the iPod is departing Apple for good.

Tony Fadell had stepped down from his position as senior vice president and head of the iPod division in November 2008, but he remained on Apple's payroll as adviser to CEO Steve Jobs.

Before his work at Apple, Fadell founded a company in the 1990s called Fuse, whose goal was to provide consumers with a go-to place for personal electronics devices, including a hard disk-based digital music player that could be seen as an early-stage version of the iPod. When Fuse didn't reach success, Fadell went to RealNetworks briefly in 2000, before finally moving on to his place at Apple.

Fadell first started serving Apple's hardware engineering team in 2001, running the company's iPod & Special Projects group under the direction of Jon Rubinstein, a former Apple senior vice president and the current Palm CEO. Fadell replaced Rubinstein as head of the iPod division in 2006.

Going forward, Fadell says he will advise and invest in companies with a lean towards green technology:

"My primary focus will be helping the environment by working with consumer green-tech companies," he said. "I’m determined to tell my kids and grandkids amazing stories beyond my iPod and iPhone ones."

Interestingly, set to launch this Saturday, April 3 is the Apple iPad, which must certainly be seen as the next-stage in evolution of the iPod, though the device should surpass even the iPhone in the array of functions it will handle, especially Web browsing and productivity applications.