Apple's iPod Third-Generation Prototype Shared with Stacker Game

TapTechNews May 25th news, AppleDemoYT, who is keen on collecting various rare prototype devices, released a video yesterday and shared the prototype of Apple's iPod third-generation product, and demonstrated a game like Tetris called Stacker.

AppleDemoYT said that this prototype is a DVT device, meaning it is a mid-prototype in the design verification test stage. The prototype model is A1023, which is not a known model of any version of iPod Classic, and its custom serial interface was designed by Apple engineers. TapTechNews attaches the demonstration video as follows:

This third-generation iPod was produced in the 14th week of 2003 (more than a month earlier than the release time of the third-generation iPod). AppleDemoYT purchased it from a domestic electronics recycler. When purchased, the device could not be used, but it could be started after replacing the hard drive cable.

The iPod runs a prototype version of iPodOS 2.0, and one of the games is Stacker. The gameplay of Stacker is very similar to Tetris, and the Tetris pieces move from left to right through a roller. Press the middle button and the pieces will fall, and the purpose of the game is to clear more lines at a time to obtain more scores.

There are other games on the iPod, but the names of all games are unpublished placeholders, including Block0, Chopper, and Klondike.

There is also a battery test playlist on the device, which contains classic songs that are looped, indicating that Apple once used this iPod to test its battery life before the release of the third-generation iPod.