Re: Nowadays Macs don't look different than PCs
The form of the iPod had nothing to do with Apple's choice of DAC.
I'm struggling to think of any contemporary MP3 as well done as the iPod. And I had a few.
I had an iRiver H320 - similar form factor as the iPod, same HDD and battery even, it had a colour screen, mic and line in, audio quality to appease snobs... But the UI didn't have a scroll wheel which made long lists of folders a chore to navigate.