View source for Pixo

{{Short description|Handheld electronic device operating system software development}}
{{about||the Nissan automobile|Nissan Pixo}}

{{Infobox company
| name             = Pixo
| logo             = File:Pixo logo.svg
| caption          = 
| type             = 
| genre            = 
| fate             = Acquired by [[Sun Microsystems]]
| predecessor      = 
| successor        = [[Sun Microsystems]]
| foundation       = {{Start date|1994}}
| founder          = Paul Mercer
| defunct          = {{End date|2003}}
| location_city    = 
| location_country = 
| location         = 
| locations        = 
| area_served      = 
| key_people       = 
| industry         = [[Mobile software]]
| products         = Pixo OS
| services         = 
| revenue          = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income       = 
| aum              = 
| assets           = 
| equity           = 
| owner            = 
| num_employees    = 
| parent           = 
| divisions        = 
| subsid           = 
| homepage         = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| footnotes        = 
| intl             = 
}}

'''Pixo''' was a company that developed infrastructure for hand-held devices. It was founded in 1994 when Paul Mercer, a software developer at [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], left to form his own company.<ref name="nyt">{{Citation
| last = Markoff
| first = John
| title = He Helped Build the iPod; Now He Has Built a Rival
| newspaper = [[The New York Times]]
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/27/technology/27mercer.html?ei=5088&en=7ca4508916893a7f&ex=1298696400&pagewanted=all
| accessdate = 4 January 2011
| date=27 February 2006
| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150705231554/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/27/technology/27mercer.html?ei=5088&en=7ca4508916893a7f&ex=1298696400&pagewanted=all&_r=0
| archivedate = 2015-07-05
| url-status=live}}</ref> The company developed a system software toolkit in [[C++]]<ref>{{Citation
| last = Stroustrup
| first = Bjarne
| author-link = Bjarne Stroustrup
| title = C++ Applications
| url = http://www.stroustrup.com/applications.html
| accessdate = 26 August 2012 }}</ref> for use on cell phones and other hand-held devices. Pixo was acquired by [[Sun Microsystems]] in 2003, and Sun was in turn acquired by [[Oracle Corporation]] in 2010.<ref name="nyt"/>

==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]].<ref>{{Citation
| last = Yi
| first = Matthew
| title = Little-known startup was behind iPod's easy-to-use interface
| newspaper = [[San Francisco Chronicle]]
| url = http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Little-known-startup-was-behind-iPod-s-2733248.php
| accessdate = November 10, 2012
| date=16 August 2004}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.connectix.com/about/bios.html |title=About Connectix |accessdate=2008-02-29 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030806065941/http://www.connectix.com/about/bios.html |archivedate=August 6, 2003 }}</ref> Apple acquired the Pixo OS shortly after shipping the iPod{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} and removed mention of Pixo from the "About iPod" display with a firmware update to the first-generation iPod.

On April 9, 2007, Apple [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] [[Steve Jobs]] announced the shipment of its 100 millionth iPod,<ref>
{{Citation
 |title       = 100 Million iPods Sold
 |url         = https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/04/09ipod.html
 |accessdate  = 4 January 2011
 |url-status     = dead
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070416004418/http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/04/09ipod.html
 |archivedate = 16 April 2007
}}</ref> making the Pixo OS one of the most widely used [[embedded operating system]]s.

With the 2014 discontinuation of the [[iPod Classic]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/ipod-classic-retired-fans-mourn-as-apple-quietly-kills-off-iconic-gadget-9724939.html |title= iPod Classic retired: Fans mourn as Apple quietly kills off its most iconic gadget |work= The Independent |date= 11 September 2014 |accessdate= 11 September 2014 }}</ref>
and the 2017 discontinuation of the [[iPod Nano]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Apple removes iPod nano and shuffle from website hinting at discontinuation|url=https://9to5mac.com/2017/07/27/apple-removes-ipod-shuffle-nano-sale-discontinue/|accessdate=27 July 2017|work=9to5Mac|date=27 July 2017}}</ref> which did not run
[[iOS]],<ref>{{cite web |publisher= Ars Technica |url= https://arstechnica.com/apple/2011/01/6g-ipod-nano-hack-just-beginning-of-long-road-to-nano-apps/ |title= 6G iPod nano hack just beginning of long road to nano apps |date= 3 January 2011 |accessdate= 2012-09-13 }}</ref> Apple no longer sells a Pixo-based iPod.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.pixo.com |date=* |title=Pixo.com website }}
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010815050140/http://pixo.com/products/products001.htm |date=August 15, 2001 |title=Capabilities and features of the Pixo OS Platform 2.1 }}
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070117072326/http://www.sun.com/smi/Press/sunflash/2003-07/sunflash.20030717.1.xml |date=January 17, 2007 |title=Sun Press Release announcing completion of acquisition }}
*[http://www.designinginteractions.com/interviews/PaulMercer Bill Mogridge video interview of Paul Mercers involvement in the design of the iPod] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420145347/http://www.designinginteractions.com/interviews/PaulMercer |date=2009-04-20 }}

{{Sun Microsystems}}

[[Category:IPod software]]
[[Category:Sun Microsystems acquisitions]]
[[Category:Software companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Software companies established in 1994]]
[[Category:Software companies disestablished in 2003]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in California]]
[[Category:2003 disestablishments in California]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Defunct software companies of the United States]]
[[Category:2003 mergers and acquisitions]]