iThink iWant an iPod
I haven't had my head in the technological sand for the last year or anything, but I've always thought that I didn't really have any use for a $300 Walkman (sorry, Sony--that's the best word I can use to express my metaphor). I've seen the commercials, and as catchy as some of them are, I just haven't ever thought to myself, "Self, you just HAVE to have one of those." Of course, Jeff has one. So does Steve. I don't know about Scott. My step-brother Tony has the original 20GB model that he bought online when he was in Iraq (he's also got the cool Bose speaker/cradle thingee for at home use). But the main "it's collecting dust" factor that I forsee is time. I don't jog 3 miles every morning, or walk 32 laps around the mall like an octogenarian. And I don't have a treadmill. I don't walk the dog. My morning commute is like 6 minutes long (with stoplights), MAYBE long enough for 2 songs. Oh yeah, and right now my life consists of working two jobs, feeding Nicholas, and sleeping. That's about it. That, and I don't consider myself a music buff at all. I couldn't care less about the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, U2, or that Bo Bice guy from American Idol. Oh, you either, huh?
On Christmas, I played around with Tony's device a little bit (without the earphones--just navigating the screens and such). I started brainstorming at the possibilities: If/When we move to Arlington, the morning commute will be a bit longer. Road trips no longer necessiate taking 6-12 CD's that you're tired of by the first 3 hours (hence an FM transmitter would come in handy). Maybe when I'm done with 2 jobs, I WILL walk around the block on summer evenings, walking the dog or pushing the stroller.
Then came Christmas and $275 in gift cards. I began to open my mind to the possibilities and started the information-gathering stage. I knew that the "Shuffle" model was a smaller, non-display-having version of the big kahuna, but that's about it. We ventured over to the Apple store at the Shops of Saddle Creek. Wow--there's 3 models. Shuffle, nano, and iPod. 2 versions of each. 500 songs.....7,500 songs.....15,000 songs. Nano has a display, but the iPod now has video. Video? Geez! I don't forsee me wanting to download the special Def Leppard tribute from MTV's website, but if CBS offered me a video of my favorite episode of Two and a Half Men, then I'd be all over it. And I'm sure as the popularity grows, more and more companies/websites will be eager to accommodate the gazillion people with one. I even downloaded the iTunes application last night, just to play around with it. Pretty cool stuff (but the "Video" section comes up empty, with no link to a catalog--What's up with that?? Did I miss the virtual "Opening Winter 2005 banner?)
All in all......I don't know where I'll end up. It's hard to pull the trigger on a $300 luxury purchase, even if most of it ISN'T my money. I think about all the stuff on my Christmas list that could be bought instead. But at the same time, I don't see myself saving $350 to spend on one on my own. So we'll see. Feel free to comment on opinions, thoughts, point out cool features, or share your esoteric knowledge from the iPod cult world for my consideration.
On Christmas, I played around with Tony's device a little bit (without the earphones--just navigating the screens and such). I started brainstorming at the possibilities: If/When we move to Arlington, the morning commute will be a bit longer. Road trips no longer necessiate taking 6-12 CD's that you're tired of by the first 3 hours (hence an FM transmitter would come in handy). Maybe when I'm done with 2 jobs, I WILL walk around the block on summer evenings, walking the dog or pushing the stroller.
Then came Christmas and $275 in gift cards. I began to open my mind to the possibilities and started the information-gathering stage. I knew that the "Shuffle" model was a smaller, non-display-having version of the big kahuna, but that's about it. We ventured over to the Apple store at the Shops of Saddle Creek. Wow--there's 3 models. Shuffle, nano, and iPod. 2 versions of each. 500 songs.....7,500 songs.....15,000 songs. Nano has a display, but the iPod now has video. Video? Geez! I don't forsee me wanting to download the special Def Leppard tribute from MTV's website, but if CBS offered me a video of my favorite episode of Two and a Half Men, then I'd be all over it. And I'm sure as the popularity grows, more and more companies/websites will be eager to accommodate the gazillion people with one. I even downloaded the iTunes application last night, just to play around with it. Pretty cool stuff (but the "Video" section comes up empty, with no link to a catalog--What's up with that?? Did I miss the virtual "Opening Winter 2005 banner?)
All in all......I don't know where I'll end up. It's hard to pull the trigger on a $300 luxury purchase, even if most of it ISN'T my money. I think about all the stuff on my Christmas list that could be bought instead. But at the same time, I don't see myself saving $350 to spend on one on my own. So we'll see. Feel free to comment on opinions, thoughts, point out cool features, or share your esoteric knowledge from the iPod cult world for my consideration.
posted by Eric C at 8:29 AM
3 Comments:
ilove my ipod. ican't think of anything else ihave that iuse more. now, granted, ihave a little longer commute to work, but ithink you'd find yourself surprised at how much you'd use the little thing. iuse mine when doing general stuff like house cleaning and such. not to mention those tims you just wasnt to be left alone at work. just plug it in and away goes everyone. just you, the computer and Terri Clark singing in your ear.
And with or without an ipod, itunes in isnglehandedly the best way to download music onto your computer. The files are super tiny and the thing keeps them all in alphabetical order..album order...artist order...whatever your heart desires.
I second Steve. You will find yourself finding reasons to listen to the iPod.
For instance, just this past week on the way to Miami and back for Christmas, I used it:
Waiting at the gate.
During the 2 hour flight.
To drown out Dad's snoring when we slept in the same room at night. (Being fair, he wishes he could've done the same.)
Hooking up the FM transmitter to play Christmas music (Charlie Brown album) through an alarm clock radio while opening presents Christmas morning.
Saving a group of nuns from a gang of biker rapists.
(Okay, I made the last one up.)
Yep, I love my ipod. I didn't think I would need/want one either until I received it as a present.
Now I listen to the ipod when I'm taking Reagan for a walk, which is twice a day, and we got a radio which has an ipod attachment, so its now our stereo system in the house. We no longer have to pull out cd's and put them into the player...we just play them off the ipod. And we just got an fm transmitter, so I will be able to listen to it on the drive to school and back during the day. Good stuff.
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