observer.guardian.co.uk— The Observer takes a look at why Apple's iPod has risen to become the most sought-after product in the company's history, and why people love it so much.
May 28, 2006View in Crawl 4
Sorry but this article could have been written about three years ago. Does this writer realise how out of date he is. I'm not an Observer reader but he isn't saying anything that people havn't been knowing for years. What's next, a piece on why DVD players are gonna be the next big thing?I do love my iPod though but don't buy from iTunes, I'd rather a hard copy I can do whatever I want with for about an extra £1 to £2 from play.com. I can then rip it and dispose of it if I wish and have more flexability than with iTunes, I can even sell it on Ebay and make some money back.
Good for you. About 20% of the market agrees with you.About the battery, though, I've replaced two over the years, and I got the battery, tools and instructions over the net for about $30.
iTunes + iPod = NirvanaAnd you don't need to purchase a damn thing from iTMS.That's the secret. A solid hardware player coupled with solid, easy-to-use software. Not really a secret at all. More companies should take a hint...
Well I know this will get marked down as a troll because all of the pod people can't stand a dessenting view. Here is my take. For me the whole "It just works." and "It's easy to use." Arguments just show me what kind of people buy ipods...people who don't want to think. People who simply see something and react at an emotional level. Coincidentally this explains why they all "love" their iPods and why they will invariably mark this down as a troll. Most of them don't know what a codec is, or how to even copy a file from one place to another. Fine, wallow in your own ingnorance. I for one LIKE to think. I like to understand what this crazy little box does and how it works. I want to know what I am paying for. I don't want it to be crippled. I like control. I like a my standerd transmission way better than an automatic. So all you pod-people out there please, continue to trudge about with your black or white overpriced flash drive. I'm the guy with the "ugly" iRiver re-flashed with rockBox listening to lossless flacs. Oh here's a catchy little acronym for you...iJam (It's Just A Machine)
About perceived problems with AAC DRM. My humble (ahem) opinion: yes, it's a bitch. But as far as bitches go, it's not too bad. I'm in the process of digitizing my 200kg of LP's. If you really think transferring one format of ditital crap to another is a HUGE deal, I invite you to come have a recording session with me.The only fundamental problem I have with all the DRM flying around is that there are virtually no speciality shops online. You know, the obscure club record store, the basement jazz record store, the laid back latin-afro-beat store...
Why your post will indeed be marked as a troll (and rightly so) is that you make the basic assumption that people who don't want to think about their gadgets, don't want to think, period.I also perceive a hint of "If I can fight this interface, that means I'm pretty smart".Everybody likes a challenge. But not everybody likes the same challenges. I like music. I also like machines, gadgets and well, everything technological, really. But I DON'T want to be challenged by my music player. Just as I don't want to be challenged by my browser. They are means to an end, and although they offer plenty of fascination as such, when I want to go from A to B, I don't want to marvel about what's coming inbetween every single f**king time.
The ipod is the first mp3 player with a harddrive that offered the following experience and made it widely known : install iTunes, pop in a CD, plugin the ipod and that's it, it's in the box. From reading reviews, it's still one of the only players that offers such a simple experience. And then there is the navigation on the device. Most players show you the file structure but you can't navigate by genre, album or artist, let alone use smart playlists.
djpray2kMay 28, 2006
Sorry but this article could have been written about three years ago. Does this writer realise how out of date he is. I'm not an Observer reader but he isn't saying anything that people havn't been knowing for years. What's next, a piece on why DVD players are gonna be the next big thing?I do love my iPod though but don't buy from iTunes, I'd rather a hard copy I can do whatever I want with for about an extra £1 to £2 from play.com. I can then rip it and dispose of it if I wish and have more flexability than with iTunes, I can even sell it on Ebay and make some money back.
swift2May 28, 2006
Good for you. About 20% of the market agrees with you.About the battery, though, I've replaced two over the years, and I got the battery, tools and instructions over the net for about $30.
pabsterMay 29, 2006
iTunes + iPod = NirvanaAnd you don't need to purchase a damn thing from iTMS.That's the secret. A solid hardware player coupled with solid, easy-to-use software. Not really a secret at all. More companies should take a hint...
enoughropeMay 29, 2006
Thanks guys, I've found a really cool new band: the Avalanches.
afosterwMay 30, 2006
Well I know this will get marked down as a troll because all of the pod people can't stand a dessenting view. Here is my take. For me the whole "It just works." and "It's easy to use." Arguments just show me what kind of people buy ipods...people who don't want to think. People who simply see something and react at an emotional level. Coincidentally this explains why they all "love" their iPods and why they will invariably mark this down as a troll. Most of them don't know what a codec is, or how to even copy a file from one place to another. Fine, wallow in your own ingnorance. I for one LIKE to think. I like to understand what this crazy little box does and how it works. I want to know what I am paying for. I don't want it to be crippled. I like control. I like a my standerd transmission way better than an automatic. So all you pod-people out there please, continue to trudge about with your black or white overpriced flash drive. I'm the guy with the "ugly" iRiver re-flashed with rockBox listening to lossless flacs. Oh here's a catchy little acronym for you...iJam (It's Just A Machine)
zpokMay 30, 2006
About perceived problems with AAC DRM. My humble (ahem) opinion: yes, it's a bitch. But as far as bitches go, it's not too bad. I'm in the process of digitizing my 200kg of LP's. If you really think transferring one format of ditital crap to another is a HUGE deal, I invite you to come have a recording session with me.The only fundamental problem I have with all the DRM flying around is that there are virtually no speciality shops online. You know, the obscure club record store, the basement jazz record store, the laid back latin-afro-beat store...
zpokMay 30, 2006
Why your post will indeed be marked as a troll (and rightly so) is that you make the basic assumption that people who don't want to think about their gadgets, don't want to think, period.I also perceive a hint of "If I can fight this interface, that means I'm pretty smart".Everybody likes a challenge. But not everybody likes the same challenges. I like music. I also like machines, gadgets and well, everything technological, really. But I DON'T want to be challenged by my music player. Just as I don't want to be challenged by my browser. They are means to an end, and although they offer plenty of fascination as such, when I want to go from A to B, I don't want to marvel about what's coming inbetween every single f**king time.
dukeinlondonMay 30, 2006
The ipod is the first mp3 player with a harddrive that offered the following experience and made it widely known : install iTunes, pop in a CD, plugin the ipod and that's it, it's in the box. From reading reviews, it's still one of the only players that offers such a simple experience. And then there is the navigation on the device. Most players show you the file structure but you can't navigate by genre, album or artist, let alone use smart playlists.
gxcdesignJun 27, 2006
All you guys complaining about DRM are mostly piraters or those who just want to share songs with others...seriously get over it