iPod Envy

It seems that every where I turn I see a happy person with a set of trendy white ear buds. They're on the corner, swaying to the music only they can hear. Smiling and holding their iPod. I cannot stop thinking; I wish I had a pair of white ear buds. What’s more, I want them connected to an iPod.



I remember when MP3 players started to get big. Apple wasn’t a contender in the market. They were busy mopping up the iMac. This was a ludicrious product that was a throwback to the mac classic. Little power, and no floppy drive. In fact Apple was slowly working itself into oblivion. I was fine with that, they charge too much for hardware, they have only a handful of software programs, and it's too simple to be called a computer. As I'm fond of saying 'Apples are computers for people who don't like computers.' But they’ve duped people into believing its worth more, because it’s Apple. And people love them for it!

Then the iPod appeared.

It’s not the fact that is so clean and simple, like every other Apple product. It defies complexity. Steve Jobs never bought into one of my favorite quotes
"Never make anything simple and efficient when a way can be found to make it complex and wonderful”
It works, and apparently it works well. There are ten thousand accessories for it, and I love accessories. Plus you can get it in black, what more could you ask for?

So here I am at an impasse, I’ve hated Apple for so long, how could I own an Apple product and live with myself? I mean they’re easily the most popular MP3 player; you can watch movies on them, and there are plenty of 3rd party programs to bypass Apples' inane socialist restrictions for MP3 copying. I’ve seen other players that are much less expensive, work better with PCs, they even have white ear buds. But at the end of those white ear buds lies a sham. A pile of fools gold.

I’m not sure I can even explain this. It’s like buying generic cereal. It tastes very similar, it’s much more reasonably priced, but it comes in a bag, with no propaganda or puzzles, and I know I’m putting inferior coco-bombs in my mouth.

5 comments:

Ando said...

Don't buy into the myth! There are myriad non-Apple MP3 players that are more than equal to the task. Trust me, it starts with the iPod, innocently enough, then the next thing you know you're sticking an Apple sticker on your car and wearing Birkenstocks. Fight the power!

Jeremy said...

Inferior!!! INFERIOR!!! And I suppose the 323,294 viruses that your Windows computer just contracted from touching the internet makes your system far superior to my Apple that hasn't EVER had one... OH.. you frustrate me. And no ando, there is nothing remotely "equal to the task" as iTunes and the iPod are... do you guys like doing things the hard way? 

Pops said...

hmmm, I was just thinking about a pair of Birks just the other day...

Seriously though dude, it's not like you would be heading down a dark path never to return. The "iPod Halo" effect applies only to people who are tired of dealing with spyware and viruses and M$ total lack of concern for fixing the problem. Just because you own an iPod does not make you less of a man as much as it does make you more of a geek. Now what could possibly be wrong with that I ask you. You are welcome to borrow one of mine if you like, but i tossed the white headphone cause they sound like crap.

Peter Brown said...

Chris & Jeremy;

This is a letter of concern from a friend. You both are going down a path I cannot follow. If I did buy an iPod I would never use iTunes, and I would even plug it into my Linux box. I would only be peering through a dim window into the Mac house of death that you both dwell in. I care for both of you, and Mike too, but he likes PC gaming so there is still hope for him.

To answer your question, yes I like viruses. I love viruses, if the only advangate of macdom is no viruses you keep it. I'm a network engineer, and if it weren't for poblems I would be jobless. I send Bill gates a Christmas card every year.

There is counseling, we start by adding a second button to your mouse, then over time, you learn how to use the command line.

Your Friend
Peter

Ando said...

Case in point: you'd end up using phrases like "iPod Halo effect." That's not something you want.

And I havn't had a virus in years, AND I had more trouble with iTunes (yes I did actually try it) than I've ever had with Rhapsody AND the hard way builds character.