Full Circle

A little less than two years ago or so, my wife had an itch for an iPod. It was insatiable. Despite any logic I could promote, she still had a want for one. Eventually, my logic won her over.

However, many friends and workmates of mine have this device, and from news reports and advertisements, it's become very clear that it is a famous and "revolutionary" device. I, of course, place that last adjective in quotations because I find it a suspect term. I mean, is the iPod really all that revolutionary?

Some of my friends tell me, 'It's great, because you can load SO much music on it'. Well, that may be true, but exactly how much of it do you ever listen to? I have an mp3 player in my car, I keep at any time about 5 disks full of albums in an attempt to condense them. I admit, it is very convenient to have them all on just a few disks at arm's reach. However, I have listened to about 5 or 6 albums in the last 4 or 5 months on those disks. It's great to have them at your disposal, but how much do they actually get used?

After this usage of the iPod, it all goes downhill quick. Other friends assert, 'You can put all of your music on shuffle--it's totally random! You don't know WHAT you're about to get'. Growing up, we called that a radio. And sure enough, I listened to an oldie-variety station on the way to work this morning and got that EXACT same feeling. In fact, I get to hear songs I don't technically own that way as well.

Another argument: 'It's a portable means of carrying all of your songs with you'. So's my walkman. Sorry to say, but this technology has been around some 20 years as well. Not too innovative, sorry.

Sure, iPods are great, albeit increasingly shrinking in size. Soon, we're going to all have to wear reading glasses to choose our Journey album of choice... er... well, THE Journey album that we own. (Seriously, who has anything other than just their Greatest Hits?) I'm not taking potshots at the product--I think it has its virtues. I'm just simply saying that it's not the revolutionary device that most people think it is. At best, it's a convenience upgrade.