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MP3 Insider Lounge: Is the world a better place with the iPod?
- 10/17/06 11:04 AM
Is the world a better place with the iPod?
by jameskim - 10/17/06 11:04 AM
Or, what would the MP3 world be like without the iPod?
Yes
by Jay M - 10/18/06 9:21 AM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
More iPods mean fewer people on cell phones. At least you don't have to hear the iPod.
well...
by mostel - 10/18/06 1:25 PM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
i would have to say yes!!
From a musician´s point of view, the iPod/iTunes world helped to promote legal downloads..taking some of the users away from Limewire..etc.
2 Different Answers
by tblaschk - 10/18/06 4:25 PM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
The world *of music* is definitely better: you or your favorite musicians can legally and easily share songs or digitized samples with friends and family, and be assured that at least 75% of them will have iPods to tote them around and listen at their own leisure. Then they can go in iTunes and buy most of them cheaply and on the spot.
"The world" though may be another matter: from a socio-anthropological point of view, more and more people are using technology like MP3 players and cellphones to block out the real world in favor of their virtual surround one. Just an audio extension of the visual averting of your eyes and stepping over homeless people in the street. C'mon, people, communication means socializing and sharing on this plane of existence; the digital and internet world should *enable* that, not *replace* it!
It's a mixed bag....
by ktreb - 10/18/06 11:05 PM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
As the owner of more than 2 iPods, I can say my world is definitely better. While some use the iPod/mp3 player to shut people out, I've had the opposite experience. People come up to me and ask what kind of music I'm listening to or to ask/comment about my player. They're not bothering me and I meet new people that way.
I share music with my co-workers by connecting my iPod to portable speakers. Music is a great motivator and I exercise more now that I can easily take my music with me. I like listening to many different kinds of podcasts - technology, languages, travel - it has made the world more accessible (the internet has too).
However, I am mourning the loss of Tower Records. While there were many factors in its demise such as too much debt and competition from big box retailers, the iPod/iTunes(and their "siblings") helped seal its fate. I've purchased thousands of records, tapes, and then cds from Tower and I pretty much stopped all of that once crossed over into iPod/iTunes world. In the nearly two years that I've owned an iPod, I've only bought 5 cds. I now purchase all of my music in bits and pieces from iTunes. I rarely purchase an entire album (This maybe indicative of the type of music I've been listening to lately,that a lot of it is actually crap)
As I look at all my purchased music tracks in my iTunes library...there are hundreds there...from different albums, I wonder if I had instead purchased them from Tower would things be different? I know that I alone could not change things, but I'm sure that there are many people like me. Many people that no longer buy cds, from Tower or any record store.
I went to my local Tower store's going out of business sale and bought a few cds for ol' times sake. The discounts weren't all that great and I could have bought them cheaper online or as downloads. But I realized that buying music online isn't the same as buying it at the record store. I felt a sense of community, from the employees that worked there and knew their music to the customers that were also browsing the aisles. I feel saddened for the loss of this community. And it's not going to stop at Tower. We were already losing the mom and pop shops. And buying from Wal-Mart and Target is NOT the same. One day, maybe now, for some of you, Target and Wal-Mart will be the only places where you can locally buy music. (Well, add Best Buy and Circuit City to that, but they're all the same anyway)
But life goes on and so will I....sigh....
Don’t morn for Tower Records, they failed to adapt.
by RTourn - 10/22/06 11:05 PM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
Apple thou not perfect has innovated the entire experience of listening to music. The iPod made your entire music collection portable. And they brought Podcasting to the masses. Apple did for the longest time, were the ones that championed the .99 cents songs, and 9.99 dollar album, to me its very fair. My expectation of what a portable music device does and should do has changed mostly because of Apple. That is wonderful.
But iPod did promote DRM as the only way to sell music. And now it uses its DRM and its position to keep people coming back to Apple. I guess the only issue I have is the DRM, I wish we had an open source alternative, to iTunes, that would link all these smaller music sites together 
we don’t, but we should.
YES
by mohantiger - 10/26/06 12:49 AM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
I hate the iPod trend. People moan about Microsoft being an evil corporation, but they are just doing a good job. Apple force you to use iTunes, for the same price as an 8GB nano, you can get a 30gb VisionM from Creative that functions as an external hardrive rather than being package with godawful iTunes.
"Hmm... I need quicktime..." Download quicktime... WITH iTunes! Right....
No
by mohantiger - 10/26/06 12:49 AM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
I hate the iPod trend. People moan about Microsoft being an evil corporation, but they are just doing a good job. Apple force you to use iTunes, for the same price as an 8GB nano, you can get a 30gb VisionM from Creative that functions as an external hardrive rather than being package with godawful iTunes.
"Hmm... I need quicktime..." Download quicktime... WITH iTunes! Right....
yes - design that inspires competitors...
by shawnlin - 10/26/06 12:49 PM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
yes - design that inspires competitors..
I think the iPod has awoken sooooo many people to the great marriage of form and function. And in doing so, competing companies now feel it's okay to get out of their tiny box they've been thinking in and feel great about being innovative with their products in whatever industry they're in.
Honestly, the iPod will surely go down as a product that reignited American consumers with beautiful, functional products. It was kinda like ACTAULLY being offered a concept car at a fair price...that just hasn't happened in a loooong time.
yes it definitly is
by infinity2115 - 10/31/06 3:41 PM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
music makes our world beautyful, peaceful and much more pleasant place to live.
Open your heart for me slightly, and I'll open the world for you. - The Zohar http://www.kabbalah.info
RIP my friend
by TomCandler - 4/5/09 8:41 PM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
Indeed a better place. Wish you could see it now...
Regards,
Forex Auto Trader
Believe me...
by make_or_break - 4/27/09 4:28 AM In reply to: RIP my friend by TomCandlerWhere James is he can indeed certainly see it...not that he is likely to care about such trivial things anymore.
That said HOWEVER, personally I don't think that the world is a better place because of the iPod. No worse, but no better, once the sheen of wonder and novelty was worn off. The Touch almost kept me believing, but even that devices versatility is limited because of its need for Wi-Fi. Instead we have endless streams of crass commercialism over each and every iPod...how many bloody speaker system alternatives does the world really need? Or resource-wasting cases? Or any other number of useless (or near-useless) first and third party accessories? While carrying and using one's media is made more convenient, it also allows users to shut themselves out from the world and people around...how is that really better?
NOPE NO WAY JOSE!!!!!
by awsomeblueyes4u48 - 5/29/09 2:34 PM In reply to: Is the world a better place with the iPod? by jameskim
as the viewer of everyperson addicted to the ipod and not knowing what else is out there Id have so heck no. I mean there are other things besides an ipod guys like the S-series walkman, samsung q2, the new zune thats coming out with HD radio and movies, heck even the Archos 5 is better and bigger than the Ipod touch and is better responcive also it could fit in ur pocket, and they don't really support alot of formats, go ahead and call me crazy but i say IPODS SUCK!!!!! and guys if ur into the ipod touch u have a computer u just wasted 230 dollars when u could have used it on something else like food or guitar hero world tour
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