NationStates Jolt Archive

So, I got an IPOD about a month ago, but since then I've been sort of busy with class as well as other things. Tonight I finally started downloading songs onto it. I've only just begun to put a list of my favorite songs together, but I can already tell that how amazing this is going to be. I don't have to buy an entire album to get one or two good songs. I don't have to listen to radio stations hoping that they don't play a bunch of crap that I don't like. I get all of my favorite songs, one right after another, straight into my ears.

So, this brings me to my question. Where does the MP3 player rank in terms of importance as an innovation?

Honestly, I think it ranks behind most of the major ones like farming, language etc. because it is clearly not a necessity. However, among innovations in entertainment technology, I'd say it's better than anything since the video game console.

Also, any suggestions for songs I should download will be welcome.

It's a waste of money, and thus ranks about the same as the other kinds of consumerist junk on which we are supposed to waste money.

You think it's great now? Get iTube (http://www.benjaminstrahs.com/itube.php). It's a great free program that works like so:

1. Input the URL of a YouTube video
2. Munch on a cookie as iTube downloads, encodes, and imports the video into iTunes

:D

You think it's great now? Get iTube (http://www.benjaminstrahs.com/itube.php). It's a great free program that works like so:

1. Input the URL of a YouTube video
2. Munch on a cookie as iTube downloads, encodes, and imports the video into iTunes

:D

...I love you.:fluffle:

iPukes are okay, I suppose, if you like overpriced, poorly designed fashion objects. I'm more partial to cheaper Hard-drive MP3 players, which aren't just a fad.

I have an Ipod, and its okay, no real big praise to it, it just does its job. I don't use Itunes though, I go to the library to borrow music because its free and they have lots of good ones. Much better than buying music.:)

Sliced bread is overrated in my opinion, but meh. :p

It's a waste of money, and thus ranks about the same as the other kinds of consumerist junk on which we are supposed to waste money.
If by 'waste of money' you mean a product that marginally adds to my happiness more than any other probuct or service at the time I bought it, then my IPOD is one of the biggest wastes of money I've ever spent.

If by 'waste of money' you mean a product that marginally adds to my happiness more than any other probuct or service at the time I bought it,

And you know that how?

ipod isn't even the best mp3 player. Only the most popular.

Ben Franklin mentioned it as one of the top achivements that Americans have made since the revolution, so that's got to count for something.

Either that or Apple paid a large sponcership for the USA Pavilion at Aichi Expo.

And you know that how?
Because, like every other human capable of rational thought and decision making, I have a spectacular talent for knowing what makes me happy. Or at least I'm better at determining what makes me happy than some random third party on the internet trying to dictate that IPODs don't make me happy.

Because, like every other human capable of rational thought and decision making, I have a spectacular talent for knowing what makes me happy.

I doubt anyone, including you, is even aware of all the goods and services that can be purchased in the world for $300, or whatever iPods are going for these days.

I doubt even more that anyone, including you, is capable of knowing exactly how even the goods and services of which they are aware will affect their happiness.

Or at least I'm better at determining what makes me happy than some random third party on the internet trying to dictate that IPODs don't make me happy.

I do not doubt it. Of course, I have never said that they don't make you happy - I said they were a waste of money. There is a difference.

Eh, never used one but then I tend to just listen to what ever is on the radio.

I doubt anyone, including you, is even aware of all the goods and services that can be purchased in the world for $300, or whatever iPods are going for these days.

I doubt even more that anyone, including you, is capable of knowing exactly how even the goods and services of which they are aware will affect their happiness.



I do not doubt it. Of course, I have never said that they don't make you happy - I said they were a waste of money. There is a difference.

First of all, I got my IPOD for around $70 dollars. The 512 MB IPOD shuffle is a much better deal in my opinion, decreasing marginal utility and all. If someone else wants to spend $350 on an 80 GB IPOD, I say good for them. I personally can't find much use for that kind of memory capacity.

Secondly, if I implied that I am perfect at knowing what makes me happy, it is not what I meant. Perfection isn't necessary, however, in order to make my purchasing decisions mostly functional in increasing my happiness as efficiently as possible.

Finally, if a product increases my happiness by more (or at the very least, close to as much) as other purchases of the same price, then I don't see how it could be labeled as a waste of money. And I think I know my own preferances well enough to make a very good estimate of how much happiness a potential purchase will yield, especially when I am making that estimate after having used the product for about a day. (Admittedly, it is quite a bit tougher to make that estimate before using the product and that, of course, is the time when such estimates are most neede.) So I think I can safely say that my IPOD, for me, was not a waste of money.

I have a PDA, it plays music, videos, and allows me to write things. I love it as if it were my child. (Because most other kinds of love are sticky and wet and bad for electronics)

First of all, I got my IPOD for around $70 dollars. The 512 MB IPOD shuffle is a much better deal in my opinion, decreasing marginal utility and all. If someone else wants to spend $350 on an 80 GB IPOD, I say good for them. I personally can't find much use for that kind of memory capacity.

Then, in fairness, I can't criticize you - I intend to do the same thing (I might buy another brand, but the cost and space is comparable.)

I do still think it's a waste of money, but all of us succumb to our consumerist addictions sooner or later.

Then, in fairness, I can't criticize you - I intend to do the same thing (I might buy another brand, but the cost and space is comparable.)

I do still think it's a waste of money, but all of us succumb to our consumerist addictions sooner or later.
You cannot resist power of Steve Jobs' iHypno-beam. It has a lower case 'i' in front of it, it must be cool.

I'll stick with my 256MB P.O.S. that loses power for no reason every now and then rather than get an iPod, they're expensive and require iTunes to move music around... I hate that, also alot of my music is in .wma and I can't be bothered converting it.

They would be OK if Apple didn't hate freedom. But that is the fault of the Record Labels not Steve Jobs.

http://www.jinx.com/scripts/details.asp?affid=-1&productID=456

WTF is so great about sliced bread? It gets stale faster than I can carry it from the local store.

Toasts and certain rye breads are a different issue but normal bread shouldn't be pre-sliced as it only makes it taste worse.

As for IPods - Nothing revolutionary there: It's just another brand.

I admit that other inventions are more useful and have greater impact on society (i.e. computers, pills, etc. . .)

but, with as much music as I own and listen to, the ipod is certainly a wonderful thing.

... they're expensive and require iTunes to move music around... I hate that, also alot of my music is in .wma and I can't be bothered converting it.


A friend of mine who stupidly purchased an iPod recently informed me that it isn't possible for him to transfer music from his iPod onto his computer, due to the potential for file swapping. What a shit deal. I laughed with Great Myrth at his foolishness and proceeded to transfer 20 GB of files from my Creative Zen to his computer.

I don't like the circular control dealy. Why would I move my finger in a circle to scroll up and down?

Oh, and they need to stop making white headphones. It's easier to listen to something in class with black headphones, they don't stnd out against my hair as much.

i severely dislike your poll. the ipod is not the only mp3 player out on the market, you know. not by a long way.

i hate the way a lot of people and the media seem to correlate mp3 = ipod :upyours:
i also don't like the ipod's design, and many other features.

I don't like how "ipod"'s becoming synonymous with "mp3 player". It's not that great, you've just been blinded by the marketing! The mp3 player is an awesome invention, but ultimately not that great of a leap forward. It's just a smaller version of a cd player, sans CDs.

WTF is so great about sliced bread? It gets stale faster than I can carry it from the local store.

Toasts and certain rye breads are a different issue but normal bread shouldn't be pre-sliced as it only makes it taste worse.

Fuck yes! At last, someone who doesn't use sliced bread! Why are people so lazy they can't even be bothered to cut their own bread any more? Also, what's the deal with the ridiculously thin slices in sliced bread? When I eat bread, it's at least half an inch thick.

I don't like how "ipod"'s becoming synonymous with "mp3 player". It's not that great, you've just been blinded by the marketing! The mp3 player is an awesome invention, but ultimately not that great of a leap forward. It's just a smaller version of a cd player, sans CDs.

I'm not sure, but don't iPods use mp4 format now?

Makes you wonder why they aren't marketing the crap out of their 'Amazing new mp4 players.

no. it is just a crappy MP3 player.

A friend of mine who stupidly purchased an iPod recently informed me that it isn't possible for him to transfer music from his iPod onto his computer, due to the potential for file swapping. What a shit deal. I laughed with Great Myrth at his foolishness and proceeded to transfer 20 GB of files from my Creative Zen to his computer.

Oh, Refused Party Program you're quite the rascal but you make a good point; That the iPod is style over substance

I've got Sony NWE-407 (1Gb, Blue). Tranferring software is crap but the MP3 player is beaut. Got about 392 songs squeezed onto 900Mb - 100Mb left for more.

But I'd get an 8Gb iPod Nano if it was really cheap.

Granted it has more functions, but the iPod is really just the evolution of portable music forms, such as the walkman. I'm failing to see why it's so great.

A friend of mine who stupidly purchased an iPod recently informed me that it isn't possible for him to transfer music from his iPod onto his computer, due to the potential for file swapping. What a shit deal. I laughed with Great Myrth at his foolishness and proceeded to transfer 20 GB of files from my Creative Zen to his computer.[QUOTE]

I need to get one of those.

[QUOTE=Saxnot;11796965]I don't like how "ipod"'s becoming synonymous with "mp3 player". It's not that great, you've just been blinded by the marketing! The mp3 player is an awesome invention, but ultimately not that great of a leap forward. It's just a smaller version of a cd player, sans CDs.

Names that are synonymous with things change. Atari -> Nintendo -> Playstation (things will be put right soon). Give it time, soon someone else will muscle their way in somehow.

Ben Franklin mentioned it as one of the top achivements that Americans have made since the revolution, so that's got to count for something.

Either that or Apple paid a large sponcership for the USA Pavilion at Aichi Expo.

Its a glorified walkman, and thats exactly how I use it. Shit man who need a massive HDD MP3 player you only need to take awhat 2,3,4,5 perhaps tops albums out with you for your daily listening pleasure. In fact don't by Ipod, their shit, I got my tiny lil MP3 player a little bigger than a USB mem stick, for £45, and it does all you need a walkman to do.

...you cannot really enjoy classical music (and I'm using classical music because it has the wider range of acoustical frequencies) on portable devices. Sorry, better using a valve amplification system and valve speakers.
Ipod and MP3 readers are little more than toys, like the Walkman was.

...you cannot really enjoy classical music (and I'm using classical music because it has the wider range of acoustical frequencies) on portable devices. Sorry, better using a valve amplification system and valve speakers.
Ipod and MP3 readers are little more than toys, like the Walkman was.

I agree, and at the risk of sounding old. What is it with kids(teens) playing music from their mobile phones, loud on buses etc... It's not the noise that I don't get(shit I remeber well my own teen years) but the shitty tiny quality. Come on I thought teens where meant to be into music, not trying to kill me shit sound qualtiy.

...you cannot really enjoy classical music (and I'm using classical music because it has the wider range of acoustical frequencies) on portable devices. Sorry, better using a valve amplification system and valve speakers.
Ipod and MP3 readers are little more than toys, like the Walkman was.

I agree, and at the risk of sounding old. What is it with kids(teens) playing music from their mobile phones, loud on buses etc... It's not the noise that I don't get(shit I remeber well my own teen years) but the shitty tiny quality. Come on I thought teens where meant to be into music, not trying to kill me with shit sound qualtiy.

I agree, and at the risk of sounding old. What is it with kids(teens) playing music from their mobile phones, loud on buses etc... It's not the noise that I don't get(shit I remeber well my own teen years) but the shitty tiny quality. Come on I thought teens where meant to be into music, not trying to kill me with shit sound qualtiy.

Groups of kids all playing ringtones at once need to be beaten with their phones.

I would gladly buy a mp3 reader if it was able to record from an external microphone (with a jack plug). The mp3 reader/recoders I've seen in stores cannot accept external microphones, you just have to use that lousy one that's embedded in them.

Groups of kids all playing ringtones at once need to be beaten with their phones.

Or maybe we could impale their phones in front of them...:D I'm feeling sadist today.

I've got Sony NWE-407 (1Gb, Blue). Tranferring software is crap but the MP3 player is beaut. Got about 392 songs squeezed onto 900Mb - 100Mb left for more.

But I'd get an 8Gb iPod Nano if it was really cheap.

i've got a Dell Axim PDA with a 4 Gb CF microdrive card. it does the job... would like a bit more space (i had a 30 gig creative zen for years until it died :() but it suits my needs :)

that said, i'd love to get a new creative zen whatever-they're-called with video playback and all that jazz

Or maybe we could impale their phones in front of them...:D I'm feeling sadist today.

This is good. I like you, you die last.

iPukes are okay, I suppose, if you like overpriced, poorly designed fashion objects. I'm more partial to cheaper Hard-drive MP3 players, which aren't just a fad.

I rather like some of the Flash based systems that are available out there as well, espescially the SanDisk stuff. Much cheaper than the Nano, and often times with mroe total storage space, and freedom of action. You don't have to use iTunes to put music onto your MP3 player with these.

1) iPods aren't the best mp3 players by a long way; more software than USB Mass Storage drivers required to transfer stuff to/from the drive? Bin it. Now.

2) Sliced bread is rubbish. Much like iPods.

That is all.

We got my son an iPod "nano". He is pretty happy with it. It wasnt terribly expensive and it holds more music than he knows of so far.
He is 7 and earned it as a reward with exceptional good grades. Its great as it is so small, my only concern is that he could lose it because of that.


Sliced bread ? I never cared that much. Half the bread we use these days is home made and we slice it ourselves anyway.

Sliced bread is overrated, and mp3 players are great but not essential to a happy life or anything. I have an iPod because someone gave me an Apple gift card (what the hell else was I supposed to do with it? I don't have the money to make up the difference between the gift card and the cost of a computer). I do quite like it though, it's been great for listening to music at work.

I got a 2 gig iPod Nano for free from my work, I get fake "money" every time I get a complimentary email from a customer, and I love it.
It holds an incredible quantity of music and the sound quality is very good.
The only thing I do not like is that I cannot convert directly from lossless formats such as FLAC and SHN (I collect bootleg concerts :D ) in the iTunes software.

But I have found it fairly simple to convert these files to WAV and then to AAC using iTunes.

The only problem I have with my new toy is that my 10 yo son wants one of his own and my 2 yo always wants to listen to mine :D