2008 Woodie Awards
Apple's iPod an expensive headache for music lovers
By Robert Allen / Daily O'Collegian (Oklahoma State U.)
Issue date: 1/20/06 Section: Opinion
STILLWATER, Okla. (U-WIRE) -- Everywhere I go, there are people with white cords coming out of their ears. These are important for making others aware of the stylish, superb, cutting edge status symbol possessed by the wearer. Fancy the iPod. The power of this gadget is staggering.
Less than 10 years ago, a portable music player that could hold 15,000 songs ($15,000 worth of iTunes) seemed inconceivable. Now these things can even play videos. It's like something from "The Jetsons" or "Total Recall." I got one last semester. It just holds photos and music, though. I still feel cool. It goes everywhere with me. I am always just a couple of clicks away from escaping the bland simplicity of reality.
However, some of the iPod's omnipotence faded once I had one of my own. Although the people at Apple want us to believe their products are flawless, they don't make them well enough to live up to my standards. Most of the people I know who own iPods have said the same thing. They freeze up. They conk out. They do strange things that my CD player never did, bad things. Mine went through a stint when it would move through a track in less than half the time. Most complaints are concerned with iPod batteries. Those things are notorious for having problemsIf you are thinking about purchasing an iPod, I recommend you Google "iPod complaints" first. The results are staggering. In addition, my experience with iPod accessories has been one of loss and frustration. The pair of headphones that came with my iPod became so full of static over three months that I had to smash them on my coffee table one day on the way to a tough exam. It felt good. I replaced them with a spiffy, $39 pair of Apple iPod In-Ear Headphones. Surely, at a higher price than a new Sony Walkman, these cutting edge headphones would bring me months of happiness. I was misled once again. Even though they are packaged complete with three sizes of "caps," none of them would stay in my ear through one song without falling out. I even tried jamming one in so deeply it hurt. It soon slipped out. Those now rest somewhere under my couch. Instead, I use a simple pair of Sony Behind-The-Neck headphones, which were less than half the price of the others. The first accessory I bought for my iPod was an iTrip.
In fact, it's what got me excited about iPods when I first learned of their transcendental virtue. Once again, those schmucks let me down. The piece of white plastic that was supposed to broadcast my favorite beats to the radio sent signals wrought with irritating fuzz. I programmed in the settings that allowed me to switch between stations. Changing stations proved more complicated than expected, nearly costing my life on the turnpike. After a series of close calls and curb checks, none of the stations gained any more clarity. Finally, my iTrip gave out completely. It stopped working on all stations. In a moment of impulsive exasperation, I bit my iTrip. Then I smashed it on the floor. Thanks a lot, Apple.
Less than 10 years ago, a portable music player that could hold 15,000 songs ($15,000 worth of iTunes) seemed inconceivable. Now these things can even play videos. It's like something from "The Jetsons" or "Total Recall." I got one last semester. It just holds photos and music, though. I still feel cool. It goes everywhere with me. I am always just a couple of clicks away from escaping the bland simplicity of reality.
However, some of the iPod's omnipotence faded once I had one of my own. Although the people at Apple want us to believe their products are flawless, they don't make them well enough to live up to my standards. Most of the people I know who own iPods have said the same thing. They freeze up. They conk out. They do strange things that my CD player never did, bad things. Mine went through a stint when it would move through a track in less than half the time. Most complaints are concerned with iPod batteries. Those things are notorious for having problemsIf you are thinking about purchasing an iPod, I recommend you Google "iPod complaints" first. The results are staggering. In addition, my experience with iPod accessories has been one of loss and frustration. The pair of headphones that came with my iPod became so full of static over three months that I had to smash them on my coffee table one day on the way to a tough exam. It felt good. I replaced them with a spiffy, $39 pair of Apple iPod In-Ear Headphones. Surely, at a higher price than a new Sony Walkman, these cutting edge headphones would bring me months of happiness. I was misled once again. Even though they are packaged complete with three sizes of "caps," none of them would stay in my ear through one song without falling out. I even tried jamming one in so deeply it hurt. It soon slipped out. Those now rest somewhere under my couch. Instead, I use a simple pair of Sony Behind-The-Neck headphones, which were less than half the price of the others. The first accessory I bought for my iPod was an iTrip.
In fact, it's what got me excited about iPods when I first learned of their transcendental virtue. Once again, those schmucks let me down. The piece of white plastic that was supposed to broadcast my favorite beats to the radio sent signals wrought with irritating fuzz. I programmed in the settings that allowed me to switch between stations. Changing stations proved more complicated than expected, nearly costing my life on the turnpike. After a series of close calls and curb checks, none of the stations gained any more clarity. Finally, my iTrip gave out completely. It stopped working on all stations. In a moment of impulsive exasperation, I bit my iTrip. Then I smashed it on the floor. Thanks a lot, Apple.
