Why I hate the iPod (updated)

by blogrdoc

The idea of having those earbuds plugged into my brain is my idea of torture. I think it’s a great recipe for turning off your brain. I could see the value for infrequent use, but all too often, I see people abusing it like drugs. I *love* music. I love folkie-rock music with strong beats. I’ve got a cardboard bankers box of CD that I keep in my car (probably at least a couple hundred CDs). I just don’t think music was meant to be fed directly to the ears. It should be felt and made to reverberate throughout the whole body. If I don’t feel it, there’s something missing.

After I wrote this post, I wondered if this would be a breezy, unrelated post - but then, as I went to check the categories, I surprised myself on how many they were related to. I know music has taken the brunt of the assault on authentic experiences to be replaced by glorified, cheaper substitutes. Food is another (e.g. veggies - $.5-$1.5/lb, meat $2-3$/lb, processed food like cereal - $4/lb.) I wonder how many I just am unaware of and how many more there will come.

I used to work at a major IT/printing company and I’ve seen how their products will be used to advertise to the masses. Be prepared.

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  1. 2 Responses to “Why I hate the iPod (updated)”

  2. By Sam on Feb 23, 2008 | Reply

    While I agree that music sounds much better live, I disagree with hating on the iPod, or any mp3 player for that matter.

    The iPod can do so much more than play music. In fact music is what gets played the least on my iPod. Audiobooks and podcasts are the content of choice found on my iPod. I find my iPod is a great resource for listening to this type of material while walking between classes.

    In regard to your comment about the iPod being a great recipe for turning off your brain, I believe it is the complete opposite if your listening to an audiobook or podcast. Unlike music, audiobooks and podcasts require active listening. They require that you concentrate on the content to be able to understand and follow what is being said.

    The iPod has allowed me to branch out from just reading books. Instead of finishing a book every week or two, I can now go through 2-3 books every 1-2 weeks. This has also allowed me to read, or listen, to more nonfiction content that I may have not had the focus to just sit down and read.

    I would have to title this “Why I Love the iPod”.

  3. By blogrdoc on Feb 23, 2008 | Reply

    @Sam,

    all objections sustained :)

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