iPods - what's the point?

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Eyeball
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iPods - what's the point?

#1 Post by Eyeball » Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:40 am

I had to go look up the purpose of iPods again.

OK - so it is a portable device that can download and hold a 1000 tunes. Like your own custom programmed mini juke box that you can carry around with you.

Q is - why would you want to do that? I could see if you were being shipped out or something and would not have access to your collection, but what's the big deal about needing to have it at your disposal 24/7? Cant you just wait a few hours or days or whatever?

It is so odd to hear a decades worth of people getting excited over a device that I have little or no use for. Is it a generational thing, b/c, if so, I find the disconnect between an iPOD user and myself kind of funny and worth exploring.

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#2 Post by fredo » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:19 am

It's the ability to be able to listen to music, radio programs (aka podcasts), and video programs (if you have a video ipod) any time you want.

I listen to mine on my way to work sometimes, or on long bus rides. I don't use it to DJ directly. However, sometimes I'll load up my ipod with music that I want to listen to a little more, and then when I'm listening casually on my way somewhere I can listen for songs that might be good for whatever purpose I'm interested in at the time.

I know it's weird to see so many people checked out from the sounds of the world around them and focused internally, that's why I don't always choose to wear mine -- sometimes I want to hear the sounds of the street, bus, etc. Sometimes I want to listen to my music or a radio show I downloaded.

If you don't know why you'd need one of these, then you're probably not worried about what you're missing. Likely though, if you get one, you'll use it. (assuming you collect mp3s)

Portability and choice are the key to understanding why so many people own mp3 players. itunes is only one of several mp3 players out there...

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Re: iPods - what's the point?

#3 Post by Haydn » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:50 am

Eyeball wrote:I had to go look up the purpose of iPods again.

OK - so it is a portable device that can download and hold a 1000 tunes. Like your own custom programmed mini juke box that you can carry around with you.

Q is - why would you want to do that? I could see if you were being shipped out or something and would not have access to your collection, but what's the big deal about needing to have it at your disposal 24/7? Cant you just wait a few hours or days or whatever?

It is so odd to hear a decades worth of people getting excited over a device that I have little or no use for. Is it a generational thing, b/c, if so, I find the disconnect between an iPOD user and myself kind of funny and worth exploring.
Have you tried one? :wink: ...


Confessions of an iPod Addict

Although I had a musical background AND worked for Apple Mac dealer, I didn't even use a Walkman CD player until fairly late in the day, and only got an iPod after they had become really popular. Now I wouldn't be without it. If it was stolen, I wouldn't want to wait long before buying another one. Here's how I use it:

Periodically I update my iPod with a selection of my music collection from my computer. This will only be some of the music because the iPod won't hold it all.

I go out most days, and walk to the station to get the train, and I travel quite a bit during the day. It's not too stressful, but I appreciate having my own music with me. I either make a new playlist on my iPod before I leave, or, more usually, I press 'Shuffle' and hear songs at random. Having the music helps get me through the journey, and also means I am constantly discovering 'new' music or music that I'd forgotten. I also find that when thinking about DJing music, it's useful to hear a track when in a crowd situation, rather than at home on my own. When I hear it in the crowd, I'm thinking - how would these people react if they heard this music now? When I hear music on the iPod when I'm out, especially in Shuffle mode, some tracks just 'jump out' at me much more so than when I'm at home. Then I can make 'on-the-go playlists' of these songs for further analysis when I get home. I think most of the music I've really got into in the last few years has been as a result of hearing it on my iPod. I think it probably is 'generational' to some extent because people travel a lot more now.

By the way, I use Sennheiser PMX 200 closed neckband headphones, which have good quality sound, and keep the sound private so other people don't have to hear my music -

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Eyeball
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Re: iPods - what's the point?

#4 Post by Eyeball » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:17 am

Haydn wrote:
Have you tried one? :wink: ...


I go out most days, and walk to the station to get the train, and I travel quite a bit during the day. It's not too stressful, but I appreciate having my own music with me. I either make a new playlist on my iPod before I leave, or, more usually, I press 'Shuffle' and hear songs at random. Having the music helps get me through the journey, and also means I am constantly discovering 'new' music or music that I'd forgotten.

I also find that when thinking about DJing music, it's useful to hear a track when in a crowd situation, rather than at home on my own. When I hear it in the crowd, I'm thinking - how would these people react if they heard this music now?

I think it probably is 'generational' to some extent because people travel a lot more now.
No, I have never tried one.

Way, way back in the dinosaur age of personal electronics, I had a "transistor radio", but I found it intrusive even though it would fit (barely) in your shirt pocket and you needed to use an earpiece if you didn't want to use the speaker.

Image

(FM - haha. Mine was AM only, as were most in the 60s.)

When I am out and about, either on foot or in transport, I like to enjoy the sounds and auditory ambiance around me. I find that direct input of music distracts me from the world I am in. Additionally, when I have CDs going in a car, I find that the world is distracting me from my music. I like to be able to focus on my music w/o being distracted by other sounds/noise.

When there used to be big band music on the radio, that was nice to hear on a catch as catch can basis.

otoh - on long car journeys cross country or whatever, I try and bring some cassettes or CDs for entertainment.

But on a day to day basis for 'short hops' - no thanks. I don't need to have my music at my immediate disposal.

And I dont want to carry it or even have to make it part of any equation as to making a playlist, making sure the batteries are charged, etc.
I also find that when thinking about DJing music, it's useful to hear a track when in a crowd situation, rather than at home on my own. When I hear it in the crowd, I'm thinking - how would these people react if they heard this music now?
Now, *that* comment just baffles me! :)

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#5 Post by Eyeball » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:29 am

fredo wrote:It's the ability to be able to listen to music, radio programs (aka podcasts), and video programs (if you have a video ipod) any time you want.

I know it's weird to see so many people checked out from the sounds of the world around them and focused internally, that's why I don't always choose to wear mine -- sometimes I want to hear the sounds of the street, bus, etc. Sometimes I want to listen to my music or a radio show I downloaded.

If you don't know why you'd need one of these, then you're probably not worried about what you're missing. Likely though, if you get one, you'll use it. (assuming you collect mp3s)

Portability and choice are the key to understanding why so many people own mp3 players. itunes is only one of several mp3 players out there...
That's why I don't need it. Because I do not feel the need or desire to be able to access my music or god forbid video and time I want.

I dont collect mp3s b/c I have a huge selection of music on LP and CD. Even if I were 20 y/o it would be more than I could ever properly listen to much less absorb.

For people who seriously want to appreciate music, is this device really in favor?

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#6 Post by fredo » Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:16 am

What do you mean by "seriously want to appreciate music"?

An iPod is just a tool -- it's value depends on how you might use it at a given time.

For example, here at home I carry a cell phone with me 90% of the time I go out, but I don't bring my water color kit nearly ever. When I was studying abroad I never had a cell phone with me, but my water color kit and sketch book were with me 90% of the time. Now that I'm home again, I don't carry my water color kit (regrettably), but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate sketching; it doesn't mean I'm not still paying attention to things I might once have sketched.

I don't think you can measure how "seriously" someone wants to appreciate music based on whether they own an mp3 player or not. It's just a tool -- it may get a lot of use, or rare use, depending on the situation, that's all.

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#7 Post by Swifty » Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:49 pm

I find an odd irony in the fact that you are using an internet discussion board as a vehicle to complain about the failings/disposibility of modern digital technology. You should write an editorial for the evening edition of your local newspaper.
"Dance like it hurts. Love like you need money. Work when people are watching."

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#8 Post by fredo » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:05 pm

make sure to use a typewriter -- it's the mechanism of choice for serious appreciation of written discourse.

[backspace] is for the weak.

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#9 Post by Eyeball » Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:32 pm

fredo wrote:What do you mean by "seriously want to appreciate music"?
I meant "want to appreciate music seriously" meaning not as an adjunct to daily chores as opposed to devoted listening time.

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#10 Post by Eyeball » Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:37 pm

Swifty wrote:I find an odd irony in the fact that you are using an internet discussion board as a vehicle to complain about the failings/disposibility of modern digital technology. You should write an editorial for the evening edition of your local newspaper.
It would be oddly ironic if that was what I had said and done, but I didn't and you have mis-characterized what I actually did remark upon.

In the mean time, I have written out my post on a piece of parchment and I mailed it to you by overland stage. It should be there in about 4 months.

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#11 Post by Eyeball » Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:39 pm

fredo wrote:make sure to use a typewriter -- it's the mechanism of choice for serious appreciation of written discourse.

[backspace] is for the weak.
Tablet and chisel, brother, tablet and chisel. It is the only true way.

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#12 Post by fredo » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:12 pm

Eyeball wrote:
fredo wrote:What do you mean by "seriously want to appreciate music"?
I meant "want to appreciate music seriously" meaning not as an adjunct to daily chores as opposed to devoted listening time.
ok then. I'd say an mp3 player could be favorable to a serious music appreciator. It all depends on what you wanna call "devoted listening time." With nice enough headphones, you can have a good listening pretty much anywhere -- the fact that it's coming out of an ipod does not make it less serious. And I could argue that someone who seriously listens (can hear the music clearly and is not multi-tasking) to their music anywhere they want is in some ways MORE devoted to appreciating said music because they aren't only listening to it at home (or wherever serious music listeners listen to music).

To get back to your original musings, I think the difference between an ipod user and yourself is that ipod users have tried are using ipods and you haven't/aren't. I'm sure if you bought one you'd either find ways to use it, or not; either way it has nothing to do with the ipod's usefulness and everything to do with your chosen listening habits.

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#13 Post by Eyeball » Mon Dec 01, 2008 6:06 pm

fredo wrote:It all depends on what you wanna call "devoted listening time."
I wanna call "devoted listening time" the time that you spend devoted solely to listening to the music and nothing else, excerpt, perhaps sipping a beverage and reading liner notes. You are not eating, talking, dancing, cleaning, walking, biking, etc. You are sitting there or lying there listening to and absorbing the music. To me, that would be "devoted listening" and it is the ideal way for me to listen to music.

(Now let's see if he busts my chops over this one, too. :))

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#14 Post by Eyeball » Mon Dec 01, 2008 6:09 pm

fredo wrote:
I'm sure if you bought one you'd either find ways to use it, or not...
That pretty much covers the spectrum of probabilities. :roll: :wink: :P

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#15 Post by fredo » Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:09 pm

Is it a generational thing, b/c, if so, I find the disconnect between an iPOD user and myself kind of funny and worth exploring.
So it's not a generational thing, it's a preference thing, which you already knew. Did you find this "exploration" funny and worthwhile? Did our descriptions of how people use iPods enlighten that disconnect for you?

Or was all of this just a "I like red, but the kids today like blue! Why would anyone want blue?!"

Your description of how you like to devote time to carefully listen to music sounds very similar to mine and I'm sure many others. I don't think what you described is the only way to seriously appreciate music, in my opinion.

No one is busting your chops here -- you asked a question about ipod usage and you got responses, to which you then dismiss as not meeting your personal standards of what it takes to be a devoted music appreciator. After asking for you to elaborate you reveal that you're not interested in how other people listen to music, you're more interested in telling everyone how you listen to music. So hopefully you're having fun.

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