Why do you NEED an iPod?

http://tigerplug.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/why-do-you-need-an-ipod/
So why do you NEED one?

It's a lifestyle choice... just like asking why someone chooses Nike over Reebok - but some reasons people choose an iPOD is simply because it offers the best functionality for a price point, is small, attractive and works with iTunes.

The question should not be about "need" though... it should be about "want".

Honestly ... the wheel click interface and the seamless integration with iTunes.

I don't NEED an iPod, all I need is Food, Water and Air. Everything else is just a convenience.

I think the author is being disingenuous. He says iPod, but the same question could be asked about computers, cars, homes and so on..

Agreed with the other posters. What is it about the iPod that makes me want one? I had a Dell DJ and it was a pretty decent MP3 player. The problem is that it was difficult to get working from the beginning. Once it was working, it became difficult to maintain without 3rd party applications like DudeBox. There was little aftermarket hardware support, so there was no way to integrate it into my vehicle (i.e. work with my CD changer controls) and to be honest, the audio quality wasn't that great.

I wanted to be able to take my entire existing audio library with me wherever I go and the iPod does that. It does it in a very easy to use, easy to maintain way and there are a ton of ways to integrate it with both my home audio equipment as well as my car. There is simply no other large-capacity MP3 player that can do those things without a fuss. I've owned 3 of them now (20GB Photo, 2GB Nano and a 30GB video) and they have all worked as advertised.

baggss said:

I don't NEED an iPod, all I need is Food, Water and Air. Everything else is just a convenience.

I think the author is being disingenuous. He says iPod, but the same question could be asked about computers, cars, homes and so on..

Click to expand...

Well said! this thread can be closed now.

Last September I was given a 1st Gen iPod shuffle (512M) as a gift for being Best Man at a friend's wedding. It was even engraved with my name. I hadn't gone Mac at the time. While the shuffle was an interesting device, I never quite "got it".

In January I bought my MacBook. Over time I becamed enamored of it. I reconsidered the shuffle, and loaded nearly my entire music collection on the Mac. It was easy and didn't take a lot of time. While limited in what the shuffle can do, I found in it my own personal radio station. It was real nice. And yes it was pretty and easy to use. I connect it to the audio system in my car, I use it at work, and occasionally I even use it at home.

Last week I began seriously considering a new iPod. None of the other types of players were even considered. I went to a local Apple store and tested one. It was really nice: very capable, pretty, and easy to use. I settled on a basic Nano, 2G, reconditioned. It's due to arrive by the weekend, and I cannot wait.

Do I NEED it? It makes life a little nicer without making it more difficult.

Is there an alternative if you're a mac user? Are there other players that are compatible? I've never looked, I'v ebeen a staunch ipod supporter from the begining, but my ipod just died and I'm not thrilled with apples attitude that ipods only last a year or two. I paid $500 for my ipod at the time and think something that expensive should last way longer than 4 years. I'd be interested in something else that has the capacity an ipod does for the price and the size. I don't think there is anything out there, but I'd be willing to compare and maybe switch.

RottenApple said:

Is there an alternative if you're a mac user? Are there other players that are compatible? I've never looked, I'v ebeen a staunch ipod supporter from the begining, but my ipod just died and I'm not thrilled with apples attitude that ipods only last a year or two. I paid $500 for my ipod at the time and think something that expensive should last way longer than 4 years. I'd be interested in something else that has the capacity an ipod does for the price and the size. I don't think there is anything out there, but I'd be willing to compare and maybe switch.

Click to expand...

That is a little ridiculous - so far, I haven't had an iPod die on me. What kind of problems are you having with it?

Find me another small 60gb MP3 player that I can carry everywhere with me, is incredibly small for the size, and can hold my entrie collection of cds. Because face it. Carrying a binder with over 100cds in the car is just asking to get robbed.

All credibility and interest I had in that article was washed away when I saw that the author misspelled "title" in the first sentence.

I don't NEED an iPod any more than I NEED a Mac - I chose both of them. My previous music player was an old Creative Jukebox with a 35Gb hard disk, but I chose a 4Gb iPod Nano. I wonder if the author of the article drives a flash car - perhaps he should explain why he NEEDS that.

I don't need an iPod, in fact I didn't even like them a while back - ok let me put it another way - I was sick of hearing about them and seeing them every-where. Then I had a play with one, not too long before I bought my MacBook - and you know what - I liked it, in fact, I liked it a lot.

I bought one - and I love it. They are great - the interface is excellent, I like that it holds all my music, pictures, contacts, a couple of short videos and it all fits into this good looking little unit that I can slip into my pocket - great stuff - wish I'd bought one years ago now.

Last year i decided to treat myself to an ipod shuffle 512mb, i had to save for weeks! since then the ipod craze has grown on me...
I then was given a 6GB sony HDD player, the battery life was apauling so i got a ipod nano 4gb blue for christmas.
This ipod got used everyday but after a while I ran out of space and as i had the money decided to treat myself to the 80GB ipod video.
Im very impressed with it, I wouldnt use it with a windows pc tho, apparently the first batch contained a windows only virus? It was in the newspaper a while back.
It just works perfectly, fits my lifestyle
just like my mac
its a part of me... where i go, my ipod goes!!!

mikeyman said:

I wouldnt use it with a windows pc tho, apparently the first batch contained a windows only virus? It was in the newspaper a while back.

Click to expand...

"Small Number of Video iPods Shipped With Windows Virus"


http://www.apple.com/support/windowsvirus/

... A few reasons.
1. I do not have to carry around hundreds of CD's from home to work and then back home everyday.
2. I do not have to burn a ton of CD's from content I download from iTunes
3. My radio does not get reception where I work. Not clear reception....
4. So my car doesn't get broken into because there is a massive collection of CD's in plain site.
5. Smaller than a CD discman and fits in my pocket nicely.
6. So I can watch "the Office" 24/7.

Bryan

KoDorSean said:

"Small Number of Video iPods Shipped With Windows Virus"


http://www.apple.com/support/windowsvirus/

Click to expand...

funny how a rival computer company had a virus that doesnt affect them isnt it? I cant use my pc online safely at the moment as i dont have sufficent anti virus software, I think i may have installed avg which just about does the job.

"As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it."

I find that statement funny.

i live with music (love it !) and like creativity and style - so iPod it is for me !

cwa107 said:

That is a little ridiculous - so far, I haven't had an iPod die on me. What kind of problems are you having with it?

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first the battery died, so i replaced it and was really happy to have music for longer than an hour again. then the hard drive kicked it.

and apple says it costs $250 to "fix" it.

I don't like the idea of a company that builds a product they know won't last for longer than a couple years. I have know a bunch of people, people who I personally told to buy ipods, whose ipods then died before mine. Ever since apple started making them for the masses, the quality has gone down the tubes.