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sisabetI no longer want a Roomba for Christmas. Now, all my desire has been overtaken by the Video iPod. I cannot believe the amount of mental brainpower that I have spent fantasizing about having one of these things. This is brain-time I could have spent on Ray's Annoying Social Worker Girlfriend and instead I am thinking about how my life would change if I had a singular piece of electronics.
I blame America's consumerist culture and I am here to say - I do not need an iPod. I want an iPod. But I want many many things. I want a season six for Angel. I am used to not getting what I want. I do not need an iPod. I need a lot of other things. I need to make my student loan payments. I need to buy new linens for my bed. I need to replenish my savings. I need to travel more and worry less. I need to eat better food. I need new shoes.
I actually do need new shoes. I confronted my mismanagement of funds and compulsive clothing shopping last year and now I am proud to say impulse buying of clothes, makeup and shoes are currently at a 25 year Liz Low. My brown suede Chinese Laundry loafers are about to bite the dust. I've worn them steadily for 4 years now so I need desperately to either replace them - or reheel them. I can't decide. The shoes were somewhat trendy back in 2001 when I got them so they possibly look dated. The suede has held up remarkably well considering how much I have worn them but even so - I just can't decide if they are worth reheeling. Except they are extremely comfortable. I can't replace these shoes with just anything. So I actually need to either repair them or replace them.
I don't need an iPod. Even if it is sleek and black and slim and will play videos. I don't need it. It is a car payment plus insurance. It is a week at Vividcon (including Kennel fees). Back when I was a kid - I looked at money in Barbie units. $10=1 Barbie Unit. 1 60gig Video iPod = a gazillion Barbie Units.
So, I am making a list. I'll be checking it twice. For the purposes of this list, it matters not if I have been naughty or nice.
Reasons NOT to buy an iPod:
1. Four years ago you had never heard of an iPod. How can something go from not existing to essential for you existence in four years?
2. CDs are FUN! They have nifty plastic containers that break in the most interesting of ways and sometimes Sid decides to chew up "Fug-ee-la" in a fit of self preservation and you have to just love that story. And liner notes! You love reading liner notes. If you had an iPod, it would separate you from your CDs.
4. How would you know that you are on a roadtrip if not for the box of 80 CDs in the back seat? Heh - you people who have never traveled with me only think I am joking.
5. If you had a video iPod, you would wreck your car.
6. Or wander off into traffic.
7. Or walk into a wall.
8. If you had a video iPod, someone would just steal it. This would then be just one more mark on your soul because you won't be able to keep the anger out. Then you will trust humanity in general just that little bit less and what if that little bit causes you to make a decision that you wouldn't have made otherwise? These things change you, whether you want them to or not and is it really worth all the existential angst for a tiny bit of plastic that plays music (and video!)?
9. On chilly winter days, when you are late for work and the car windshield is coated in ice and you can't find a scraper? CD covers will do in a pinch. If you had an iPod, you would be sooo fired.
10. You have no organization skills whatsoever. The process of making playlists in iTunes escapes you. If you had an iPod, you'd end up listening to a lot of "Alabama" because they will come up first on the list and while the click-wheel is supposed to be intuitive, so are those third eye posters.
11. When you listen to music, it tends to be one song, on repeat. Why do you need to spend several hundreds of dollars to listen to one song?
12. Do you know what kind of stereo you could get with that kind of dough? Dude, you could have a turn table. DUDE! You could have TWO turntables and a microphone! YOU COULD HAVE A SECOND CAREER.
13. Imagine the yarn versus iPod scale.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
falzalot could knit a blanket that warms the world. Awwwwww. It would be like Hands-Across-America only warmer and not lame.
14. You are really happy *not* watching Desperate Housewives right now, thank you very much.
15. What if you broke it? What would you name it? Would your iPod want to vid likerenenet's does? Do you even have room in your life for yet another pretend personality? I bet your iPod's favorite Jim Croce song is "Operator" and when you call it a Pussy (cause it IS) it will take it all wrong and sometimes there is just no talking to some mp3 players. But "Operator" is a pussy song and Croce's best work is "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" closely followed by "Don't Mess Around with Jim" and I am sorry but this is just true.
I thought so.
I blame America's consumerist culture and I am here to say - I do not need an iPod. I want an iPod. But I want many many things. I want a season six for Angel. I am used to not getting what I want. I do not need an iPod. I need a lot of other things. I need to make my student loan payments. I need to buy new linens for my bed. I need to replenish my savings. I need to travel more and worry less. I need to eat better food. I need new shoes.
I actually do need new shoes. I confronted my mismanagement of funds and compulsive clothing shopping last year and now I am proud to say impulse buying of clothes, makeup and shoes are currently at a 25 year Liz Low. My brown suede Chinese Laundry loafers are about to bite the dust. I've worn them steadily for 4 years now so I need desperately to either replace them - or reheel them. I can't decide. The shoes were somewhat trendy back in 2001 when I got them so they possibly look dated. The suede has held up remarkably well considering how much I have worn them but even so - I just can't decide if they are worth reheeling. Except they are extremely comfortable. I can't replace these shoes with just anything. So I actually need to either repair them or replace them.
I don't need an iPod. Even if it is sleek and black and slim and will play videos. I don't need it. It is a car payment plus insurance. It is a week at Vividcon (including Kennel fees). Back when I was a kid - I looked at money in Barbie units. $10=1 Barbie Unit. 1 60gig Video iPod = a gazillion Barbie Units.
So, I am making a list. I'll be checking it twice. For the purposes of this list, it matters not if I have been naughty or nice.
Reasons NOT to buy an iPod:
1. Four years ago you had never heard of an iPod. How can something go from not existing to essential for you existence in four years?
2. CDs are FUN! They have nifty plastic containers that break in the most interesting of ways and sometimes Sid decides to chew up "Fug-ee-la" in a fit of self preservation and you have to just love that story. And liner notes! You love reading liner notes. If you had an iPod, it would separate you from your CDs.
4. How would you know that you are on a roadtrip if not for the box of 80 CDs in the back seat? Heh - you people who have never traveled with me only think I am joking.
5. If you had a video iPod, you would wreck your car.
6. Or wander off into traffic.
7. Or walk into a wall.
8. If you had a video iPod, someone would just steal it. This would then be just one more mark on your soul because you won't be able to keep the anger out. Then you will trust humanity in general just that little bit less and what if that little bit causes you to make a decision that you wouldn't have made otherwise? These things change you, whether you want them to or not and is it really worth all the existential angst for a tiny bit of plastic that plays music (and video!)?
9. On chilly winter days, when you are late for work and the car windshield is coated in ice and you can't find a scraper? CD covers will do in a pinch. If you had an iPod, you would be sooo fired.
10. You have no organization skills whatsoever. The process of making playlists in iTunes escapes you. If you had an iPod, you'd end up listening to a lot of "Alabama" because they will come up first on the list and while the click-wheel is supposed to be intuitive, so are those third eye posters.
11. When you listen to music, it tends to be one song, on repeat. Why do you need to spend several hundreds of dollars to listen to one song?
12. Do you know what kind of stereo you could get with that kind of dough? Dude, you could have a turn table. DUDE! You could have TWO turntables and a microphone! YOU COULD HAVE A SECOND CAREER.
13. Imagine the yarn versus iPod scale.
falzalot could knit a blanket that warms the world. Awwwwww. It would be like Hands-Across-America only warmer and not lame. 14. You are really happy *not* watching Desperate Housewives right now, thank you very much.
15. What if you broke it? What would you name it? Would your iPod want to vid like
renenet's does? Do you even have room in your life for yet another pretend personality? I bet your iPod's favorite Jim Croce song is "Operator" and when you call it a Pussy (cause it IS) it will take it all wrong and sometimes there is just no talking to some mp3 players. But "Operator" is a pussy song and Croce's best work is "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" closely followed by "Don't Mess Around with Jim" and I am sorry but this is just true. I thought so.
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no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 04:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 05:14 pm (UTC)Actually, if instead of buying a video iPod or a roomba, I could use that money to hire a truck and movers and get a bigger apartment and *then* I could totally have a cat.
And if I had a cat - I wouldn't need a roomba or an iPod because Theoretical Cat and Sid would occupy all of my time.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 04:32 pm (UTC)But you'll discover you're wrong.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 04:45 pm (UTC)Roombas are great. They can actually vacuum under stuff a regular vaccuum can't reach and they have a way of finding those invisible corners that are full of clutter and pointing them out to you with a polite little "uh-oh" noise.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 05:06 pm (UTC)Your faith in my knitting ability, while greatly appreciated, is stunningly misplaced. :->
The iPod that I bought? I never used, and ended up selling. The iPod that my company gave me I actually do use, but not enough to justify spending money on one if it broke or went walkabout. Be strong. Besides, if you wait a couple of years, the next-new-thing will blow this one away. :->
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 05:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 05:32 pm (UTC)If you need further dissuading in terms of the video aspect -- and I can understand why you'd be drawn to that -- here's an article on how the new iPod isn't quite ready for primetime (http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/ipod-ready-videos-not-so-fast-and-not-so-clear/). (Until I read that, I was myself tempted to buy one, because of my insane weakness for gadgets. Incidentally, I want a Roomba AND I want a Scooba (http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/robots/irobots-scooba-129856.php). Damn iRobot and their shiny new toys!
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 05:45 pm (UTC)But - then I need to just look on the brightside of CDs.
The article you reference is the ONLY negative thing I have yet to see about the new player and since it is mainly upset about easy conversion, I'm not concerned. I spend my free time playing with codecs - I'm certain I could figure it out. Or someone smarter than me will figure it out and write a step by step tutorial.
And, my knees are weak, did you say SCOOBA??
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 06:37 pm (UTC)And, yeah, Scooba! Given I could only use this in my miniscule kitchen and bathroom, it's not a purchase I can justify, but OMGIWANTONE.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 10:05 pm (UTC)And yeah - a used iPod would be a good thing. I guess... BUT VIDEO!!!!
no subject
Date: 2005-10-24 08:16 pm (UTC)Learning to search for songs is easy enough, and mine has the feature to jump to a particular letter of the alphabet while searching by artist, title, or album. (Or going to artist and then picking songs or slapping an entire album into the playlist.) Admittedly my playlists start out as lists created in my MusicMatch Jukebox (I have a Dell player, not an iPod) and then as I get the mood to hear a certain song or artist I'll add them and the new MP3s tack on to the end of the list, but starting out via the MMDJ makes it easier to hunt up songs or put them in a certain order. (e.g., listening to all the tracks off a newly purchased CD in the order they appear on the album, rather than the alphabetically-by-title the MP3s get sorted into.)
So, yeah -- might want to hold off on the video iPod and let them work the bugs out (and also let the codecs or video-iPod-specific content start to be developed) and maybe pick up a cheap used lower-capacity MP3 player just to see what kind of a user you actually are in the real world while you're waiting on video 2.0 to come out.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 05:37 pm (UTC)Like the internet?
;)
Sun
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 05:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 05:52 pm (UTC)know what you mean.
Sun
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 05:55 pm (UTC)Really, you want this (http://www.apple.com/powermac/) maxxed out.
Just click on that link to the store and put in the 16 gigs of RAM, and the Terabyte of SATA harddrives, and Final Cut Express HD preinstalled, and writhe in the throes of video edit lust.
And then look at the price tag.
And then go buy a viPod.
Really, as an Apple shareholder, I'd be delighted if you did. :)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 06:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 06:20 pm (UTC)Except, what do you need a stereo for when you have a video ipod? Hook up some fancy speakers (or some pretty ones, like these that have a remote and everything) and you've got your own personal jukebox.
(Except, yeah, no turn table.)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 06:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 06:21 pm (UTC)And now, the video iPod. God. *whimper*
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 06:45 pm (UTC)::dazed brainwashed look crosses over face::
Seriously... iPods are awesome, regardless if you need one or not they are so much fun, because all your music is just. right. there. If you are listening to something and suddenly you have this devine inspirtation for something else, you have your other song right there with you. It's great.
Also... there are video iPods now? Really?
::wants::
Consumerism is *not* my friend.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 07:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 09:37 pm (UTC)I watched this documentary a few days ago about how advertisements convince you that you just will not be happy unless you have their product.
In the case of the iPod, it is totally working.
Although, I'm not loving the iPod Nano. It's too small. I was in the Apple Store yesterday ( I'm an addict. ) and I saw the Nano and you know, I'd break that thing. It's smaller than my cell phone and *so* thin. I'd crack it in my purse. Or worse. Lose it.
That's just *wrong* in my opinion. Nothing that holds *that* much music, should ever be that small.
Regular iPod or the iPod mini ( which is what I have ) is totally the way too go. Although... this video iPod intrigues me.
Hmmm....
no subject
Date: 2005-10-22 04:53 am (UTC)Dude, I'm totally happier now that I have my iPod!
It's evil, but true. Starving children in China, etc etc, but so! Much! Music!
Also, I think I'd be much happier with a 60 GB iPod. I wouldn't have to worry about not having a song because I just took it off in order to add more songs! Worry is bad - just ask Bobby McFerrin, it's the anti-happy.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 09:19 pm (UTC)P.S. If you did not receive an email from me today, let me know. I have an irrational fear that it may have been blocked due to its content.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 10:07 pm (UTC)But I appreciated it boy-howdy!
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 11:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-22 04:46 am (UTC)Great. Now I have to hook up the turntable. I hate you.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-22 04:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-22 09:01 pm (UTC)Which is not to say you should buy one. I think you should wait until they're better, stronger, faster, and less likely to break. Also until the video is better quality (although I don't see how they'll ever get past the whole 2"-screen issue...).
no subject
Date: 2005-11-22 07:46 pm (UTC)But it is a large fondness, indeed.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-22 11:01 pm (UTC)