Hardware Analysis - This editorial is very trollish

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Jason Snyder — 2005-01-29T21:22:15-05:00

I got bumped into the other day by this sorroity girl who was talking on her cell phone. She was so disgusted that I didn't get out of her way. I was, at the time, engaged in conversation with my friend and we were both on the sidewalk. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, but I assumed she saw me as well, and since there is enough room on the sidewalk for three, I figured she would take the side instead of continuing in the middle. I guess what I'm trying to say is there are just too many people with electronics attached to their heads around anymore. Now, I'm 20 years old, and I have had an mp3 player, even gone as far as to have those large bulky high quality headphones covering my head like earmuffs (they are warm). It seems like the world just isn't quality enough without a soundtrack and commmentary anymore. Kinda like we're voluntarily putting ourselves into a matrix of sorts, plugging ourselves into the electronic world and experiencing less of the "real" world. like some new cars these days that have heated seats and bose suspensions, all designed to make you feel absolutely nothing at all. I guess happiness lies in having no sensation at all, no body, even. Ah! Buddhism!

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Sean B — 2005-01-29T14:31:13-05:00

Podcast?

Wtf is Apple doing to you people?

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Jack A — 2005-01-29T14:16:32-05:00

Hey, Sander doesn't like music. So what, some people don't. He may also not have a need for a very high capacity (1 week non-stop per 10 gigs) voice recorder. He may also not really be into listening to audiobooks while driving, nor be into listening to podcasts or educational courses. These things are not for everybody and he should be entitled to be into what he is into and not have to just be a lemming and use what everybody else is using just because it is prevalent or trendy or fashionable.

Personally, I really like music and the iPod changed my music life. I got one before they became a fad and it really added a new positive element to my life. I have my entire music collection with me wherever I go now and listen to music much more because of it. I also have tried out Audiobooks and like them for while driving very much and have found the voice recording feature very useful for reviewing lectures, etc - especially since I have it with me anyway for the music. Recently I have begun getting into Podcasts and (altho there is a lot of garbage too) there is some of the most cutting edge content on the internet being served up sometimes. I think podcasting is going to continue to increase and will become even more useful as time goes on.

Why the iPod? Because it is the best -especially when you throw in that it works with the iTunes Music Store which is also the best thing in its class out there. I am not so wealthy that I can always afford to buy the very best in the world in a category very often but with the iPod, I can. And it feels really good.

Re: This editorial is very trollish

pecan Bery — 2005-01-29T00:36:46-05:00

I dont understand buying an apple ipod. seriously, i have a 256mb creative muvo or something like that, i bought it for $100. I have over 20GB of music and obviously i cant fit all of it onto my small nasty mp3 player, but why would i need to? i probably listen to it for 2 hours at most a day. in that time i can listen to every song once then if im sik of the songs when i get home i just put some new songs on. i could have bought the exspensive ipod but there wasn't a need to wen u think about it smartly. the only time i find it annoying is when i go for 6 hour car trips.

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Scott Steely — 2005-01-29T00:02:07-05:00

Mr. Sassen the individual that walked up to you at the convention you were attending and asked you the question, clearly had bought into the hype behind the iPod. He strikes me as an individual that kisses ass and does what others do. He seems like the type person that wants to appeal to his boss and hopes that the iPod is the way to do it. I personally might have convinced a few people to buy an iPod but never argued with a person that doesn�t think they need one. And, I am sure that probably a large portion of iPod users don�t even know what 40 or 60gigs is and how amazing it is that it can fit in a portable player in your hand.

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Rory Witham — 2005-01-29T00:01:42-05:00

LOL MP3 Ipod's,

I thought I would sell these on my site, so I put two on there, and all the rest were other brands, like the larger storage ones and the lower priced ones.
Most sales pitches is to cause a hype about some thing media is a powerful thing which is why the UK house prices rocketed. Would you buy this:
This music player has large storage space and has a pretty case, alot of people are being betten and stabbed when they use them in a public place. The batter quite often will not play the full content on the disc, there is limited out puts to the mp3 player which also is locked to play only files from apple or the quick time websites. how ever everyone will want one forcing the prices higher, this item cost $50.00 to make, how ever you can have one (when there avialable) for 5 times the amount.

See reality dont really sell (possibly where I am going wrong ) but there are other players and there will be a few new things comming out like mini personal DVD players that use mini DVD's there is also PVP or PVR which have a 3.5 colour TFT and a 20 Gig HDD with a 10 hour batery life.

I mean, how many of you still have tapes lying about, get a walkman, and a few rechargeable batteries.. when you drop it of the bus, or it gets ran over when your dashing acorss the road - you wont care so much, you may find that no one will stab you for it! If you that sad get some MP3 Ipod head phones to plug in . so it just looks like you have one.

Get a good sound card and speakers cuz you always using your compter or bus doing something else.
NB spare batteries from the walkman for wireless product when they run out!

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Albert Crocker — 2005-01-28T23:58:06-05:00

lol

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Eric Piercey — 2005-01-28T23:50:42-05:00

You say it like an air of superiority in an -editorial- is a bad thing. =)

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Albert Crocker — 2005-01-28T23:35:38-05:00

Just because a product happens to be considered "cool and hip" by many people doesn't mean that it isn't functional or valuable. And before you start decrying those who buy things for other that purely functional purposes, take a look at some of the sigs on this and any other hardware forum. A lot of folks are interested in showing off their benchmark scores and their latest-generation, ultra-expensive, uber-exclusive PC components, even if their *real world* computing results are a mere 5-10% (if that) better than products that cost half as much. The PC hardware geek crowd (of which I am a member, I admit) is just as susceptible to HYPE as Apple customers. Or most any other group, for that matter.

I didn't find the article "trollish," though it does have an air of superiority about it (as in: "I am more intelligent and discriminating than *those* people...")

Re: This editorial is very trollish

PCGEEK — 2005-01-28T23:15:11-05:00

I own a Ipod 40 gig to with the wireless FM adapter for auto. Got to say I love this thing. I can finally have enough space to save all my songs. I have already filled up 30 gig of it. About 7500 songs. I have never been a fan of mac. But it think this product is priceless. Mac has been dying off in the computer market but with new products like these we might see them around for a long time yet.

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Scott Steely — 2005-01-28T22:39:59-05:00

I�m going to say this is a touchy subject here, but as an owner of a 40gig iPOD I would like to interject. I have been collecting MP3s now for more than a few years and I have more than double the amount of gigabytes worth of MP3s then will fit on my iPOD. The first generation mp3 player held only a few songs, and I just laughed because why would I want to put 20 songs on a player when I have more that 10,000. I will admit that there is way too much hype behind Apple�s iPOD, and I will admit that I am in Apple�s target demographic audience but I still would have purchased it if it were a spray painted shoe box with wires hanging out. Not because �all the cool kids have it� because I can fit 5,000 of my favorite song on it, and because of the attachments I can plug into it, like an adapter for my Alpine CD player in my car and the FM transmitter that can play on any radio. But � if you don�t listen to MP3 or you don�t have a large collection of digital music, then you really don�t have a need for an iPOD.

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Sander Sassen — 2005-01-28T22:06:41-05:00

Kevin,

That's a bit of a stretch don't you think? It isn't like walking into a job interview with an iPod will magically raise your chances of being hired. Arriving there properly shaved and dressed in suit and tie most certainly will. That's about as far apart as these things are, so that kind of voids the point you're trying to make. I'm not saying the iPod is useless, it undoubtedly does what it needs to do properly, but you can't ignore the hype around it that, like any hype, sells more iPods than would normally be sold purely for its usability alone.

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Kevin Poehlmann — 2005-01-28T22:00:34-05:00

Definition:

Marketing - Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.

They key part of this is "delivering value to customers"

The iPod has succeeded because it delivers value to people on many levels.

It delivers value on the performance side because it is the best product for playing digital music files, and iTunes is the best at organizing music files. It is also a good value as a portable hard drive for storing files.

However, the part you seem to have a problem with, the iPod also delivers value to many people because of the social status its ownership implies. While you may find it foolhardy for people to make buying decisions on this basis, you ignore the reality that much of what YOU do every day is about signaling social status, such as living where you live, driving what you drive, shaving, showering, wearing clean clothes (probably somewhat fashionable for the time) etc. Unless you are homeless and unemployed, you do these things, and if you choose to live in the nicest house you can reasonably afford, live in the best accomodations you can reasonably afford, and wear the most fashioable clothes that are within your budget.

So, if having an iPod provides value to someone, whether because they have a genuine desire to listen to music or just want it as a fashion accessory, how is that much different that all of the other economic choices people make every day?

�

Re: This editorial is very trollish

[GB]Link — 2005-01-28T21:46:17-05:00

Same here. Mac are good at what they are meant for, editing, Games? windows.. networking? linux, correct me if im wrong..

Also, I was offered an iPod, for christmas. I also didnt want it. I llike my mini-disc and it dosnt look like a big piece of plastic. that, and I dont even have 20gig worth of music. It is trendy, and it is hip. I know someone who bought it just because its hip, JUST. she couldnt even tell me what a gig was. she just knew hers had '20'. Then she was all "its so easy" user friendly sucks. heh

power to you sander

Re: This editorial is very trollish

Eric Piercey — 2005-01-28T21:44:22-05:00

I agree with the author wholeheartedly. I use Macs everyday both at work and home and have absolutely no use for either an iPod nor a mini. I have however talked to people who are dumfounded that I find the iMac preferable in every way to the mac mini. They go on about how it's cheaper and smaller never pausing to consider the cost of all the externals needed to make it practical, the 32mb video card, nor the limited RAM expandibility.

You know what the mini Mac is, if anything? A gateway drug to a dual 2.5 GHZ G5. The iPod is totally cool for what it is- but I have no use for a travelling juke box. I'm old and stuff.