iPod 

Ode to my iPod

ok, I got an iPod for Christmas. It rules, and I will tell you in detail why. I was never interested in an MP3 player because I don't like headphones so I saw no use for them. I was wrong. I also got a little transmitter thing that clips to the top. It broadcasts the iPod to any radio station set to a specific station (mine is 87.9 FM). So now I can play the iPod in my car, on my home stereo, and at work (on my little radio I have at my desk). So I used to be a mess, because I have hundreds and hundreds of CDs... and they are everywhere around the house and in my truck. I also am currently using 3 different CD sleeves for roadtrips that hold 50 Cds each. The iPod has rendered ALL of this obsolete. Right now I have 3758 songs loaded on it, which takes up about 70% of the available 20 gigs. Using a formula of 12 songs per CD, I have 313 Cds loaded on my iPod.

It is what I have wanted to do for years. Get rid of all my CDs and have a centralized server type system for all my music. Now I have that, and it is the size of a deck of cards. No more looking for Cds, dealing with scratched CDs, or looking through jewel boxes wondering where I put which Cd where. So I guess I have another 100 or so CDs I can load on it... but the bulk of the work is done. If we assume the average song is 3 minutes, I have 187 hours of music on it already. I think that will do the trick for the 12 hour drives I do to Arizona twice a year.

I initially wanted a new CD player for my truck, one that would play MP3s... so I could I listen to continous music without switching CDs every 40 minutes. That would have been $200. I certainly don't need that anymore either. I have fluctuating music tastes, and so was making mixed Cds a couple of times a week to accomodate my mood. I no longer have to do any of that either.