Happy iPod Day

Five years since the introduction of the iPod. I didn't quite get it at first, but after watching the demo on Apple's web site, I realized that they were doing two things: a player with the sotrage of a hard drive-based player but the size of a flash player, thanks to new 1.8" hard drive technology (had I considered the usefulness of PCMCIA-sized hard drives before then? maybe...); and the versatility and organizational prowess of the database-driven iTunes interface (music geeks really love organaziation; witness the monologue in High Fidelity on the subject).

A new control scheme, the scroll wheel, was introduced to make the most of the interface. As a plus, thanks to Apple's FireWire standard (USB 2.0 not yet available), there were quick file transfers. There were more subtle innovations, such as the use of a large RAM buffer which meant that the hard drive didn't have to run constantly and that battery life increased from the typical 3 hours for a HD player to 10 hours. There were what must have been fan-service touches, too: the use of the old MacOS system font Chicago for the iPod's interface, and the emphasis on a high-quality monochrome display (a selling point of the original Mac). There were some less-desirable touches reminiscent of the original Mac, too: the high price and "closed box" design.

It was six months before I saw one in the Apple Store in Dallas, and I had to quickly fight the impulse to pull out my credit card right then and there and pay what was then a very large amount of money for me. A clearance Rio 600 (then made by SonicBlue) tided me over, but within a year the price of the iPod had fallen, and combined with student discounts, it made a good Christmas present. It kept me supplied with music all throughout that spring semester at school and through grad school interviews.

It's good that I decided not to get it engraved, because within six months the third generation was released, slimmer and with those nifty touch-sensitive buttons. I talked Nick into buying my barely-used first generation model and traded on up. That one stayed with me through Europe, through lab rotations, long walks to and from Rice, bus rides, and trips to visit Rachal.

Then, a year later, I got a fourth generation model free with my laptop and passed the 3G model on to Lisa. That one got me through quals.

Six months later the Shuffle model was released and seemed like a nice (relatievly) cheap model for me to use in my car, and served well until the release of the Nano six months later, whose larger size, display, and full iPod interface were what I had really wanted all along. I passed the Shuffle on to an internet friend who is probably using it around Thailand and picked up a nano.

Then the new nano was introduced a few weeks ago and fixed a few things I didn't like about the one I had (small capacity and scratchability), so I found a buyer (Angela) and traded up once again to the more capacious and durable new model.

So, five years and six iPods later (yes, I do admit that I have a problem), it's hard to imagine being without one. I can't remember the last time I actually put a CD in my CD player (actually, probably when I had a rental car six months ago). The iPod is a great example of a small, modest technological advancement making life definitively better. Its slow ascent to it current huge popularity almost obscures the modesty of the device itself, but the technology is simple, it's just the execution that makes it worthwhile.

Thanks Steve, and Jonathan, and the rest of Apple for making something that makes a music lover love music even more.