New Meaning to "Total Recall"
Published August 20, 2003
Total recall from a singing head:
- I'm sure you've seen a lot of tech-savvy people smugly showing off that new hunk of entertainment hardware, the iPod personal stereo. Well, I might not have the scratch to get one, but frankly, I don't want the white-corded wonder. I have my very own iPod--in my mind.
I hear those little things carry up to a month's worth of music. Well, so does my mind. I can call up any song I've ever heard, any time I want. And I never have to load software or charge batteries. There are no firewire cords or docks to mess with. I just put my hands behind my head, lean back, and select a tune from the extensive music-library folder inside my brain.
Thirty gigabytes? So what? I know 7,500 songs, maybe more. Some songs, I forget I even have until they come around on shuffle. Why, just the other day, my mind started playing David Naughton's "Makin' It," a song I hadn't heard in years. And the sound quality was great!
Easy downloads? You don't know the meaning of the word "easy." And I don't have to know the meaning of the word "download." You may get MP3s off the Internet, you smug scenester, but I can get music off the television, the radio, even a passing ice-cream truck. If I don't want to waste the memory space on a high-fidelity copy, I just don't pay very close attention. Now, that's what I call convenience.
All I have to do is hear a song once or twice, and it's stored forever.... [The Onion]
- New Meaning to "Total Recall"
- Published: August 20, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Sci/Tech
- Filed Under: Sci/Tech: Internet, Music: News
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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Comments on this articleComments
Well-put and very true, but the story is a total fabrication, of course.
Right now I carry a Mini Disc player. It will hold 5 hours on one disc but it is such a hassle to get the song onto the MD without spending another 200$ to upgrade to the PC MD. So now that school has started I am looking for something light weight to tote around that carries alot of tunes that can be easily transferred from CD or Computer in a fairly reasonable amount of time, less than that of the actual song.
Oh yea and it needs to be cheap...Any suggestions?
Dew, when I bought my first iPod, right after the release, it was a 5GB and sold for $499. There was a 10GB gifted to me later. I believe its price point was $399 for twice the space. I currently have the 20GB that preceded Eric's 30GB. It was also priced at $399. Considering the price history of the best MP3 player in the world, I believe the $475 price for the new Mac and Windows compatible 30GB iPod is fair.
Besides, as a student, you would get to use the educational discount at your school or the Apple store, reducing the price by at least $30.
Also consider that the iPod is really a hard drive. All of the data from your computer can be backed up to your 'Pod, saving you the cost of an external hard drive for backups (a minimum $249).
Another incentive? You will get a free subscription to a computer magazine when you register your iPod, saving you the $6.99 or so per issue news stand price.
In summary, I believe the iPod is a bargain. And you will love it.
Thanks MD, I was hoping someone would answer Dew's question. ihave no experience whatsoever with MP3 players, though I have played one on television.
Thanks MD for the advice. When you lay it out like that it does seem like a good deal and the back up drive is a major plus.
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Like a computer, the brain contains only so much storage space. If you continue to clutter said space with every commercial jingle and ditty you overhear, you will soon find yourself alone in a parking lot, keys in hand, scanning a sea of unfamiliar vehicles, wandering the endless rows, but happily whistling the haunting new commercial for Stay-Free Maxipads.