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People Still Using iPods?

While perusing through one of my news feeds, I was surprised to see this headline from 9to5Mac.com: When should we expect the rumored iPod touch?

Was this, perhaps, a lingering April Fools piece?

Now curious, I went to the article, under the not-quite-sure assumption that Apple had stopped making iPods some time ago. After skimming, I was reminded that the iPod Touch is the sole model that Apple still makes, which is going on three years since its last release. While I would not be surprised at the idea that some people still use iPods and iTunes to manage their music, it never occurred to me that anyone out there is hoping Apple makes a new one.

Initially, I arrogantly thought the author, Zac Hall, might be an oddball. Now intrigued, I went on to read the rest of the article.

For some, the iPod touch still serves a sweet spot in the iOS product lineup. For my family, my daughter is still too young for an iPhone and uses the $329 iPad for learning, communication, and some games. The 9.7-inch iPad doesn’t fit in your pocket though (and neither does the 7.9-inch iPad in most cases), so the iPod touch is a fun solution for us.

Unfortunately, the battery inside her iPod touch died last year and I can’t bring myself to replace the old hardware with the same old hardware. The battery is serviceable, but for a $79 fee that could instead be applied toward the purchase of a new iPod touch … if Apple releases one.

The biggest problem with the current hardware (aside from speed) is that it simply can’t support Group FaceTime video calls due to the processor inside. Who knows what future software features will be forgotten when iOS 13 comes around later this summer.

I actually do understand where Hall is coming from. That said, it will be Apple’s marketing research that will decide whether there is enough demand to warrant releasing a new iPod or not.

While I used the iPod long enough to go through two of them (having gotten several years out of each) and enjoyed the portability they provided, I never warmed up to iTunes. I remember a couple of instances where even when I thought I knew what I was doing, I somehow did something to erase all of the music from my device. While the concept of purchasing individual songs for $.99 was a welcome change versus purchasing $12 to $16 CDs, I found the iTunes process of managing music — whether it was music purchased from Apple or my own personal MP3 collection — to be a cumbersome experience.

While I don’t remember when I began using the iPod on a daily basis, I do know exactly when I stopped using it — June 17, 2014, the day I bought my new Honda Civic. At the time, I wasn’t yet fully comfortable going all in with streaming music from my phone, but I had forgotten to include my iPod with the essential items that went from my old Toyota Yaris to the new Civic. After repeatedly forgetting to retrieve my iPod, I reluctantly began playing music off my phone and soon warmed up enough to the idea to go all in with Google Play Music All Access (as it was then called).

The idea of no longer having to sync a device to a computer and use iTunes to manage music was so liberating that I didn’t mind the added $10 monthly expense.

While I’m not necessarily laughing at anyone waiting for Apple to make a next generation iPod in 2019, I do find the idea amusing.

Today, my abandoned iPod is in the house somewhere, most likely in a forgotten drawer. Probably in there along with some forgotten CDs or cassette tapes.

1 Comment

  1. Great post.

    It’s kind of funny, but I was just thinking about the same thing.

    When I go on trips or I’m out hiking or doing other things, I still take my trusty iPod with me. I purchased an iPod Touch a few years ago because of its great and larger storage capacity.

    With 30,000+ titles, none of which I purchased on iTunes, but ripped from my collection, I spent hours building playlists and curating my own music over many years.

    While I didn’t support Apple by spending $30,000 on songs – only for the device, I can still enjoy all of my music off-the-grid and know that the music is my “own.”

    The current way of getting music is terrific as is storing things in the cloud, as well, but I guess I’ve never been a person who enjoys renting a collection of anything and worry about my things being out my possession in a vulnerable atmosphere, owned and controlled by someone else I don’t even know.

    At the same time, my home is loaded with thousands of vinyl records, cassettes, DVDs and CDs.

    I suppose I could never watch them or listen to them all again during my lifetime!

    Decisions, decisions! 😉

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