NotTV: So long, iPods

[Bob Jersey]

Apple has ended production of iPod Touches, last iteration of the compact audio storage unit... said CNN, it "makes for a great first iOS device for younger users who don’t need a full-on phone just yet — especially considering it’s more than half the price of even the cheapest iPhone" at around $200...

https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/electronics/apple-ipod-touch-discontinued (link)

Should I be surprised this didn't happen in, say, 2018?

B

[Paul Murray]

Conventional wisdom is "why carry two devices when you can carry only one?"

But I still use an iPod for several reasons:

1. Combined with iTunes, it's still the most convenient way I know to follow a lot of podcasts

2. Reduce battery drain on my iPhone

3. Lower replacement cost than an iPhone

4. Still has a headphone jack, unlike the iPhone -- wired connection has better quality and reduces battery drain

5. While I do have a Spotify subscription, I still like to own my music and not need a connection to play it (yes, I know about offline mode)

(I use a non-iPod for portable music because I prefer the simplicity of loading/managing music via drag-and-drop.)

So it probably doesn't make sense for Apple to make them anymore, but I like using them.

[Diner]

I concur with all your points. 

I still have two iPod Nanos that I use every day. One contains upbeat comedy podcasts that I listen to when I wake up, plus music that I listen to when I do my daily exercises. The other one contains more serious/longform podcasts that I listen to while doing my daily lunchtime walk. (I used to keep that one at the office, but since the pandemic started I work at home 95% of the time. So I ended up keeping two iPods at home, but that works out fine.)

One other thing I like about the Nano (in addition to Paul's points) is that the final version of the Nano (7th generation) has a power button on the side that allows me to easily turn it on and off with just a click of my left thumb, if I hold the iPod in my left hand. I tried upgrading to an iPod Touch, but the lack of that power button caused serious problems - I could no longer toggle the music off and on when I was crossing a street or dealing with loud noises (lawn mowers, overhead planes). I disabled the passcode to make it a bit quicker to turn it back on, but it wasn't a great solution.

Another problem I had with the Touch was its inability to keep a charge. I would charge it for hours, unplug it, and almost immediately it would lose most of its charge. Even though I wasn't running anything. The solutions I found online didn't work. Never did figure that out.

The only thing I don't like about the Nano is that my 2013 Honda doesn't recognize its operating system, so I can't play it there (except through the auxiliary jack, which is not convenient when driving). But since the pandemic I don't do as much driving, so that's not a big issue. These days in the car I listen to music on CDs, or I put podcasts on a thumb drive and play them through the USB connection. 

Paul, what non-iPod do you use for portable music?

[Paul Murray]

My portable music answer is more complex than you might think, because I have a really bad habit with a few products (MP3 players, headphones, computer keyboards) of buying more in an absurd quest for my ideal solution. Anyway, here's the list, all of which use microSD cards because I like to have lots of music with me to choose from:

- Sony NW-A45/L Walkman (out of production) - Probably my favorite right now. Unfortunately Sony's closest equivalent (NW-A55) now runs on Android and draws complaints from users about battery drain, even when its not in use.

- Pioneer XDP-30R (out of production) - holds two microSD cards, so it can theoretically hold up to 1 GB, I think. A little cheesy looking (what I assumed was a removable promo sticker on the front listing its features turned out to be painted on), but otherwise very good.

- Surfans F20 - I'm currently using this the most, not because it's the best (it's not), but it has the basic features I want at a lower price than the Sony and Pioneer, so if I lose it, the pain will be less -- and also just plain lazy habit. It's made of mostly aluminum and is nice and solid, but the worst thing about it is its sharp corners. I've seen a player with what is almost certainly the same guts in a slightly modified case with rounder corners for the exact same price on Amazon: the HIFI WALKER H2.

- HIFIMAN MegaMini - I bought this on sale after reading some good reviews but to be completely honest, I keep forgetting about it, so I don't have much of an opinion. I should use it more. It too has an aluminum case with sharp corners.

- SanDisk 8GB Clip Jam - Small, light, cheap and expandable up to 32GB more (40GB total), these are great aside from the tiny screen not being able to display much information at once, which can be frustrating for navigating folders and files with longer names (as happens with classical music). No Bluetooth, which is not a big deal for me because I prefer wired headphones in most cases. I have a couple of these, which are the oldest players I currently use.

[Doug Eastick]

tangentially related topic on MP3 players.      Over a decade ago I often uploaded photos to flickr.com.      I guess at the time I granted a Creative Commons license such that if someone wanted to use the photos for something, they had to ask me and credit me.    This, in the early days, prompted some tourism websites to want to use my photos.   Kinda cool.

Last month I got an email request from someone that wanted to use my photo (that my child took) of their RCA Lyra MP3 player.   They wanted permission to use it on Wikipedia.   I guess I have now contributed to Wikipedia.

https://flic.kr/p/3WFPs

RCA Lyra - Wikipedia

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[Bob Jersey]

I still hit the Wiki-diki on occasion, often to find spelling errors I promptly fix... I believe I'm north of 400 or 500 corrections there.

Doug, ISTR the Creative Commons thang was the de-fault on Flickr (RIP).     B

Doug Eastick, to Paul Murray, Diner and moi, May 17th:

[Jim Ellwanger]

"RIP"? Flickr is still around. Verizon sold it off to SmugMug in 2018, which probably saved it. (I'm still a "Pro" subscriber there, although I miss the days when I got the subscription free as a Yahoo employee.)

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[Bob Jersey]

I recall Yahoo announcing it was no longer accepting new posts. Smelled like death to me, to the extent odors cross the Net.     B

Jim Ellwanger, to moi, May 17th: