Lifechangers: Episode 1

Technology that has Changed My Life
In a departure from my usual review format, I’d like to discuss a few gadgets that I’ve acquired over the years that have had a profound impact on my life. I don’t need to rate these items on my usual 1-to10 scale. These are all 10+ ratings; I wouldn’t mention them here if these gadgets weren’t stellar devices.

iPod
In December of 2004, I ordered an iPod 4G, 20 GB. This was not my first MP3 player; I already owned a 256 MB iRiver IFP-390T. I was extremely disappointed with the interface iRiver provided. This gave me an especially high appreciation for the power of iTunes. In fact, it was iTunes that made me want an iPod much more than the iPod itself.

Not long after I had iTunes installed and my iPod plugged in, I started ripping CDs, gathering music files, and downloading audiobooks from Audible.com. Soon enough, I had most of my music collection on my PC and on my shiny, new iPod.

Once I was at that level, I soon found myself using my iPod during almost every waking hour of the day. I listened in the car (through a head-unit adapter) on my way to work, I listened all day at the office, and I listened in the car again on my way home. I would also usually listen to the iPod in bed for a while as I fell asleep. Side note: this was the death-knell for books for me; drifting off to sleep to an audiobook (and later, podcasts) proved far more enjoyable than reading. In total, I was listening to my iPod for about 11 hours every day.

For the curious, I still own and use the same iPod, and for almost as many hours each day. It’s working fine, still holds a charge, and has plenty of room for all my music, audiobooks, and podcasts. Sure, I’d love to upgrade to an iPod Touch and have a big, fancy screen to appreciate album art and watch videos. Unless it stops working properly, though, I plan to keep my 4G running.