iPod - Say Sayonara - Dead at 21 years old

[Dr. Drib]

My 13 year-old unit still works, but I haven't used it in years.

Adiós, old friend.

[ApK]

For those of us that tend to avoid reading any news, this is what the Dr. is referring to:

Final refrain for iPod as Apple stops production

If you still want an iPod Touch (for some reason) you can buy them while supplies last.

[Quoth]

Plenty of good mp3 players still made and none need Apple's Cloud software or iTunes host software to put music on them.
Even the HDD on that version had encrypted boot. You couldn't use the HDD in anything else and you had to buy an iPod compatible one if it failed.
No loss. Always walled garden and overpriced.
Also iTune's per track selling of Albums was contrary to what artists wanted and almost destroyed the concept albumn.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ipod

And loads of inaccuracies: https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...after-21-years

It was the first product to make a serious profit for Apple after Steve Jobs returned. Apple nearly went bust in 1990s and was bailed out by Microsoft!
Apple's second serious profit product was the iPhone.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Also iTune's per track selling of Albums was contrary to what artists wanted and almost destroyed the concept albumn.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ipod

Piracy had more to do with this than anything else. People were tired of the practice of bands putting out albums with one or two singles in a batch of meh songs.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Piracy had more to do with this than anything else. People were tired of the practice of bands putting out albums with one or two singles in a batch of meh songs.

That was true for some bands. But it was deliberate Apple and Publisher policy to sell 99c / 99p per track. Last time I looked (ages ago) you had to buy all the tracks and download separately. A CD was cheaper for an Album.

The peak MP3 piracy was per track because:
1) It was piracy
2) Many people still on 19K to 56k dialup, charged at normal call rates
3) People NOT doing piracy bought & ripped CDs. Control over quality.
4) All of this was before iTunes launched on Mac which was maybe a year before the iPod was launched. The iTunes & Apple marketing made iPod quick success, not the user interface or technology or price.

I had to set up a load of Win98 computers for people that bought iPods 2001- 2002 because Apple didn't supply software. Also I think iPod initially used Firewire (which is superior to USB, esp then but was killed for domestic use by royalty costs. No royalty on USB. There later was a security issue with Firewire, but USB HID is worse!).

I still occasionally buy CDs. I had an mp3 player then Archos 4.8" pmp with 120 Gbyte or 160 Gbyte HDD. Phone made it obsolete. I got an emergency rechargeable FM-VHF/AM-MW-SW radio with torch. New for €12 two weeks ago. It plays SD card MP3s too.
I've three working phones with 32 G SD cards good for MP3. I use Musicolet as the player as it does audio books; it "remembers" last location on all files.
Christmas time we put the playlist on one of the PCs with a little FM transmitter (sold to play phone/mp3s on car radio, legal) and any FM radio works. Normally two cheap low power Sat boxes feed those.

[tubemonkey]

Apples last iPod, the iPod touch lasted this long only because it was an Apple product. If you weren't wedded to Apple's ecosystem, a $20 pre-paid Android phone was just as capable as an MP3 player and at a fraction of Apple's outrageous prices.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Apples last iPod, the iPod touch lasted this long only because it was an Apple product. If you weren't wedded to Apple's ecosystem, a $20 pre-paid Android phone was just as capable as an MP3 player and at a fraction of Apple's outrageous prices.

Have to disagree on the 'only' part. One of my favorite pieces of tech is my iPod Touch. It's the 7th gen, and two years old, so I have some time left with it.

It's a small tablet. Perfect size for me, and I can slip it into a pocket, toss it in my purse, wear it on a lanyard, stick it in my bra, and push on with my day. (Depends on my mood and what I'm wearing. Most women's pants don't have pockets you could put a paperclip in.)

I even read on it, watch tv, listen to podcasts, music... It's small, works well, and can do just about anything my ipad mini's can do.

Anymore, I'm used to the stuff I actually like and use getting phased out. I'm going to be really bummed when it dies.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Apples last iPod, the iPod touch lasted this long only because it was an Apple product. If you weren't wedded to Apple's ecosystem, a $20 pre-paid Android phone was just as capable as an MP3 player and at a fraction of Apple's outrageous prices.

Isn't it just an iPhone without the phone? More or less the same iOS and everything? If I were an Apple sheep I'd just buy an iPhone.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by hobnail

Isn't it just an iPhone without the phone? More or less the same iOS and everything? If I were an Apple sheep I'd just buy an iPhone.

For the storage I get, it'd be more expensive. I have an iphone, but save it's storage and power for emergencies. We got my son one for Chrismas a few years ago, because he uses his iPhone for work, (as does hubby) and he had problem running the iphone battery down during the day. Now he can keep his music/podcasts running and not have to worry about his iphone lasting all day.

I have a iphone 13 now, and when it's time for a new one may keep the old one for just tablet use. But it's not nearly as easy to carry around as the touch. And by then I'd probably have to put in the extra cost to have the battery replaced.

Although, I don't think it's about being a 'sheep'. There's nothing wrong with loving something that works for you. And while I do have eInk devices I read on, there's nothing wrong with Apple.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

Have to disagree on the 'only' part. One of my favorite pieces of tech is my iPod Touch. It's the 7th gen, and two years old, so I have some time left with it.

It's a small tablet. Perfect size for me, and I can slip it into a pocket, toss it in my purse, wear it on a lanyard, stick it in my bra, and push on with my day. (Depends on my mood and what I'm wearing. Most women's pants don't have pockets you could put a paperclip in.)

I even read on it, watch tv, listen to podcasts, music... It's small, works well, and can do just about anything my ipad mini's can do.

Anymore, I'm used to the stuff I actually like and use getting phased out. I'm going to be really bummed when it dies.

Cheap Android phones do the same thing.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by hobnail

Isn't it just an iPhone without the phone? More or less the same iOS and everything? If I were an Apple sheep I'd just buy an iPhone.

Yeah, it is.

The Android version of an iPod touch is a non-activated Android phone. Cheap and just as capable.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by hobnail

Isn't it just an iPhone without the phone? More or less the same iOS and everything? If I were an Apple sheep I'd just buy an iPhone.

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Yeah, it is.

The Android version of an iPod touch is a non-activated Android phone. Cheap and just as capable.

If you're in the Apple/iTunes camp, the main difference is purchasing a new iPhone to use as a player is far more expensive. Probably more than the iPod Touch.
Android, you can get a capable one off the shelf at Walmart or Target for, what, $40?

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Cheap Android phones do the same thing.

I've had cheap Androids, phones and tablets. They were all 'Meh' and had their own problems.

I like what I like, or I wouldn't pay for them. I'll stick with Apple for exactly as long as they do it for me, thanks.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by ApK

If you're in the Apple/iTunes camp, the main difference is purchasing a new iPhone to use as a player is far more expensive. Probably more than the iPod Touch.

Depends on how much storage you want, but yes, the Touch is hundreds cheaper than an iPhone. Plus, they're smaller than most iPhone models.

Starter price on the Touch was about $199.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

I've had cheap Androids, phones and tablets. They were all 'Meh' and had their own problems.

I like what I like, or I wouldn't pay for them. I'll stick with Apple for exactly as long as they do it for me, thanks.

And I'll stick with low-priced devices - $100 laptops, $30 Fire Tabs, and $20 Android phones.