iPod Domination

Being one of the greater forms of art, music has and is one of the most significant cultural phenomena. It can be used to express anything; words, feelings, a story. It has been around for a very long time, beginning in the primitive ages. But it had never been used commercially until the past five hundred years or so, as far as I know. And now, in the ‘Information Age’, music has taken on a completely new role, because with every new invention, music becomes more and more portable. From the gramophone, to the turntable, to the walkman, to the CD player, finally, we’ve arrived at iPod.

The MP3 was developed and adopted as a standard in 1991 as a format for digital audio encoding. An MP3 lets you compress data, creating a more practical file type. But if you’re a sound freak, this form of encoding isn’t right for you. You would want to use lossless encoding, which allows you to preserve the fullest of a file. On the other hand, MP3′s allow for quick data transfer, as well as more efficient storage, making it perfect for ultra-portability.

Apple Computer Inc. launched the iPod in 2001. Some of the very first models were bulky, box-like devices with a black and white pixelated screen. And after years of production, the iPod evolved. More models were developed and others were improved. Today there are four primary types of iPods in production: iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, iPod Classic, and iPod Touch. Each one has one purpose in common: to play music. But with the innovations of touch screens, WiFi, and mobile video, some iPods (specifically the Touch, Nano, and Classic) allow you to do much more than listen to music. The most advanced iPod of all is the iPod Touch. It, like most other iPods, runs a slimmed down version of the Mac operating system: Mac OS X. And because of that, its capabilities let you do anything, from watching Colbert Report to paying your bills.. And I haven’t even mentioned the iPhone.

I remember sitting in a restaurant about three years ago, talking to my dad about the imminent release of an iPod with a built-in phone, whether it be this year or in a decade. And we were right! In June 2007, the fabled iPhone was born. I, among millions of techies worldwide, was ecstatic. At the time of its release, I was at camp, and when I heard my dad had gotten my mom one.. I couldn’t wait.