Sunday, January 08, 2006

Where Did All the Time Go?

Answer: iPod. All my unstructured computing time I'm spending on the iPod. The blog suffers.

More about that

10 comments:

Matt Dick said...

Hey, being a member of the iCult is time consuming, but iYou wouldn't have it any other way.

Remember, iWe love iYou and only what what's best you iYou.

Unknown said...

What are the members thoughts on the multi-iPod home. I got Susan one for her birthday and while it is big enough for me to have some music on it, I hesitate even though she has offered. I'm worried about things like the inconvenience to her of my music in rotation on "all songs" shuffle and stuff like that. So, where do we stand? Can an iPod be shared? Is it excessive to have two in the household? And would I really want to divert money from the good liquor fund to save for an iPod?

Matt Dick said...

Very good question!

I for one, am very pro-multi-iPod. In fact, I think every family should strive toward a family-member to iPod ration of 1:1.

Seriously, I was thinking about the fact that I now have our entire CD collection ripped to mp3s, and thanks to having the large-capacity iPod, I have it all available to me at all times. I was thinking that if Beth could have access to my computer all the time we could store all the CDs in the basement and clean up the downstairs a bit. But that's going to require a re-wiring project, or moving a dedicated computer over near the stereo, which would look worse than all the CDs there.

So I was thinking aloud about how nice it would be to have a nice-looking, dedicated device and that someone should make one. Then someone pointed out that someone does make such a device -- it's called an iPod. This is what I get for thinking aloud. So now I am thinking of a second iPod to be dedicated as a stereo componant.

But I'm worried that you may have to sacrifice good booze money for it, that's a very, very tough call. No one should be faced with such a choice.

msd

Josh Gentry said...

Good question. Hadn't occured to me yet. Jae hasn't tried to touch it. Partly because of my enthusiasm, probably, but she's also a but of a technophobe.

Matt hits at the heart of a real problem. I had already been planning on putting all our music on the iPod and using it as the main source of music for the stereo. Doesn't work so well if I have it with me somewhere and Jae is home though, now does it?

I think Matt and I's arguments suggest that the minimum optimum number per household is 2.

Matt, I think there are several devices on the market that would wirelessly mount your PC and distribute your MP3's to your stereo, but I don't know if they are much cheaper than an iPod.

Matt Dick said...

Matt, I think there are several devices on the market that would wirelessly mount your PC and distribute your MP3's to your stereo, but I don't know if they are much cheaper than an iPod.

Exactly. We can get another 60gb iPod plus accessories and not have to worry about the wireless fidelity issues, plus the interface on the iPod is pretty good already.

Josh Gentry said...

Exactly. We can get another 60gb iPod plus accessories and not have to worry about the wireless fidelity issues, plus the interface on the iPod is pretty good already.

The interface is cool. What about adding and removing songs and playlists? Would you simply detach it and carry it to the PC. That wouldn't be too bad. Power is the other issue. I guess you'd just get a cradle that plugged into regular outlet? Perhaps one of the ones that gives you a remote control.

Matt Dick said...

Yep, you hit it: we'd carry it over to a PC for updating, and just keep it in a cradle.

Susan said...

For Christmas, Luke brought me a cradle with remote to hook mine up to a stereo. I really liked its functionality but since I like to have my iPod in the car and hooked up to me with a belt clip I have an iSkin for mine and it is too bulky to dock with it on and a pain to take it on and off. We returned it and bought a cable instead so I can just hook it up on the fly.

shadowfax said...

We currently have three functioning iPods. I keep one in my car at all times (excepting short trips inside to load new music), and I have a shuffle for mobile listening (gym, skiing), and Liza has hers. I also have my old 2001-era 1st generation iPod, which I used so much the bearings wore out on the hard drive, but it doesn't work anymore.

I have a line-in jack sticking surreptitiously out of the front of our stereo system and I will often plug an ipod into it to play music loud.

Carlos simply wired his laptop into his home stereo somehow (you'll have to ask him). He did a nice job -- the computer remains in the office and his stereo where it belongs. There are dozens of ways to accomplish that. The simplest is just an audio-out line which costs $20 at radio shack. But then you have to go to the office to change tracks. Apple makes a really cool wireless device called Airtunes which streams music from your wi-fi equipped PC to your stereo and functions as a base station, to boot. It costs $129, but is very cool.

Unknown said...

I have a friend that swears by the Airport Express Base Station (with Airtunes). Apparently the station can also serve as a wireless print server if you plug a printer into its USB port, which is pretty cool.

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