How the ipod has changed the way we listen to music

by: Ivan Gregor

by Ivan Gregor First it was the Walkman. Then it was the Discman. Now it's all about the iPod (bold). Apple's newest contribution to mobile music has changed, even more so than the previously mentioned, the way that people listen to, and actually enjoy, their music. iPod, in it's relatively young life, has even caught the eye of main stream media and has jumped to "must have" status by being voted into Rolling Stone magazine's "The Top 50 Moments that Changed Rock 'n' Roll". And change it has. Since 2001, when the iPod was created, many different changes have taken place in the area of how people listen to music. We're Really Mobile! Yes, you could go for a nice walk with your Walkman or even take a jog, but it wasn't all that great. Don't even think about it with your Discman. Skip, skip, a little bit of music, skip, shut off. That was the usual drill if you wanted to listen to your favorite CD while doing just about anything. Plus the fact that there really was no where to carry them, comfortably. The iPod is slim in design and very lightweight, only 5.6 ounces. Now that's mobile. All Day Music! It use to be that people would load up a CD in their prized Discman and listen to the same 15 songs over and over and over again. Thank you iPod! Now you can take thousands of songs, approx. 5,000, with you anywhere you go! What a huge difference. iPod can even link up to your Mac or PC to complete control of all your songs and setting up playlists for ease of listening. No More Music Stores! The iPod has made the music store in the local mall obsolete. I've bought more music, and saved more money, than I could have done with hundreds of visits to the music store. With the iTunes sofware, the MP3 playing software from Apple, you can legally download more than 1 million songs from any genre you can think of. iPod Has Made Music Fun Again! I love my iPod. It's amazing that I can have my entire music library on just one little device, take it with me where ever I go, and get new songs any time I want without ever having to leave my house. That's fun. iPod is not only changing music... If all I ever did was listen to music with my iPod that would be enough, but it does a lot more than that. On my most recent trip, where I had to fly for over 8 hours, I brought my music, and a few books with me, all in my iPod. iPod has made it possible to listen to music, or audiobooks, record voice notes, play games, transport computer files, and keep me organized with the built in calenders and to-do lists. My brother asked me the other day to go with him to the music store for a new CD. After I showed him the music I had on my iPod for half the cost, I had to promise to buy him one too just to keep him from stealing mine!