Did you ever own an iPod?

[Anonymous]

A - No

B - Yes — BUT I DON’T still have an iPod today (the iPod/s I owned was/were thrown away, and/or lost or stolen, etc.)

C - Yes — And I STILL HAVE at least one iPod today

Updates

+1 y

UPDATE 1: For those who provide/have provided an opinion, please also cast a vote in the poll

Updates

1 y

UPDATE 2: Thanks for responding to this question and voting in the poll!

See the following Wikipedia link (and especially note the “History” and “Models and features” sections of the article)…

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod

[libsaretards]

I had the ipod classic. It was the first thing I bought with my first paycheck when I was 16. This was in 2009. I had it all the way through my military career up to my last day of service in October 2015. It just died one day in August and would not charge. However, I started using Spotify that month and would have sold my ipod on my last day in the military anyways if it continued to work.

The ipod was my last link to my past outside of family members and was a reminder of everything I went through from High School to that point in the military. It was my coping mechanism but I wanted to rely more on God at that point. I was not happy at that point with my past and saw the end of my military career as a new beginning so it was my plan on the day of my discharge to get rid of ANYTHING to do with life before and during the military.

On October 12th, 2015 at 11:50 pm, I went to a lake on base for the last time with my ipod. I reflected on EVERY moment of my life from the day I got the ipod to that present moment. I prayed with God to give me the strength to let go of my horrible past and start life brand new with my return to civilian life.

At exactly 12 midnight on October 13th, 2015, I threw my ipod into the lake then went back to the Barracks for the final time, where my shipmates threw me the biggest party we ever had in the Barracks as my final sendoff. At 2am, we ended the party, got my last box of stuff from the Barracks then my closest shipmates drove with me to my new apartment and we partied a little more until 6am. We quit drinking then and they escorted me back to base, waited for me to get my DD214, then at exactly 11am October 13th, 2015, they escorted me off the base with the loudest rendition of "Anchors Aweigh" they could play on their speakers. I stood outside the gate until the song ended, then did an "about face" back to my car and started my life as a US Navy Veteran. I've never owned an Apple product since.

[Asker]

Thanks for the nice story.

I bet you have the most dramatic [polling vote B] “the iPod I owned was thrown away” experience for the people who voted in the poll to this question.

Usually someone hates it when their technological device doesn’t work, but your device malfunctioning fit in nicely with your plan to leave your old life behind and begin anew.

Thanks for your service. I’m glad you received a going away party & memorable sendoff, and hope you’ve had a peaceful & fulfilling life since leaving the military.

[libsaretards]

Life after has been crazy. Up to a year ago I missed it and wished I could go back, but at the turn of this New Year there was a part of me that realized the military I loved does not exist anymore and I do not want to be a part of this new military.

[MrOracle]

No. I have a much better Sony device that accepts micro SD cards, and holds my entire music collection. It also has a much better DAC.

I have never bought into Apple's walled garden, except I was forced to buy an iPad for my business. Everything about Apple products and all of their proprietary formats and connections and accessories rubs me the wrong way.

I am a mobile DJ on the weekends, and I do wedding ceremony audio - often in a different location than the reception - so I needed a simple, dedicated music player that was small. I also sometimes use it as a second audio system (with large powered speakers) at some events, so having a small, easy to transport, easy to build Playlists, and can hold all my music, with no notifications to cause interruptions was important.

Otherwise, it's harder to justify a dedicated device today.

[Asker]

You have a Sony device—ok.
And you are a mobile DJ—cool.

How big is your music collection that is on your device—how many albums/songs?

[MrOracle]

My current collection is around 48,000 songs - very few complete albums; they're mostly singles. Roughly 25,000 are "catalog" songs - stuff that is from the 1940s and newer but still gets play on the radio or in movies, TV shows, and commercials all the time - and roughly 20,000 are the last decade of singles released to radio (stuff that I get from my DJ music subscription), but to be fair, the vast majority of this music never really became hits. I get 400-500 songs a month from my subscription, and maybe 10 of those songs are still important 3 months later, and 2 of them are important 12 months later.

[MrOracle]

[Asker]

48,000 songs—wow!…how much data is that (like 350 terabytes)?

And how many “common songs” would you say that you usually play at each of the different wedding receptions that you DJ at?

[Asker]

Just seeing the device pic you provided now—vey nice.

[MrOracle]

My collection fits on a 512 GB Micro-SD card. I'm going to have to start deleting some of the subscription music - I'll have to go through and move the songs that I'd actually play to my "catalog" collection, and delete the rest from 9 and 10 years ago, because no one will ever want to hear most of that stuff again. The thing is, I typically only play 150-200 songs on a 4-5 hour gig, but even if 100 of those are songs I play a lot (and they are), I'm always going to get requests that aren't common, and while I won't play everything people ask for, I do try to fulfill most reasonable requests. Also, surprisingly often, people will spring some surprise on me - recently at a dinner party, the host wanted to play a Musical Chairs game that I wasn't notified about in advance - so you have to have a deep catalog for special purposes. Another gig had a "surprise" (to me, anyway) dog show, and I quickly had to dig up dog-related songs to play. Another parent hired me to do a 50's "Grease" themed birthday party, but then the birthday girl (16 years old) had dance/performance routines to a few 80s rock songs that they asked me to play - and I had them. These weren't dance songs at all - Kansas's Dust In The Wind was one of them - but I had the song. As a DJ, these unexpected requests and "surprise" themes and sub-events are all too common, and you are a hero if you can satisfy those requests, and a goat if you can't. I *specifically* state in my contract that people should notify me IN ADVANCE about such special requests, but it doesn't matter - people, even guests - come up with ideas at the last minute and just expect me to figure it out.

[MrOracle]

Other requests: "play a bunch of Salsa - our friends from Panama are here." "My boyfriend is a huge reggae fan - do you have any authentic reggae music?" "My 82 year old dad is a big fan of 60s Country - can you play some danceable country songs from that era?" "Can you play circus music? We're having a clown for the kids." "We'd like to do some square-dancing for an hour - do you have square dance music?"

Some kid who only has music from the last 5 years of Pop/R&B radio is going to crash and burn with these crowds, but I can usually find things to make them happy. That's why I get work from high-end customers.

[Asker]

Wow, so interesting that you “try to fulfill most reasonable requests” and are so well prepared with your extensive catalog for “surprise” requests!

[Asker]

Regarding your 48,000 songs fitting on a 512 GB Micro-SD card, sorry about my very ballad math I did…

I had checked my phone and saw that I have like 4000 songs/30 GB of music on it, and I then did some very quick (and incorrect) math and I (incorrectly) multiplied my 30 GB of music by 12,000 (duh! 🤦‍♂️) instead of correctly multiplying my 30 GB of music by 12; and a conversion app that I have says that 360,000 GB = 351.56 Terabytes…when in actuality 30 GB x 12 just equals 360 GB, which would fit on your 512 GB Micro-SD card. Lol

[Asker]

* very bad math

[MrOracle]

I started DJing in 1986, so I have had a lot of time to learn the kinds of challenges that I am likely to face, and I do what I can to manage them, but I still can't accommodate every request. I do a lot better than most, though.

[Asker]

36 years DJing—wow!

I like how you just sort of summarized why you’re so sought after.

Although I’m sure you’re very well-known and word of mouth is what really brings in the $ (especially in the high-end customer circles), I think you should put what you just said (plus a little of what you said above) on your professional website & into your promotional ads — something like…

I’ve been DJ-ing for 36 years so I’ve had a lot of time to learn the kinds of “special request” challenges I am likely to face at customer events, and I do what I can to manage them and I have a very diverse & deep catalog of songs to meet your music needs.

In addition to today’s music & the music you grew up to, do you also like Salsa, or Reggae, or 60s Country? Or are you maybe having a “50's ‘Grease’-themed birthday party” or a “clown for the kids”?…Well, I probably have great music for you to enjoy and dance to.

Notify me IN ADVANCE about the special requests you have, but when I’m working for you if you or your guests come up with last-minute music ideas & requests I’ll do my best to figure it out for you and help make your event amazing!

[CurlyGirl42]

I had one, a green nano with my own inscription of choice <3. But it someday just broke. I still have it around, just because it is so small and does not really take up any space.

Would still use it if it worked. I use my phone, but I think it is smart with a small device just for music. When I am out and about I often just want to listen to music. I don't need the other functions on the phone as much xD

[Asker]

Ok. Sorry that your nano broke and that you can’t use it 😔

[Kkstarzz96]

I owned an iPod shuffle, I can't believe I thought the ipod touch was like the best thing ever made. Like I knew if I ever got one, life would be made. Here we are where that product probably created the smart phone. And now I hate Apple lol

[Asker]

What’s the difference between an iPod shuffle & iPod Touch?

And regarding “smartphone” - see the following link…

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone

…and especially note these sections of the above article:
- Forerunner
- PDA/phone hybrids
- Early smartphones
- Form factor and operating system shifts

[Kkstarzz96]

The iPod shuffle is this little square with a play button and you'd have to download from your computer on the iTunes store to the shuffle. The touch is where you could access the iTunes store on it and buy directly from it onto your touch and the fact there were no buttons it was all touch screen. This was that long ago where having no physical buttons was the future. The touch was so expensive, but it's basically as expensive as the iPhones today, only with no phone features.

[Asker]

Ok thanks so much for that information!

So did you never own a Touch because it was so expensive?

And what brand of smartphone do you own now—maybe a Samsung?

[Kkstarzz96]

Yeah lol

[MuddyMole]

Nope. Apple stuff is a ripoff.
I had an Archos portable MP3 player instead.
I also had a very fancy portable cd player. It could play MP3 cds, which was very rare at the time, and made it possible (and affordable) to carry around massively more music than you could on any portable MP3 player (back then they could only hold a few gigabytes) - and uniquely, if you plugged in a TV, it could play video files and image slideshows too. It was a great little gadget, but sadly didn't like sand/saltwater...

[RobT312]

Yes I still have a few, but I don’t use them anymore. One of them sits in the garage connected to a portable speaker and I have a clip on that I used for running... used to love both of them, and I remember my parents having one of those big old white ones

[Asker]

Ok cool. Where do you store and listen to your music nowadays?…maybe an iPhone?

[RobT312]

Yup, iPhone and Apple Watch

[SnakeBoop]

Yes. I have a tiny OG little square where the skip button doesn't work. I've had to buy a replacement charging cable for it too. Its scratched and well love and was my companion for many school bus rides and horse riding days.

[Asker]

So it kinda works but just doesn’t have all its functionality—ok.

I’m not familiar w “OG little square.”
…Is “OG” the brand, and “little square” the device name?

[SnakeBoop]

its the Ipod shuffle, I googled it for the name haha, its literally the tiny square without a screen display.

[Asker]

Oh ok. What does the abbreviation “OG” mean?

[SnakeBoop]

Meant to mean original, although I realised my shuffle was not in fact one of the first models so please ignore that haha

[Asker]

Oh oh, no problem.
Which iPod model do you have?

See the “Models and features” section of the iPod Wikipedia article…

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod

[Asker]

* Oh ok

[AviatorTom]

Several years ago, I had an iPod mini loaded with my favorite songs. I listened to its music on my daily train commute to and from work. I changed jobs so I no longer commuted by train, stopped using the iPod, and eventually lost it.

[Asker]

How much music did you have stored on it?

[AviatorTom]

I think I had about 30 songs on it.

[shaysh87]

I'm 26, yes i owned an ipod when I was 12, back in the late 2000s, brings back a lot of memories. Its something these 20 yr old little kids would likely have never owned.

[Asker]

Ok. I never owned a digital music device until I got my first iPhone.

So you’re 26, huh? Your profile says you’re 31.

[shaysh87]

if you're 45, you come from a generation where they owned pagers.

[Asker]

Yeah, in the 2000’s pagers were a big thing (especially for medical & business people).

I looked pagers up, found out that they hard been around like 50 years before that…

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pager

“The first telephone pager system was patented in 1949 by Alfred J. Gross.

One of the first practical paging services was launched in 1950 for physicians in the New York City area. Physicians paid US$12 per month for the service and carried a 200-gram (7 oz) pager that would receive phone messages within 40 kilometres (25 mi) of a single transmitter tower…”

[Rainbowpearl]

No, I think it's pretty useless
Never got its purpose
You can listen to music on your phone, right?

[Asker]

Well yes, nowadays, but there was a time when smartphones that played music (and for that matter, mobile phones/cellphones of any type) didn’t exist.

For example:
The initial iPod release date was 10/23/2001.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod

And the initial iPhone release date was 6/29/2007.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone

Also:
“The first production-volume portable digital audio player was The Audible Player (also known as MobilePlayer, or Digital Words To Go) from Audible. com available for sale in January 1998, for US$200.”

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_media_player

[jamesgoldman]

Yeah bought it used for £20 without a charger and that last owners music, it was my introduction to rap

Had it a few years then got an iphone 3GS so sold it

[Asker]

How much did you sell it for?

[jamesgoldman]

Think £12 or £14

[Aerissa_Jade]

Never bought one, but was given one from a work lottery, which I gave away... since I don't like Apple.

[Asker]

Ha…hmm 🤔

So do you consider that you have “owned” an iPod (for that temporary amount of time)?

And did you vote A (or B) in the poll to this question?

[Aerissa_Jade]

I did have it long enough to know iTunes sucks rocks, so owned it for a week or two. B

[Cherry234]

I still have one or two iPods that I used that are lying in my apartment somewhere. I don't know where they are. I don't use them anymore though.

[Asker]

When did you get it?

And why didn’t you just get an iPhone (or play music on a different phone that you might have had)?

[Cherry234]

The one I have in my apartment now I have had for at least 5 years. I don't remember exactly when I got it. One of my cousins originally owned it and gave it to me. And I actually do have an iPhone now.

[Asker]

Oh ok.

[BCRanger10]

Yes, but it's been a very long time. At least since 2014.

[Asker]

How did you vote in the poll to this question—B or C?

[BCRanger10]

Option B.

[TheUniqueOne96]

Yeah, I used to have a 4th Generation iPod Touch 8GB.

[Asker]

How did you vote in the poll to this question?

[TheUniqueOne96]

I voted B.

[ChrisMaster69]

Yeah have a couple, also still have a touch and 2 x Nano

[Asker]

I never owned an iPod.
I just played CDs at home until I got an iPhone.

[ChrisMaster69]

I could spend 6-8 months away from home, CDs were not an option

[Asker]

Because of your military training/deployments, or what?

[ChrisMaster69]

Pretty much yes

[Asker]

Just remembered that I did own portable Walkman-type music-player knockoffs.

[Aquariusmystery]

I had an iPod shuffle then an iPod touch (I don't know what generation)

[Asker]

If those were NOT given to you, why were they purchased instead of just putting music on a smartphone?; is it because at the time you didn’t have a smartphone?

[Aquariusmystery]

They were given to me so unfortunately I can’t answer that. But I didn’t have a phone and was obsessed with music like my dad so my parents got them for me

[Asker]

Your parents probably got you iPods instead of a phone because they weren’t ready yet to get you a phone.(and/or phones were too expensive).

[Aquariusmystery]

Most likely. I was about 8 when I had my shuffle

[Echosoul]

No. I don't have an Apple anything, chiefly due to inflated costs. I had a tiny MP3 player roughly the dimensions of a Sunmaid raisins packet.

[elduderinosupreme]

I owned one for about 6 months. I wasn't a big fan. I went back to my psp.

[Asker]

So you voted B in the poll to this question?

[TrillXHippy]

I don’t remember how old I was but I used to have an iPod shuffle

[Asker]

So did you vote B in the poll to this question?

[TrillXHippy]

Yeah

[Deserter]

I had a Zune and then I came to my senses and got an Ipod Touch lol

[Asker]

I had never heard of Zune, so I looked it up….

www.engadget.com/...crosoft-launches-the-zune.html

What’s the difference between an iPod & iPod Touch?

[Deserter]

Ipod Touch is basically an Iphone without the ability to call people

[Asker]

Oh ok, thanks.

[SnowedIn]

I selected B. I no longer have any of my iPods.

[JB567]

I preferred to get more for my money. Apple products are all overpriced. Can almost always find a cheaper alternative, many times better.

[Asker]

Ok. So what digital music player/s did you own?

[MountAverage]

I had MP3 players instead, because I always hated iTunes and the fact that iPods didn't let you use simply drag and drop usage.