Apple has announce that after 21 years of production, the iPod line will be discontinued. I have loved the iPods I have had – and luckily I got my my latest iPod Touch just a few weeks ago.
Apple to discontinue the iPod after 21 years – BBC News
‘The spirit lives on’: Apple to discontinue the iPod after 21 years | Apple | The Guardian
My first iPod was a gift from Diana, and was bought as an aid for my Wainwright Coast to Coast walk, training and subsequent walk in the summer of 2008. I listened to audiobooks and podcasts during the day – when I was ignoring my walking companions. For the last hour or so of the day, some music with a beat made those last few miles go by more easily. At the time I had a Blackberry phone, which had (for the time) a pretty good camera which I used to document the walk and post images to my fledgling blog. iPhones were still in their first generation having been released the previous year. I carried yet third device – a Dell Windows PDA, which was used with an external GPS receiver and Memory Map for navigation with our paper maps. Using an iPod as an audio player was a tactic to preserve the batteries in my various devices so they all lasted the days walk. Charging each evening at the various B&Bs was interesting.
By the time we tackled the West Highland Way, things had moved on. I was using an iPhone 4, for nearly everything. The camera was better, I had an app to edit the blog rather than using email, for navigation I was still using Memory Map but now of course the GPS was integrated into the phone. However I was still using my iPod for entertainment – again it was a tactic to preserve the iPhone battery, as it had a lot of other things to do.
Eventually I wanted an iPod touch and I have had two of those. I replaced the first one not because there was anything really wrong with it, but the updates had been stopped by Apple and I wanted the new shiny version. However neither of my previousiPods are landfill.
I passed my first iPod onto Jeremy, who used it to listen to the complete Harry Potter audiobook series, whilst InterRailing around Europe – I believe the iPod with Harry Potter on it has been passed around to several of his friends to listen to – last time I saw this iPod was a few months back, it was still on his desk and being used, although the battery has seen better days. I also passed on my other iPod Touch to Diana, who uses it nearly exclusively for reading her Kindle books and listening to Blinkest.
Me, I still use my iPod Touch when I go out walking or camping, because it conserves my iPhone battery. At home, I read and listen to books on it. I read my books on Apple iBooks, however I use BookPlayer for the audiobooks. BookPlayer is far better than trying to use iBooks to listen to audiobooks, as it allows me to download content from my NAS directly to the players on my iPhone and iPod without using that horrible mess of a program, iTunes. I use it for music, often when I am cooking as I have a Bluetooth speaker in the kitchen. My AirPods connect just fine.
Thinking about it 21 years of the iPod, 21 years of iTunes and it is still a bodge up of half thought out ideas.
I know my iPhone 12 Pro Max, is infinitely more capable than my iPod Touch and can do all the things I do on my iPod, faster and on a better screen. But I still love my iPod Touch, it has a nicely feel in the hand, it is compact, it drops into a pocket easily, it discharges slowly (as it is not carrying out 101 background tasks and recharges quickly, it is very good at doing the tasks it was designed for. This iPod Touch is mine – I have to share my iPhone with Octagon and Smart Thinking. I for one will miss not having an iPod when this one bites the dust. I knew that the demise of the iPod was inevitable, as the iPhone does it all and most people only want to carry one device. Even the “children market” is not really there as parents can get a budget contract deal on a “cheap” iPhone for their children. I am not sure I will buy “cheap” iPhone to replace my iPod Touch. I will have to look and see what else is on the market when that day comes…
Clive Catton MSc (Cyber Security) – by-line and other articles
