It's funny that the author mentions their new CD, as (last time I checked) it isn't available on iTunes.

My basic question is: If you can buy songs one at a time and manipulate their order and mix them with songs by other artists, what exactly is an album anymore?

The same thing it was back when people were asking that question about cassette tapes. It can be a collection of songs, it can be an artisitic statement around a theme.

Even the complaints about unauthorized copying aren't new.

Back in the 80s, I had In God We Trust, Inc. by the Dead Kennedys. It was essentially an EP, so it only took one side of the cassette. The other side was labeled "Home taping is killing the record industry. We left this side blank so you can help."

It seems the current wailing by the record companies about "stealing" music is about as old as recording itself. Heck, they probably complained about people copying sheet music by hand before that.

Farhad notes that some research indicates that the average user repertoire of songs is a about '500 well worn tracks.'

Is there any data on how big that regular playlist used to be in vinyl or even CD days? I'll venture that for most is was a dozen or so 'favorites', and the majority of tracks went unexplored.

The beauty of having my entire collection riped to my iPod (or more accurately, organized in iTunes) is that I've freshly discovered hundreds of tracks I didn't even know were there on long-abandoned CDs and albums.

Yup, its totally changed the way I listen to my music, and for the better. I will agree that it draws me more to the familiar than to the new, but I don't consider the latest music industry 'product' generally holds a candle to the tons of to-be-discovered old stuff.

Give or take, maybe as few as 8, or as many as 12. So taking 10 as an average, 50 albums would get you 500 songs. And since it was a pain in the ass to get up and change the record, or even just move the needle to the next groove, you were far more likely to listen to the entire album and become familiar with a band's entire catalog.

The iPod is the Future? Because it's shiny? Because it's the closest thing we have to the Jetsons? For shizzle?

The iPod ruins your hearing!

Actually no it doesn't, headphones ruin your hearing if you listen to them too loudly. The earbuds have been available before the iPod was even invented, so the walkman or portable CD player introduced harming your hearing. Lastly, you don't always listen to your iPod on headphones, they can be plugged into your stereo at home or in the car or you can buy speakers for them.

The iPod has ruined music!

Okay only for you snobs who are interested in every single thing, well whatever, snobs aren't attractive no matter what they are into. I'm better than you because I APPRECIATE my classical and jazz collection! Whatever. Most people who keep the music industry running are those of us who hear a cool song and buy it. So maybe an iPod isn't for you, but are you really so hostile that it's crap for everyone?

Also, I've had the same iPod for over 3 yrs. No new battery needed, no replacement. Perhaps you people don't know how to carry a hard drive around?

Also for me, I've bought a lot more music from non airwave musicians because of iTunes, Limewire, ect. It sure is a whole lot easier than going to a music store and standing at listening stations for hours to try new music out and it's a whole lot better than when I'd love love one song, but couldn't stand the rest from the artist so I'd have to wait till it came on the radio to record it and if it didn't well I'm just out of luck.

The iPod has ruined interaction with people!

What the hell is this nonsense? I've been taking public transportaion for well over 20 yrs. No one ever talked to each other on the bus unless you were friends, no one chatted up strangers, especially since it's pretty rude to just strike up a conversation with someone you've never met expecting them to respond. I get a few precious moments during the day to read or listen to music, I don't want it interrupted by some stranger's conversation because they are bored. I'm talking with people all day at work and at home, my commute is a time just for me. I still see plenty of teens and co-workers gabbing with each other during their commutes, it is people who are alone who read or listen to music as a distraction from the crowded bus or train and people were doing that before iPod came along. Plus how the fuck do you know what people are listening to on their iPods if they aren't blaring them? There are podcasts, and gasp, even audiobooks!

Also as a woman, many of my friends and I are welcome to being left alone on the train, a book or iPod is a perfect leave me the hell alone. There are plenty of weirdos who take public transportation, some have tried making conversation with me while I'm not doing anything, I don't need to placate some smelly homeless dude and his delusions or fend off "can I get your number baby" requests. Sometimes an iPod is a blessing so I don't actually hear what those guys on the street are yelling at me. Plus, I was wearing my headphones when someone in the tunnels asked to use my cell to call home, my iPod did not prevent me from helping a stranger.

As for rudeness, there are rude people and polite people. My friends and I know it's rude to be talking on your cell or listening to music while doing transactions with other people like in the coffee shop or grocery store, other people don't. So those people who use their music on nature trails, well whatever, at least they are on nature trails and there's no way to say that those same people wouldn't have been using their walkmans if the iPod had never been invented.

Technology has its good and bad points, but it's not the benign techonology that causes the problems, it's stupid or rude people. I don't use my cell every time I can, I don't listen to my iPod everywhere I go, but man was it a godsend in Europe where I didn't want to be carrying around tons of books( i read very fast, I went through 6 books on a 4 week trip) and the newspapers are in languages I can't read. So I had some podcasts, a couple of audio books and thousands of songs so when I got tired of looking out at vinyard after vinyard or when it was too dark to look out the windows or read, I could close my eyes and just listen.

Is the iPod the best MP3 player, well gosh I don't know becuase I really don't care. I have a Mac, hate PC's at work, so an iPod was just a given over other devices.

Whenever I purchase music off iTunes, I burn it onto a disk. So far I have not experienced not being able to keep my songs.