iPod aka Ticketmaster

I’ve never been an advocate for the term "consumer choice" because it usually refers to some company delaying advances in technology that would make its products more environmentally-conscious. The common example is the auto industry, which continually refuses to improve its cars to emit lower fumes and use less gasoline. Their argument is that by making the improvements they will have to either significantly raise the prices of their vehicles or stop making gas-guzzling SUVs. This would "limit consumer choice" and Congress won’t force the auto makers to do anything. Which is why the average mile per gallon of the American car is the same today as it was in the days of big ol’ hoopties in the 70’s.

But my point here is not about the continual destruction of the environment or the egregious behavior of the auto industry. My beef today is with iPod. Apple recently unveiled its video iPod, and the media made a big deal out it…so I think it’s appropriate that I comment on it now.

My problem with iPod, ironically, is that it limits consumer choice. In every sense, the iPod forces you to play by its rules. Yes there are other mp3 players out there, but they aren’t compatible with the files iPod uses. So if your friends have an iPod, you can’t put their music on your mp3 player unless you take the time to convert every song. Other programs such as Windows Media Player, Winamp and Realplayer don’t work with the iPod files. If you link your iPod to a computer with windows, you can’t link it to a mac, and vice versa. And you can’t send files from your iPod to a computer, unless you download some illegal software.

In a way, iPod is like somewhat less-binding version of Ticketmaster. If you want to go to a concert, you have to go through Ticketmaster. If you want to listen to music and you have an iPod you have to convert or download to iTunes. And you’ll no doubt be paying for the priviledge. And I wonder, like the ridiculous service charges to Ticketmaster, how much the fees actually go to the artist.

I resent the ubiquity of the iPod. I don’t care that everyone else has an iPod, but for the reasons above, if you want to listen to the music that other people do, you have to get an iPod. Or if you want the "status," you have to get an iPod. I admit iPod has done a brilliant job of marketing itself. Using a big name rock band. Posting on the sides of every train car on mass transportation.

But iPods have deviated from what Apple/Mac represented. Macs were for the non-sequitor, not the mainstream. Macs had their own system and could translate windows files, aspiring to make the difficult accessible. As a mac owner you were never forced to adapt. As an iPod owner or music listener you have no other choice.