New Apple Lust Objects

The reason I will buy one is because the iPod (and even the mini) are not good for use when exercising. They are passable in the weight room but useless on a bike or running. And I don't need more than 100 songs to get a good workout in, even when I'm training for a marathon.

And frankly, the above reason is exactly why a lot of people buy flash-based players. A part of me would prefer a card-based iShufflePod, but it's a minor inconvenience. I'm pretty excited about it, actually. In fact, I'm not really sure that I'll be using my iPod that much after I buy an iShufflePod.

I totally agree w/ you Ed, but the idea that most folks can afford an AMD64 class machine if they have half an idea what they're doing building a system isn't ridiculous at all. Apple can't boast the same thing...

(I know, I know, broad generalization that really doesn't include laptops at all... Not considering Apple's target market, etc., etc.)

Oh, and that Mac Mini, for what it is, looks pretty badass.

That's why I think it would be totally cool if they made just the little mp3 player with a USB jack on one end that could read file systems the same way an mp3 discman reads them off of a cdr. Cause then you'd at least have the option to use it as a front end for a very large USB hard drive or a tiny stick... It'd probably appeal to a lot more people if that were the case (and it would be EVEN SMALLER, which after all seems to be Mac's new reason to exist).

Not at all. I know someone who was going to buy a cheapo Dell just for academic work that will now get one of the minis.

The MacMini maxed out to 1GB of RAM will do everything most people need for years, even Photoshop and InDesign (etc.).

Shame there's no spreadsheet though. It wouldn't have to be that advanced. Arithmetic and accounting functions only, no real need for geometric or statistical functions in a home spreadsheet.

just wanted to gush for a minute.

i also think the macmini and ipod shuffle are cool, and wish the shuffle came out this time last year, because i could have convinced work to buy it for me as a flash drive instead of the boring one that i got.

Getting this joke, in 2005, is making me suicidal. Thanks. At least I didn't make it.

Late 2005, I hear.

How much 64-bit software is out there so far? I know Photoshop... what else?

Ummmm...I french-kissed my Powerbook.

People buy iPods for the same reason people shop at the GAP. It doesn't mean there is some inherent "I would like to use AAC encoding and purchase things at Apple Music Store" situation going on. Anyone who is actually thinking about this enough to think about THAT realizes they could easily convert the damn files back to MP3 format (including purchased ones, cos I've done it for someone). Just because they've got the stranglehold on the market doesn't excuse them from releasing a crappy product with no fucking screen on it that only comes in the world's ugliest color besides, say, brown, anymore than market stranglehold excuses Starbucks for that "drinking chocolate" nonsense they've suddenly started in with.

I would purchase an iPod if it came in any colors besides "el gayo" though, that's really my problem with it.

xpost hahaha Mod J you know I'm bitching about this to prevent myself from the horror of actually going walking around DC.

(sorry ally)

I hear this a lot, but I run with mine (20gb) all the time and have never had a problem. What supposedly happens?

A KVM switch (Keyboard, Video monitor, Mouse). I have no idea what they cost. For a high-speed internet connection and network, a router wouldn't hurt either.

I was thinking about this, too.

Soulseek's popularity among the human race is really kind of exaggerated on ILM/ILX. And its popularity among Mac users is even less.

Soulseek's popularity among the human race is really kind of exaggerated on ILM/ILX. And its popularity among Mac users is even less.

I dunno, I've used it for over a year with no real problems.

I disagree with this in theory; I mean as far as I can tell as long as an end user has iTunes then they're not going to notice if they've downloaded an MP3 or an AAC file, for example, unless there one of the handful of people who have affixed $10,000 speakers to their computer and use it as proof that MP3 is a vastly noticably inferior product. The main problem that would back up your theory and refute mine though is the AAC doesn't seem to be supported by several popular music players, though that might've changed in the past year-ish.

xpost proving my point about the $10k speakers. Tom, you realize that on iPods, ie what you are saying is the selling point of this sound file type, the sound difference basically disappears? Or like at my house, without really nice speakers, the sound difference isn't noticable?

MY POINT HERE: 99% of iPods purchasers don't give a shit about file type/benefits/et al. As ModJ says, who wants a Dell MP3 player. That is all.

that'd be the garbage mp3 codec that apple bundles with itunes then? you don't get this kind of artifacting with lame mp3 vbs. and ed i'd switch to ogg in a heartbeat if more portable players supported it, apparently it's too memory-intensive a codec to support.

Those white earbuds SUCK, though.