As a college student, you cannot walk around campus without seeing an iPod connected to someone's ears. Today Apple products are reserved for more than just coffee-shop nerdy types. They are an integral part of our day-to-day lives.
According to Macworld.com , Apple had record-breaking quarterly sales in 2007. From October to December, Apple sold 22.1 million iPods, and in April of 2007, Apple sold its 100 millionth iPod.
With an average selling price of $181, according to Macworld, what does the iPod do that its other competitors don't? Why is the iPod the bread and butter of the portable music player industry?
Macworld offers one possibility: Apple stresses creating innovative products.
Take the iPhone and iPod touch for example. Both new devices integrate Wi-Fi Internet browsing, simple-to-use Mac interfaces, and all the iPod features we've come to love into one portable gadget. The iPhone takes that a step further by also throwing in a cellular phone.
To be honest, these are the high-tech tools/toys little boys have dreamed about for years.
But the iPod is not just a toy; it serves so many purposes:
- Entertainment
- Inspiration
- Education
- Protection from awkward conversations with that guy in your accounting class whose name you don't remember
Wait what's that, education? For those who didn't know, iPods can play podcasts, which are a great way to study on the fly.
And it is for this reason Texas's Abilene Christian University will offer an iPod touch or iPhone to incoming freshmen in the fall of 2008 as part of their mobile learning program.
So what is a podcast exactly you ask? Apple defines podcasts as radio shows that are downloaded over the Internet. More specifically, "A podcast is an episodic program delivered via the Internet using an XML protocol called RSS [real simple syndication]."
These shows can be made by basically be anyone who has something to say.
Podcasts are a part of what many call Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is not a new software to download, don't worry. It is the name given to the direction the Internet has taken in the past few years.
To put it more clearly, Web 2.0 is a collection of interactive applications of the Internet, which allow browsers to become more involved with Internet itself. These applications are more commonly known as blogs, social networking sites, Wikis, podcasts, etc.
So what does this new fangled Internet mean for the average Joe? The Internet is changing to be more user-friendly. And with mobile Wi-Fi browsers like the iPhone, it is becoming an even larger part of our lives.
Check out the podcasts in your iTunes next time you go to download music. There are thousands of them, and for busy, or not-so busy college students, they are a great way to keep in touch with world around us.
Besides who doesn't want to listen to custom-downloaded news on the way to class?
Comments
Franck commented, on March 1, 2008 at 7:01 p.m.:
Solid article! I love Apple, and although some of their products sure are over-priced, it's hard to imagine a world without them:)
joe commented, on March 2, 2008 at 9:46 p.m.:
actually there was one casualty in my town, a 16 year old pulled out in front of an ambulance with lights and sirens going, she was killed, the ambulance driver said, all he saw was pig tails and the white earbud cords coming out of her ears as the two vehicles collided.
Rob Baldus commented, on March 2, 2008 at 10:24 p.m.:
That is a very sad story, and I am sorry to hear that.
Jon commented, on March 3, 2008 at 11:33 p.m.:
Yeah, I would never listen to music though while walking. You simply don't hear so many noises, and sometimes unexpected noises just make you jump. You basically don't know what's going on behind you.
Becky commented, on March 4, 2008 at 3:03 p.m.:
Well written article! Informative and with some humor!