10 Reasons to keep the Ipod OFF your Christmas wish list
With only 2 weeks left until D-day, confirmation that yes, the Xbox 360 is sold out everywhere and that no, your father will not buy you a $600 pair of shoes- even if they are Manolos- you might resort to asking Santa for the trendiest, most recognizable MP3 player of all: The Ipod.
But before you become one of these commuters, living in a tech-bubble, watching the latest Lost episode downloaded for $1.99 on the colored screen, a few lessons that were learned the hard way:
1) After weeks of manual-reading, Apple-website-surfing, you have finally figured out all the features on your Ipod, set the language from Japanese back to English and discovered you can be woken up by the chorus of "Life on Mars" at 7 every morning. The very next day, Apple announces the launch of a newer, improved version of the model. Cheaper.
2) Buying all the "skins", "socks", and other covers to color coordinate your Ipod with your outfit have left you broke.
3) At 99 cents an I-tune, you emptied your piggy bank downloading songs. Your next vacation will thus be spend tanning in your parent's New Jersey backyard, and not sipping Pina Coladas in Costa Rica.
4) You signed up for your first Road-Runners' race, ready to circle Central Park for 9 miles. That's the day your Ipod flat-lines. Literally: No songs, no lights, just a flat line across the screen. You absolutely cannot run without sound. The huffing and puffing of the other racers does not constitute music. Good Luck!
5) Have you seen the lines at the "Genius Bar"- aka "We're too cool to call it a help-desk"? By getting to the NYC Prince street store at 11AM on a Tuesday morning, you'll be informed that there are no more appointments available: You cannot sign up to reserve a time for a following day. You are advised to invest in an extended warranty and look online: Somewhere on the website, you can make an appointment! Found it yet?
6) The "AppleCare" Protection Plan costs $59.00: it extends your warranty to two years and enables you to ship your dead Ipod for free in exchange of a refurbished one. No plan? It will cost you $30 for shipping EVERY TIME you need it replaced.
7) Too much drama: according to www.consumersearch.com, a proposed class-action lawsuit was filed last October in California, alleging that Apple knew about the rampant "Nano issue" (which screen scratches so quickly it makes the video-feature useless), ignored complaints, and deleted postings related to the issue from its Web site.
8) There are cheaper, just as good versions: Circuit City consumer reviews gave the Ipod ($299) a 4.4 rating-out of 5. Creative Lab Zen Sleek ($249) was awarded a 4.5 one. The Ipod 1GB shuffle received a 4.2 rating. The Samsung 1GB got a 4.8. They both cost $129.99. Yes, this means there is a better alternative!
9) The MTA has issued warnings for all Ipod owners that take the subway: Apparently, it could cost you your life. The bright white earplugs give away the fact that you have "that" little MP3 player hidden under your coat. Someone squashed against you may be ready to kill for it.
10) Too busy learning Spanish by listening to Shakira's "La Tortura" over and over again, you never noticed the sexy stranger, with the brown hair and bright smile desperately attempting eye contact with you. And you wonder why you're still single?
But before you become one of these commuters, living in a tech-bubble, watching the latest Lost episode downloaded for $1.99 on the colored screen, a few lessons that were learned the hard way:
1) After weeks of manual-reading, Apple-website-surfing, you have finally figured out all the features on your Ipod, set the language from Japanese back to English and discovered you can be woken up by the chorus of "Life on Mars" at 7 every morning. The very next day, Apple announces the launch of a newer, improved version of the model. Cheaper.
2) Buying all the "skins", "socks", and other covers to color coordinate your Ipod with your outfit have left you broke.
3) At 99 cents an I-tune, you emptied your piggy bank downloading songs. Your next vacation will thus be spend tanning in your parent's New Jersey backyard, and not sipping Pina Coladas in Costa Rica.
4) You signed up for your first Road-Runners' race, ready to circle Central Park for 9 miles. That's the day your Ipod flat-lines. Literally: No songs, no lights, just a flat line across the screen. You absolutely cannot run without sound. The huffing and puffing of the other racers does not constitute music. Good Luck!
5) Have you seen the lines at the "Genius Bar"- aka "We're too cool to call it a help-desk"? By getting to the NYC Prince street store at 11AM on a Tuesday morning, you'll be informed that there are no more appointments available: You cannot sign up to reserve a time for a following day. You are advised to invest in an extended warranty and look online: Somewhere on the website, you can make an appointment! Found it yet?
6) The "AppleCare" Protection Plan costs $59.00: it extends your warranty to two years and enables you to ship your dead Ipod for free in exchange of a refurbished one. No plan? It will cost you $30 for shipping EVERY TIME you need it replaced.
7) Too much drama: according to www.consumersearch.com, a proposed class-action lawsuit was filed last October in California, alleging that Apple knew about the rampant "Nano issue" (which screen scratches so quickly it makes the video-feature useless), ignored complaints, and deleted postings related to the issue from its Web site.
8) There are cheaper, just as good versions: Circuit City consumer reviews gave the Ipod ($299) a 4.4 rating-out of 5. Creative Lab Zen Sleek ($249) was awarded a 4.5 one. The Ipod 1GB shuffle received a 4.2 rating. The Samsung 1GB got a 4.8. They both cost $129.99. Yes, this means there is a better alternative!
9) The MTA has issued warnings for all Ipod owners that take the subway: Apparently, it could cost you your life. The bright white earplugs give away the fact that you have "that" little MP3 player hidden under your coat. Someone squashed against you may be ready to kill for it.
10) Too busy learning Spanish by listening to Shakira's "La Tortura" over and over again, you never noticed the sexy stranger, with the brown hair and bright smile desperately attempting eye contact with you. And you wonder why you're still single?
posted by Sophie Yon-Gharbi at 7:18 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home