Seriously. Robespierre speaks the truth.

who is Lawrence H. Summers. nope stop. don't care. sorry i posted.

I just ordered an Ipod and certainly didn't realize what a controversy it is.

Why do I want a Ipod? I bought the Ipod mini, it barely takes any room and I will not have to listen to the same music on the flight from California to Paris and try to see a movie on a tiny screen. I can listen to the music that I want to listen to. I will also be on the train quite a few times and might want to hear music as I look out on the scenery.

Also, if I wanted to learn a language I could put the CD on the Ipod.

I'm sure that Robespierre will still say I didn't explain to his satisfaction, but I don't think anybody ever will be ever to.

I want it for convenience and not to block out the rest of the world. As I walk around Paris, I don't intend to listen to music, I want to hear what is going around me.

Yay! An ipod thread! I can find out anything I need to know here!

So here's my question: I want to get my grandson an ipod for graduation. He's a heavy metal rockist (and not much more, unfortunately). Do I need to get the top-of-the-line 60 Gig photo guy or will the almost half-the-price 30-Gig do? Or would it be better to get a 20-Gig and better earphones and minispeakers?

To each his own.
What I do when I see someone with headphones on, is raise a flare in my mind that I need to step out of their way, as they are not paying full attention to what is around them.

I understand the need to zone out from your fellow man, but those that tour other countries wearing headsets and listening to music make me feel sad.

Sad that people are isolating themselves from their own surroundings and from life itself.
This thread is a homile to the concept.

Incidentally, I want an ipod and think its a fantastic invention- especially if you are a runner and want something compact to put song mixes in.

I was just agreeing with his Summers comment.

I feel like the only person in London who doesn't have an ipod.

Everyone in my office has one.

I want one.

I'd just add that, in London at least, it has become pretty standard practice to wear black earphones whilst walking around or riding the Tube. Those white earphones just scream, 'I've got an ipod, please mug me'.

It really is a case of different strokes for different folks, but I don't understand all of this tuning out at all--whether it's an ipod, walkman, or boombox.

Has a large percentage of the population just lost the ability to engage with other people and their environment? Is it just easier to tune out and ignore their surroundings? I can't imagine anything more boring than just listening to the same music again and again--and generally pretty bad music at that.

Ah well, I guess I'm just getting too old.

Have you ever walked around Paris listening to Lully? Or Britten in London? Or Telmann in Germany?

I think of the few dozen hours of music I carry in my iPAQ as an occasional sound track to my travels. It's the <u>opposite</u> of shutting out the world.

No, I want my senses attuned to what is going on around me--including my hearing. I can listen to canned music any time--good or bad.

But if it enhances your experience, go for it. Chacon a son gout.

Okay, but what is going on around <u>me</u> (especially at more popular destinations) seems to consist mostly of inane chatter in five or six languages.

I'd rather listen to Bach.

LVSue--the second generation iPodmini, with 4GB is a good starter Pod. You can find them for $149. You can get a 6GB of the same model for $199. I wouldn't get the cheaper Shuffle--not enough flexibility there.

What amuses me about this thread is that people assume that if you have an iPod, you do nothing but listen to it, at the expense of enriching interpersonal interactions.

iPods are an option for enhancing life, whatever that means to you. If you don't get it, then fine. No one should be criticizing you for not getting it, nor should you feel the need to criticize those who do.

Then again, this is a board where people feel free to criticize just about every thing that doesn't fit their worldview or personal style--be it fashion or restaurant choice--so I shouldn't be surprised, should I?

My 16-year old son will not leave home without his iPod-- especially for long plane rides. He also uses the iTrip to play music through different radio systems. Pretty slick.
I am curious about using our inexpensive voltage converter for the iPod while in Europe. Sure don't want to fry the iPod. Should we be safe and purchase the Apple travel converter set? My son's original recharger is dead, so we need to get a new one of those anyway. Maybe it's included in the set. I'll check at the Apple store today.
LVSue, IMHO, your grandson would not necessarily need the photo iPod. I'd get him the best music iPod you can afford, which should come with its own ear buds. He will probably want to pick out his own speakers, accessories, and other headphone if he wants one. He will love having an iPod-- trust me.
Adults may not understand them, but teenagers crave them! Your grandson will think you're the coolest.

Thanks, elle and Maureen, for the advice. That's exactly what I was thinking (about not needing the photo iPod), but then I felt like maybe I should get the most up-to-date one.

It is odd how judgmental people can be here. I, for one, can't imagine needing/wanting to constantly listen to music, but that doesn't mean I can't imagine that others might feel differently.

Another reason to take an iPod when traveling is that you can receive podcasts or download things like audio tours. This is in its infancy, but will become more and more popular, I predict.

We love to do self-guided walking tours, but I hate to carry a guidebook with me. This way I wouldn't have to read (and read out loud to share my book with my husband) and look. We could both take iPods and listen while we look.

Now if only those Podcasts could be customized to say &quot;Look out! You're about to step in dog poop.&quot;

Elle, podcasts sound really cool. What cities have them? Maybe the excuse this Mom needs to buy her own iPod!

Here are some mp3 and Podcast sites you can check out for tours:

http://webjay.org/by/adamc1999/soundseeingtours
www.digitalpodcast.net

They include Washington, Las Vegas, London, Philadelphia, New Orleans. There are others, too.

It's probably important to note that these are all &quot;unofficial&quot; podcasts. I don't think any tourism bureau has gotten onto the podwagon yet--these are produced by individuals who happen to have an interest in a place or subject (check out the one for the Pez Museum).

What this means is that any of us could produce our own podcast tour. Imagine ira, leading us on a tour of the Hotel Bonaparte and then narrating a taste test of macarons at Pierre Herme. Or m_kingdom's guide to <i>coutura obscura</i> in Dusseldorf. Or Robespierre's podcast for Paris By Bus.

Right now, these are mostly free files (kind of like audio blogs), but I suspect that someone will find a way to make money off them soon.

There is nothing new, special, or unique about a &quot;podcast.&quot; There have been audio tours of world capitals since cassette tape players became small enough to carry. I got walking tours of London and Paris from PanAm 40 years ago.

Buy a CD or tape, rip and compress it with Windows Media Player, and download it to your MP3 player (of which there are several hundred brands).

Maureen,
You don't need (and shouldn't use) a power converter to charge your iPod in Europe. The iPod charger itself works on 110V (US) or 220V (Europe). You simply need a small plug adaptor. Since these adaptors or available plugs often seem to be in short supply when I travel with my family, I bring along a small US extension cord to connect my laptop, iPod or any other must have electronics into what is invariably the single available plug in my hotel room.

Intersting religious debate about iPods going on here. For me (an adult btw), there is no better place than calm peace of listening to my own music (any of it) through my noice cancelling earphones while the engines on the plane roar and the couple 3 rows back talk endlessly about the redecorating their kitchen or the wonderful Christmas parties they've been to! To each his own. I'll take my own private peace.

In public I prefer the sounds of the street so I don't wear my iPod walking around, but there's nothing like dozing off to your favorite tunes.

Now podcasts for museums or cities would be really cool!!

It's certainly true that there have been audio tours available before. Right now one of the popular audio tours is Jerry Stiller's narrated tour of the Lower East Side, available via wireless phone.

But never before have we had the technology to make one ourselves--inexpensively--and then distribute it to a wide (or narrow) audience.

Robespierre, your arguments are like saying &quot;What's so great about Jimmy Choos? I've been wearing shoes for years&quot;.