I hate the “conservation of cash” phase that university forces me through. Especially if I’m really interested in buying…
I’ve always been enamored with the iPod. Playing with Allister’s 20G iPod and Matt’s 4G iPod Mini gave me a new appreciation of the engineering and the sheer aesthetics that went into the design of these little mp3 players. I’ve often remarked to Paul and other friends of mine, that if I was in the market for a digital music player, I’d be gunning for the iPod. I’ve vacillated a fair bit too. At $394 CDN (after the educational discount, but before taxes) the iPod represents a fairly hefty purchase and would lighten my wallet a fair bit.
And to what end?
That’s the question I have to ask myself. Sometimes, we consider buying items simply because everyone around us is acquiring them. I mean, its hard not to go to class, see the people with iPods, digital mp3 players, CD players etc. and wonder “What if I had an iPod?”. I’ve made my own rash purchases in the past and hope that I’m now older, wiser and a lot more careful. If I analyze my own habits I can honestly come to one conclusion:
I do not listen to music enough to justify the purchase of an iPod.
There, I said it. It feels somewhat ridiculous to have to force oneself to admit that. I think a lot of it has to do with the realization that I’m out of the iPod game. If I look at my habits carefully I realize that I rarely listen to music while I work on my computer. It serves as a distraction – especially when I’m writing or programming. I rarely listen to music while walking – I like taking in the sights, sounds and observing the world around me. I wouldn’t use the iPod at the gym – shaking a HDD = no good and there’s usually music over the PA. I couldn’t use the iPod in class and while in school – I’m there to study right? So…where would I use it?
Exactly.
I would be far more inclined to blow $400 on a used prosumer (as opposed to DSLR) camera. I take photographs frequently. I always have my camera on me, and am starting to feel constrained by the limitations of the SD100. Make no mistake, the SD100 is a beautiful camera – especially for those times when you need a quickly pocketable P&S. However, its 2X zoom and lack of advanced manual controls are an issue for more challenging photography.
Or maybe I’m just in the mood to ‘spend money’ and am looking for an out?
I, however, do listen to a LOT of music. But then, my MP3 CD player, at $100 when I got it, is MORE than sufficient for my needs. I can fit about 200 songs on there, and, heck, in my 4 hour trek home on Saturday I didn’t even get halfway through. So do I need something else? I really don’t think so. Thanks for helping me with that conclusion too :) I’m still happy with my camera, MP3/CD player and Game Boy Advanced purchases. I use all three frequently, the GBA and MP3 player especially during the work term on the commute.
I considered both an MP3 CD player (Panasonic models) and flash MP3 players (Creative Muvo TX) but decided to hold off.
I’m extremely happy that I chose to exercise self restraint. I’m glad that my writing helped you (if only a little bit) in making your decision. That’s all I could hope for.