iPod Nano

 All about my iPod Nano, and how I still enjoy it

Wikipedia states that the iPod Nano was a portable media player marketed by Apple, Inc.  The first model was introduced September 7, 2005 and was discontinued July 27, 2017.

My particular iPod Nano, was given to me as a gift from a member of the family. I did not use it much at first, but it soon became something I used almost daily.  It was the second generation from September, 25, 2006. It has a memory capacity of 4 GB and is blue in color. It played audio files, but not video files.  I had imported some of my favorite music from CDs onto it.  I also purchased some music and downloaded from the iTunes store.  Most of my downloads, though, were podcasts. Most of them were deleted after listening to them. 

The iPod (I tend to call it that) was great to take in the car for travel.  At one time I used a gadget that would allow iPod to transmit to the car's FM radio.  Another car had a stereo jack where I could plug in the iPod directly.  The iPod's internal battery would easily run more than several hours without needing a charge.  I would use the ear buds and take it with me on short local walks, though would prefer not to take the on the longer hikes away from home, where I would want to explore and enjoy the sounds of nature.

Then one day, it happened.  I had forgotten the ipod in a pocket.  It unknowingly went through the washing machine and the clothes dryer.  From that point, the screen was no longer clear. The music was still on the iPod, but the machine would immediately die if not plugged in.  What did I do? I went on Ebay and bought the same model, used, same color.  The only down side is the battery life tends to be erratic and usually only a few hours. It will sometimes shut down at that point with no notice.

Still I value this gadget.  I still use it almost daily. I value that I can play music that I own.  Streaming services can be nice convenience, but they control not you the content available, the cost, the required software, any personal information they require. 

Disposable

 Opinions on throw away and non-repairable goods

When I was young, I started hearing the term "throw away society"  It seems to relate to how a multiple of goods were being produced cheaply, though often being less than high quality.  And plastics, plastics.  How things were made of plastic.  Most people had now idea back then how it would affect our future landfills and oceans.

It seems to make sense to have a durable product that is longer lasting, than its cheaper made equivalent, if that cheaper item is likely to falter quickly.  I like the idea of getting a full use out of a product, and that being for a fair amount of time.

There is also the issue of repairability.  It seems logical that larger or more complex items in particular should be designed so that repairs can be done more easily.  Manufacturerers supplying detailed repair instructions would be a big plus. Sadly some want to control the repair process, or want a new sale (back to the throw away issue) to be made instead. For example, many electronic devices can not even be opened without specialized tools, or without damaging the casing.

Some of my friends have called me a minimalist.  This could be true in some ways.  Some describe where I live as rustic or dated. I'll at least agree with rustic.