Apple

Before, you may only bring your music with you for extended periods of time, such as a long walk or bus trip. The thinking behind that would be, since you had the time available, you could use some of it fumbling around looking for that tape, and then fast-forwarding or rewinding to locate that song. With the Apple iPod, or the Apple iPod Nano, thousands of songs can come with you for a quick jog, short bus ride or even a jaunt to the grocery store.

While these locations and situations have never shunned the inclusion of music, they simply weren’t very compatible with music in its previous states of storage and transport. Today, it seems that everyone is listening to their iPods – literally – wherever they go. Because music accompanies us wherever we are (check out any mall, grocery store, sporting event or the next time you’re on hold), we may be oblivious to the control the iPod gives people.

As much as the Beatles are revered, if one more crummy, instrumental, muzak version of “Yesterday” is recorded, there may be a public meltdown. Unfortunately, you can’t do to your local shopping center DJ and request a sad song because you’re feeling blue. You can, though, download the most melancholy of tunes on your portable iPod and wander through the mall, with your own soundtrack keeping you company.

If you had your choice to listening to your favorite singer versus the artist you despise the most, what would you choose? The iPod simply offers more choice in terms of music and locale. The Apple iPod is a culture-changing product, not by making music more mobile, but by making our music and your music more portable. Everybody wants to have a choice and an option, and the iPod, Nano or other form of MP3 player delivers just that.