Two months after model discontinued, fans pay up to four times more for last gadgets
Wow, this is so funny/ironic. My 160GB iPod -- which I use as my home stereo system because it can hold 40,000 songs -- died just a couple weeks ago and I was freaking out about what I was going to do when I came to realize they don't sell iPod Classics, as they came to be known, anymore. . The new and "improved" iPod Touch is really an iPhone without a phone, which means there is a fraction of the storage space plus all sorts of things I do not need to just listen to music at home. It just didn't seem like a feasible alternative. so I ended up getting an appointment at the Genius Bar to see if my vintage model could be salvaged. It couldn't, but it turns out the Apple store in the Meatpacking District actually has an inventory of the 160GB iPod Classics for situations like mine, so they swapped it out for a nominal fee, despite its no longer being under warranty. With no Apple Care on the player I'm not sure why they were so kind -- especially given what this article says -- but I guess they did it because it was a mechnical flaw, or perhaps they took pity on me! To be honest, I find it hard to believe Apple would get rid of the iPod considering it was what put them back on the map.
If there hadn't been this happy ending, I was going to write a blog posting asking people how the hell they listen to music at home anymore. When this replacement iPod inevitably dies, I suppose I could get wireless speakers and play music directly from iTunes on my laptop. I actually do still have most of my CDs, but I do prefer the convenience of playing them through a player.
Would love to hear how others are handling home stereo these days. I DO NOT listen to Spotify, Pandora, playlists or shuffle my music -- I am an ALBUM guy through and through -- so please keep that in mind when writing!
