MP3 Players: To Have or Have Not?

As I walk the sidewalks of this fine university, I can almost surely expect to see 2 common activities at any given time-people gabbing on cell phones, or people possessing the the iconic white headphones, listening to Ipods.

At first, I scoffed at these people, those who would spend so much money on an MP3 player. I was perfectly content with my 2001 c.d. player. Sure, I was a little behind on times, but who cares? Why did I need an MP3 player? Why did anyone need one, especially an Ipod? Just to make your music look pretty in little folders?

Then my c.d. player's condition started to worsen, i.e. start skipping randomly. To make it play, I had to place it perpendicular to any surface. I suddenly started looking at the MP3 owners with jealously. Suddenly I felt like I did a year ago, in my transportation engineering class, when I had a TI-82 and everyone else had a TI-89. (For those of you who are not a math-related major, TI-82s are um, pretty archaic.) It was hard to console myself when I could barely listen to music, while everyone was jamming away.

So I started researching these mysterious items, these "MP3 players," and they didn't sound so bad. But seriously, why does anybody need 40 gb of space? I don't even know how I could fill something like that. But you have to hand it to Ipod for their marketing brilliance. Having an Ipod is a status symbol-you are at the cusp of pop culture. You are cool. Others envy you as they listen to their broken c.d. players.

Of course, with all the coolness and jamming the MP3 players bring, you can also pay a hefty price. One of my friends, who had gotten an Ipod for his birthday, told me never to walk around with those white little headphones. Basically, they are a target for thieves. "HEY EVERYONE, I AM WALKING AROUND WITH A REALLY EXPENSIVE MP3 PLAYER. STEAL IT FROM ME. PLEASE." Unfortunately, a kid from New York was killed this summer for his Ipod. Even scarier, these thieves don't steal the Ipods to sell them again (they have a retail value of $175-$200...good, no?) No, they steal it just to listen to it themselves. How sad that they can't acquire one the normal way, like as a gift or saving up for one.

I guess what this entry boils down to is yes, I ordered an MP3 player. Not an Ipod though-I refuse to pay the money just for the status symbol. And I've always been wary of name brand-status symbol items anyway, so why not keep with tradition? And yes, I bought the 40 gb one, only because my brother started calling me the name of our dad's notoriously cheap friend. (The fact that I could be coerced by my seventeen-year old brother to buy something is not the subject of this discussion). I'm making an Excel spreadsheet list now of songs I need. I'm up to 500 now, about 9500 or more to go?

But hey, if you see me walking by, just know that I'll be listening to a cool collection of classic rock, alternative, 80s music, classical music, oldies, a little rap, jazz, Italian music, and whatever else I can think of. Or at least, that's what I tell myself as a justification for buying something so expensive. Hey, beats the broken cd player, right? Right....