I've often thought of the iPod not only as an engineering marvel (not a 'wonder' as is the Space Shuttle), but as really impressive work on the part of Apple Computer. 'Engineering wonder' is debatable. According to an excellent article on Electronics Design Chain, I was wrong on the second point:

"It turns out that much of the underlying iPod design was performed by outside companies. The Cupertino folk haven't given up on their heritage of design excellence—they're just bowing to some inevitable directions in consumer electronics by borrowing from established experts linked together for what may be the first design chain for the iPod."

Huh. Oh, well. I still think it's one of the greatest devices ever invented and manufactured (Okay, the $99 battery is a bit much.). CNN Money agrees (Remember, you heard it here first), having selected the iPod as one of Five Inventions to Change Your Life. (EZPass is also on that list. You heard that here first, too.)

Curious about the meaningless, I dug out ten old vinyl albums from a cabinet here at home. Mission? Compare and contrast.

1. James Taylor, "JT", 12 Songs Total
2. Monty Python, "Monty Python Live at Drury Lane", 19 Comedy Routines
3. Daryl Hall/John Oates, "Abandoned Luncheonette", 9 Songs
4. The Beatles, "Introducing the Beatles", 12 Songs
5. Fleetwood Mac, "Tusk", 20 Songs (Double Album)
6. Herbie Hancock, "Future Shock" 6 (Really Long) Songs
7. Queen, "Jazz", 13 Songs.
8. Muddy Waters, "King Bee", 10 Songs
9. Harry Nilsson, "A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night", 12 Songs
10. James Brown, "I'm Real", 10 Songs Plus 1 Unintelligible Interview

That's 123* songs weighing 5.8 pounds total, with packaging. Compare that to my 30GB iPod Photo (recently acquired to replace its predecessor**). That's 7,500 songs (Well, 1,770 as of this writing.) weighing 5.8 ounces total, without packaging.

If you can rig-up a turntable in your vehicle, how many vinyl albums would you need for an 8-hour road trip? You'd need an Excursion to carry them, along with a specially engineered turntable shock absorbing chassis to prevent skips. Engineer that one.

I keep a Monster iCarPlay(TM) (which doesn't work particularly well) in the car all the time. Connect the iPod and, voila! Access to the current 1,770 song selection. I also listen to it at home, on planes, at baggage claim, while mowing the lawn or, sometimes, even when falling asleep. It's truly an amazing, soothing, invigorating device that's worth every penny.

It's such a wonderful device, in fact, that The Bush Daughters gave one to The First Dad for his birthday this past July. The First President Nearly Killed by a Pretzel listens to his iPod while riding his mountain bike. From that which has been publicized on CNN, the only things I have in common with the President are My Sharona and She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy. (Hey, it was on a dare.) While depressed that a couple of the same songs existed on the President's and my iPods, I was relieved that the commonality ended there.

According to an article on Friday Morning Quarterback…

"For the quarter, Apple posted a net profit of $290 million, or $.34 per diluted share. The results compare to a net profit of $46 million, or $.06 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue for the quarter was $3.24 billion, up 70 percent from the year-ago quarter. Credit those whopping results to Apple shipping 1,070,000 Macintosh units and 5,311,000 (that's right, five million!) iPods during the quarter, representing a 43 percent increase in CPU units and a 558 percent increase in iPods over the year-ago quarter."

Jon Stewart of The Daily Show bemuses "I don't like the idea of the President sitting around downloading songs." In fact, according to the CNN article, others download the music for him. I'm impressed that the President can work such an elegant device as the iPod. Impersonating The First Mountain Bike Accident, Stewart also says "I like good bombing music. I like bombing music."

For a look inside the iPod, click here. That's really impressive use of very little real estate.

The iPod works. It works for the Leader of the Free World. It works for me. It works for millions of others. It works for Apple. That's a combination that works well for everyone.

Anyone care to post a favorite Playlist?

Here are a couple to start a Manufacturing Playlist:
Tori Amos, "The Happy Worker"
The Push Stars, "Millionaire"

Aw, go ahead. Go for it.

* I will not be held responsible for albums purchased way more than a decade ago.

NOTE: If your iPod meets a body of water up close, here are a few tips. a) DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTONS TO SEE IF IT STILL WORKS. According to various 'net references, this simply shorts-out circuitry (See Dead Parrot skit.). I know this for a fact. Once you press the buttons, you've killed it forever and ever, Amen. b) Some recommend that you take it apart and let components dry for a few days, and it will come back to life. C) Others say to put it down (gently, lovingly), leave it alone for a few days to dry out, and pray to Your God—enthusiastically and often—for its resurrection. According to various Google search results, 'C' has the best results.