Buying yourself an Apple

Did you snicker when you first saw this picture above? If not you are either one of the blessed people out there who don't know Apple or one of those ignorant's who will flame anybody who doesn't think "the Apple way"®.
Personally I think most of my readers will be neither nor.

First things first: My brother wants to buy an iPod.
And, as much as I would love to talk him out of it, I can't.
I simply can't because there is no other device currently available in Austria except for the iPod.

Ok, now you know I hate Apple products. (Flame me!)
I personally don't like the i<SomeProductName> design Apple has been doing for the last years (just personal taste!). But I think I could overlook the design if I wouldn't dislike the message Apple has been delivering together with their products (lifestyle isn't something I define through my mp3-player or laptop). And foremost, I don't like their pricing policy.

But that's all me. Now if you aren't already biased: What mp3 player should you buy if those assumptions hold true:

• You hear lots of music (>8 gigabyte)
• You hear music depending on your mood
• You don't see the price of 250€ as a problem
• You like the iPod design
• You like using iTunes (my brother does)

So, let's assume you want an 80 gigabyte mp3-player. And you look at the market and find: Creative, Apple, Sony and some other nonames (that obviously wouldn't be noname anymore if you should consider them).
You see? Something is missing in that list. Something that's a real alternative to the iPod.
I mean, hell yeah, you can buy an Creative ZEN and be happy with it. But the software is and has always been really awful (so they made it compatible to iTunes). So, you're buying a ZEN that you will be using through iTunes: Does it ring a bell? Why bother with ZEN altogether if your iPod works with iTunes much better than ZEN?
And on the Sony side of things: They didn't get their player right imo. While the ZEN shines as a great mp3-player with good sound, Sony just messed up the whole usability concept (and their desktop software sucks too).

So what's left? Some crappy mp3-player that unfortunately is the only choice you are currently presented: iPod.

I am still hoping Microsoft is going to release the Zune in Austria someday soon. Until then, there simply is no viable alternative to the iPod.