Via Glenn Reynolds, I read of problems with the iPod Nano. Apparently, these highly fashionable gadgets crack too easily, among other things.
Does that mean if you shell out hundreds of dollars and the thing breaks, you’re just another “fashion victim?”
Is there any alternative to these high fashion, expensive, electronic devices which are still, um, “cool”? That depends on what you consider cool. One of the few things I liked about the 1970s was that at the peak of rock and roll arrogance (in which musical tyranny and pompous musical complexity reigned supreme), young people rebelled, and simply said “enough is enough!” The result was punk rock — a startlingly simplified return to the homemade roots of rock. (And fashion!)
I’m wondering whether similar factors might be at work in the introduction of DIY (do-it-yourself) MP3 players like these.
While some might call the above pretentious, Wired writer Keith Axline (in a wonderful piece titled “IPods for Anarchists”), decided to build one because he didn’t want to be like everyone else:
“Must-have” devices seem to instantly lose their charm for me when they’re adopted en masse — even when it comes to the iPod.”
There’s also the matter of pride of ownership — in that if you build it yourself, it feels more yours than if you bought it:
For those with curiosity, diligence and a rebel’s spirit, it’s quite possible to get your hands on a unique MP3 player and avoid selling your soul to tech conformity.
After searching around a bit, I came across an MP3 player kit named EchoMp3, designed by Belgian electrician Michel Bavin. I could buy it online for around $100 (not including a memory card), have it shipped to me and assemble it myself by following the instructions posted on his website. Not only was it sans logo, but it just looked cool. Nothing gives the finger to mass production like duct tape.
It looked cool!
That statement alone ought to drive terror into the heart of the Apple’s core corps of manufacturers. Except the thing isn’t easy to build. You have to know how to perform complex soldering in miniature, and even the writer (who’d built a guitar amp before), had to obtain professional help. (Something I always feel in need of whenever I’m forced to sell my already well-sold soul to “tech conformity.”)
But when he was through, he had an incredibly cool device that he’d made himself — and that no one else had. Plus, it worked!
The player sounds great, looks cool and, thanks to my clumsiness with power tools, it’s quite unique looking. The memory card can hold about 120 songs (comparable to an iPod Shuffle) but can only play linearly and has no file system.
This is truly only a labor of love and makes no sense for any other reason than to have made it yourself. You can buy other brand name players with included memory cards for cheaper, and you can even buy this particular kit already assembled for fifteen more dollars. On the other hand, you can’t put a price on taking back a little piece of knowledge from the largely unknowable world of technology. I spent far more than 15 dollars in time and trips to the hardware store, but I wouldn’t trade it for all the iPods in the world. Well, maybe a Nano.
Maybe a Nano?
Hey wait a second! I thought rebellion was the whole idea!
Besides, who wants a cracked Nano? (I probably shouldn’t pose such questions, because if the DIY coolness takes hold, and the 1970s “New Wave” revolution is any guide, pretty soon the manufacturers will be selling pre-cracked “hacker” style players all patched together with duct tape…..)
NOTE: The EchoMp3 site is worth checking out. Great pictures of the assembly project.