I wanted the iPod Touch in the worse way. Could I justify getting one or was it just plain lust? If I got one, could I keep it as a tool or would it become an obsession? So I started to make a list. First glance it looks like I am stacking the deck with all pros but the negative looms large like a green monster hovering over my shoulder. I need a list of what I want so that this iPod serves my purpose and goal.
This past summer I finally got a faster internet so now the dream could happen. It is useless to have an iPod without wifi. I was feeling the pull even stronger. Interesting enough my parents where being lured in by the enticing Apple. Dad finally got tired of slow internet and bumped up to a higher speed. An Apple store opened up locally and we made the trip. I have been an Apple freak for 18 years and it was cool to see my pc parents engage the with the Apple products. Woohoo, it was like being let loose in a sweet and dark chocolate shop where you could sample to your hearts content. A few days later Dad gets Mom an early birthday gift of an iPod. Getting her set up was a nightmare and I reminded myself that it was from forgotten passwords and the new gmail password was acting up as well. Pretty sure that it wouldn't stop me.
Way before now my list was made. I listen to BBNradio.org for the great hymns and sermons. There are times when I am away and miss one of my favorite speakers. On Sundays especially I listen to Ravi Zacherias but he comes on when I need to be at Sunday School at the new church. It is much easier to download and listen to the the iPod than firing up the big iMac. Plus, I can't truly listen well when at the iMac. My eyes, ears, and mind are all over the place. I listen best when my hands are busy and the mind is free to focus on the message like when dish washing or even crocheting. Downloading to the Nano is too time consuming and by the time I would listen get to it, it would be old news. With Wifi and the iPod Touch this would fix it all right up. So what to do with the Nano? I can't just leave in crying in some dark desk drawer. I made plans to rip CDs to it monthly so it won't feel sooo lonely. I do like listening to music as I fall asleep or when trying to waking on a weekend and this brings about 7 plus CDs in a tiny space.
There are times when I have some radio difficulty and having the quick option of podcasts through the iPod Touch & Wifi makes quick work to carry and go in the all to short morning routine. That way I am not stuck to bad radio stations. Those days I can't get my BBNradio really wear me out spiritually. Anything to keep sane at work is a major plus.
I really like to write. I am a major thinker and writing is the best companion to an overworked mind. I see it as one long conversation with God. It is breathing in and exhaling. It is having things gel after a long think. It is seeking God and having Him clear things up. By the time the thoughts and meditations on the Word have gone through the long hallways of my mind and out through my fingers, I am amazed at where I am at. It is like crawling through a sewer and coming out into bright sunshine standing upright.
Now that you know how much I like to write, the question is 'will I be able to use the iPod Touch to write?' Is it going to be too awkward? Will I trip over my brain trying to touch the correct letters? Will I be to distracted by the other gadgets apps and fail at making writing a daily habit?
A deep voice from deep within shouts back that this is the perfect answer for those many moments where I wait like having the jeep serviced. Having a small handheld device would make quick work of writing, blogging, and tweeting. What about those nights right before bed when a genius thought enters the mind. No more laying there with the thought quickly fading away because I don't want to jump out of the warm comfy bed to fire up the iMac that I put to bed instead of asleep. Now this handy device muted for sleeping purposes is right there to touch pad my burning thoughts. No more excuses can be allowed for disappearing thoughts except for a wiggling temptress game app that might catch my glance as I turn into my note taking app.
I most secret love is to write out a poem because it usually comes from a broken heart and a poem mends those jagged edges. Having an iPod handy is like a bandage of healing right at my fingertips. It would be neat if I could make my own ibook where it is readable like the other ibooks but I think that is a dream. A pdf saved in ibooks comes out with tiny print and you have enlarge it to read it. Bummer.
If I can only keep from being distracted by the game and note taking apps! These are the potholes to my writing scheme. I do love how it makes life easier but oh so distracting too. Maybe the excitement will wane a bit and I can get myself under control. I could gush over the reading and the writing all day and into the night long!
There are some other features that I want to discuss. It has a speaker which is nice so one less thing to attach to it. However, it doesn't like to charge to your old but expensive ipod radios. You need an adapter. Bummer. Mom swears by the one I got for her that plugs into the wall so that you aren't always firing up the computer to charge it up. She says it only takes an hour to charge her pod up where it takes me on the computer or other device 2 to 3 hours. I will have to time her adapter! My inquiring mind wants to know.
I love my iMac dictionary and was hoping the iPod would have the same feature. It doesn't it but it is smart and once you get the hang of the help it provides, you can touch pad as quick as you can type and with correct spelling. However, it is a dance you and you have to learn your partner's move or it you send 'gobbly- gook' or like my Mom says 'afraid I send off cuss words!' You can master it if you are willing not to get mad at it first.
I love the Facetime feature. However, it is a weird too. At the beginning I would just laugh because it me it was funny. It makes me nervous too because they can SEE you. That is too wacky! I also love the chat feature. Meebo was what I chose for Mom to make it easier for her to communicate through her Facebook and email all in one place. I use Meebo too. It is easier to have one chat program than all the different apps. Plus, you have to make it easy for your parents to engage in the experience or they will just throw it out.
What that is my list and I must stick to it. An iPod must work for me and my goals. It cannot become an idol of wasted time....
