This does not happen to me often – but I am definitely drooling over the upcoming iPod touch.
I know it is expensive, and for the money there are competitive products which offer a lot more etc. I love electronic stuff, but I rarely splurge on them. I had zero interest of getting an iPhone as I cannot imagine having an expensive phone – I will probably leave it somewhere. I just am not yet programmed to think of my phone as a very precious thing that I have to be ultra careful about. I do take care of my RAZR, but if it is like an iPhone, I would be worried about its safety more often. That seems like more headache!
I do have an iPod – a Mini (4GB) but I did not pay for it. I got it free from a CitiBank deal – you open an account and do internet banking with atleast a certain number of bill payments for 12 months, and you get it. I got mine a few years ago and I still use it – its very useful although I can sense that the battery is getting weak.
But I want the iPod Touch and I want it now – preferably on the first day it is available.
Can I justify it based on economics? No. Need? No. Common sense? No. Will I use it regularly for video and photo (i.e. other than music)? Possible – but not entirely sure.
I want it because it looks freaking cool. And it has a browser! Ok – I will probably use it only within my house – so it is not that useful. So I guess I want it only because it looks freaking cool!
I need a weak moment to just dismiss all the “sane, rational” counter-arguments in my mind and “Just do it”!
But what about the Edirol R09?
Before the iPod droolarama, I was eyeing Edirol R09 by Roland, an expensive portable digital music recorder for an entirely different reason (besides the iPod touch announcement had not happened yet).
The “internal resistance” for this is stiffer, because given the price vs. intended use I can justify it even less. I basically need the recorder only to record my music classes. I now use a used (yeah – I am cheap which is why this is all so unusual for me) Sony minidisc recorder and it does a very good job. The great thing about minidiscs which I am not able to find in any other media, is that you can arbitrarily split and rearrange tracks out of a single recording. You can do this on the device itself. You combine tracks, split them, delete them – whatever. You may ask – so? The reason why this is so important is that I can isolate specific parts of a song that I am learning and put it in “repeat” mode. I can let it play continuously and thus rehearse a larger portion or just isolate a small portion and repeat it until I get it. A superb feature for learning stuff.
However, the trouble with the minidisc is that it does not have much “portability” with other formats/media. First, in the device I have transferring to computer is “real time” – so 45 minutes to transfer 45 minutes of music 
! Also, the track-marks exist only on the device. So I cannot backup a minidisc anywhere else digitally and still have track marks. In fact, I cannot even back it up to another minidisc without having another recorder. So a great, great feature “imprisoned” in the isolated world of minidisc. Thus, even though I love minidiscs, I am hesitant to buy a “new” model – which again is expensive. The way it is going I just have to keep buying more and more minidiscs. I want those track marks in my mp3/wav player – my iPod. I long for that day.
So, obviously, the Edirol R-09 does not have this, and it is freaking expensive. But I still drool as it does very good recording . Maybe I think I will use it to do fancy recording (like krishashok) – even though part of me says “Yeah right! At your level? Dream on!”
So what to do?
So what to do? My mind is restless going: iPod touch, Edirol R09; iPod touch, Edirol R09; iPod touch, Edirol R09…, now and then interspersed with a stern professor internal voice saying Come on? Are you kidding? It’s a fad, a waste!
What says you reader? Perhaps in ze inzerezt of peez of ze mind, we zust buy zem both? But, you know, we muzt zen voo ze financial controller firzt.
September 19, 2007 at 5:33 pm
I would suggest never to go for a new apple product as soon as it hits the market… give them tme to get reports and complaints and fix the bugs… but I do understand your mood as I have faced that several times (mostly with cell phones)…
September 19, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Oemar is right. Version 1 is usually a whole load of hype and not much in stability. Wait for version 2, the one that is usually announced with a price cut
And dude, Edirol? A trifle pricey. I use a cheapo M-Audio USB sound interface ( 99 bucks with a really good mic thrown in as well)
September 20, 2007 at 7:07 am
you guys are right. First version would be risky, bugs – I am unfortunately still drooling in spite of that. Bugs – firmware upgrades are there.
Pricey – Yes no doubt.The 4GB new nano ($149) is $150 lower albeit a much smaller screen, and no wireless. But a good chunk of the $150 premium is due to the fully touch interface. So while I do think it is pricey, it is not all “hype” (unlike the first iPhone which was at $499!). It willl drop for sure but not like iPhone – that obviously was a horrendous faux paus on their part – to drop it after just 6 weeks.
Yeah – as I said, economics, need and common-sense – all say “wait”. But my mind is now of a electronic geek who wants it because he must have it
Edirol is definitely too pricey – and I am not for it as much now. This M-Audio – is it portable? I can record it when I am not in front of a computer? Doesnt sound like it
September 20, 2007 at 11:39 am
Goddamn all nay-sayers to hell, just buy the damn thing! The drool quotient is so high that the money is worth it. And what’s money? All Maya! Life is a single edition experience, so make the most of it!
September 20, 2007 at 4:03 pm
ah doc – you are the only one who is speaking my language
!
September 20, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Haven’t you heard Charvaka’s saying?
“Rnam kRitvA gRtam pibEt”!
!
Arunk: Wow – I didn’t even know of Charvaka (although the name/sage Brhaspati yes from stories – same person?) ! I had to look up the meaning of this phrase and I buy the philosophy – at least and specifically in this instance
September 21, 2007 at 11:32 am
Arunk, I am surprised that you think so much before buying something that makes you drool. If you feel like this often over many products then I can understand the hesitation. But if you feel like once in a while, there is no point thinking.
I am the kind of person who is a very finicky shopper and therefore if anything makes me drool I just buy it!
September 21, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Lol nita! I never thought of it that way – occasional drool => must buy!
Interesting and of course very encouraging
!
September 21, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Your invitation for readers to comment on this topic is like asking readers for advice on how to go about choosing one’s wife!
Each person differs. Rather than sharing my thoughts about this, I would choose to advise you to find your own priorities and goals, before making a decision…
Arun: mahendra of course you are right. However, you are perhaps taking this post a bit too seriously
! I did solicit advice, but sort of in a light-hearted way. Also I was indirectly implying “have you felt this way” or “what do you do if you felt this way” – not as an input to my decision making but just for fun if you will. But nevertheless – How you interpreted the post and your comments are very valid and very welcome!
September 21, 2007 at 7:07 pm
I agree to wait on it, let them get the kinks out, and the inevitable price drop.
September 25, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Arun
Buy it so you can be the recepient of many adulations like I have been with the Mac Mini – the small price preimum over other phones is well worth the gratification even the proverbial blue pill won’t provide!!!!
November 25, 2007 at 5:22 pm
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June 23, 2008 at 5:17 am
No doubt for me, I’d get the Edirol. It will seduce you to record more than just lectures making you a creator as well as a listener.