©Apple
On my old blog, I had previously written a post about how the iPod changed my life when I was 11 years old. I re-read it today, and decided it would be a fitting tribute to Steve Jobs. He was a visionary, and he’s revolutionized so many lives around the world. Mine is only one life touched, but I’m sure there are many similar stories out there like this one.
Originally posted March 22, 2011:
It was the winter of 2002. Right around Christmas time, in fact, when I saw the add in my mom’s Martha Stewart Living magazine. All I remember about the add was that it said “Stocking, meet iPod.” I remember taking the magazine into the kitchen to show my mom and said “See, I told you it would make an awesome Christmas present. No dice. I couldn’t convince her that an iPod would be a good idea for an 11-year-old girl in sixth grade.
My 1st iPod ©Ilmari Karonen
I remember the first time I ever saw an iPod. It was probably a few months before the magazine incident, and I was at the mall with my parents. We took a trip to the Mac store. My dad’s always been an “Apple guy” and I grew up in an all-Mac household. To this day I’m really bad at using a PC. Anyway, they had these really cool new things called iPods, that apparently could fit all your CD’s onto it. As a child of the 90’s, who grew up first lugging around a cassette player and tapes and then a Discman and CD case, this was an incredible concept. I knew I had to have one.
Problem was, they were pretty expensive. Now-a-days, parents don’t think twice about buying their kids an iPod, but back then it was a new, expensive electronic thing that I was bound to lose or break. They just didn’t think it was a good idea. I was persistent, however, and after about six months of pleading my case, they agreed that if I worked for my dad all summer at his law office, I could get one of the new iPods. You don’t even know how excited I was! I don’t think I’ve ever anticipated going to work so much in my life.
The summer flew by, with me making copies, running errands to other law offices downtown, and getting my dad lunch and coffee. I loved every minute of it. Come August, I finally earned it. I remember going to the Mac store with my parents and cousin Ann, and just like that I was the extremely proud owner of a shiny new iPod.
They were still a fairly new thing then, and weren’t nearly as popular as they are today (think about it…do you know anyone without an iPod?!?!), so I think it’s pretty safe to say that I was one of the only middle schoolers walking around with one back then. I know I was definitely the only kid I knew who had one, cause everyone wanted to play with it.
Thinking back, it’s pretty crazy to think that the iPod was really only introduced eight or so years ago. I literally can’t imagine my life without one! I’ve had a few upgrades since my chunky white one, and I’ve put a lot of love into each. In my sophomore year of high school, I got a lime green iPod Nano, I loved the way it was so small and great to go running with. Then again when I was a senior in high school, I had to go to the hospital, and my parents gave me a new iPod Touch to help me feel better. When I entered college and got my laptop it came with a free iPod touch, so I gave my old one to my little sister. Now, I have an iPhone, so I kind of put all my music on that and treat it as my iPod.
I think it’s safe to say that if I had to pick some of the technological advancements that have shaped my life so far, iPod would definitely be in the top 5. Without a doubt.
Like I said, I’ve been a life-long Apple user. I’m currently writing this post from my MacBook while my iPod is hooked up to speakers in my dorm room. It’s incredible.
©Apple
Life With rMe
It's a Wonderful Life
Just Stay Lovely
Kisses and Croissants
Two Martinis
Life as I Pretend to Know It
Jolie Emily
Let's Get Bananas!
The Unreal Life
Love Always, Freckles
Kate the (Almost) Great
Mess in the Making
Blueberry Days
Beauty Flawed
Karoline With a "K" 
maczac
/ October 6, 2011Good post Ka. Steve will be missed by many and hardly a day goes by for many without an Apple device somehow being used.
Have been an Apple guy since 1979, that’s 32 years…continuously. While I no longer have my Apple II, we still have an original Mac 128k that I purchased in 1984. I still keep (archived) the very first letter that I wrote on it, although it is no longer readable by any modern software. The file’s name is “Dave” it was written to my college roomate, your god father, and my best man. It is time stamped “Created 3/23/84 9:05 PM.” If I recall, the letter was written with MacWrite (the first word processor for the Mac) and it had a graphic and was something about this great new personal computer called a Macintosh.
I remember your first iPod and how you worked so hard for it. To be honest, it was a done deal, I just enjoyed your company in the office. I think that 1st gen iPod is still in the house somewhere.
Here we are so many years later, and the iPhone is ubiquitous. It clearly sets the standard for personal mobile computing devices. But above all and what I always enjoyed about Apple products: is that Steve would never release a product that was a “bad design,” wasn’t simple to use, yet powerful and intuitive.
Dad
Madre
/ October 7, 2011Wonderful re-post. What a nice tribute to our generation’s genius.
Sandrah
/ November 1, 2011Yo nunca he tenido un iPod ni ningun aparato d Apple. La manera en la que Steve jobs alcanzó mi vida fue atravez de Pixar.
La muerte de Steve es una gran perdida para el mundo :( He was a genius.