Is an IPOD hi-fi?

Ferrari

Even here in the U.S. we have sweat shops, that should turn the stomachs of any of us. But these are faceless workers, not worthy of consideration, because we continue to support the goods manufactured by them.

Agree

Remember there was a time when we all demanded the best from each other, sadly that appears to be dying for no other reason than pure greed.

Agree.

And back to thread itself. In my opinion the I-Pod is not HiFi by a long shot. However it appears to be an excellent storage/retrevial system for down loaded music-

Agree

-and precious little else.

Disagree.

It's an excellent storage/retrevial system for loading UN COMPRESSED compact discs for listening in situations where the iPod is preferable to what else is offered.

This includes (but not limited to)

Airplanes in flight, bad music combined with the sound of jet engines and cockpit chatter over the crappy intercom system.

Muzak at the gym when you are trying to concentrate on a decent work out.

Worse, same gym is tuned to the local hard rock FM station, complete with screaming DJ running his mouth about some contest or traffic conditions.

iPod through existing car system (many have jacks for this now) to avoid listening to FM or talk radio and carrying a case the size of a Zero Halliburton case full of CD's that are likely to be stolen if left in plain view.

Unplug the iPod, put in shirt pocket and all is well.

Ferarri - your recent post brought to mind a documentary I saw recently. The series "30-Days" originally done by Morgan Spurlock (of "Supersize Me" fame). The first two seasons are now available on DVD. The series is an extension of what Spurlock did in Supersize Me in that he takes an individual and puts them in a situation, place, condition and or circumstances that they would not normally experience (a fish out of water)....for 30 days. The first episode of the first series is the only one Spurlock was the subject of, along with his fiance. The two of them locked away their credit cards, gave themselves the equivelant of a week's worth of minium wage pay (around $260), flew to a town in Ohio and tried to live for 30 days on minimum wage (which has not changed since 1997, and is only now being seriously considered). This doesn't speak to sweat shop labor, which is less, of course. The two of them got whatever jobs they could (diswasher, day laborer) and got a taste of what it might be like to have to survive on minimum wage. I found that episode to be devastating. The entire series is definitely worth watching, especially if you enjoyed Supersize Me.

I didn't suggest you turn a blind eye, just that I don't know how far you'd get in trying to adhere to a rigid practice of such high standards. Bravo to you for holding them and practicing them yourself.

You are mistaken in describing the ipod's limitations to listening to downloaded music only. The secret to getting the most out of an iPod is, as has been previously pointed out, to use hi-resolution files. You can extract (rip) these files directly from CD's (or LP's if you prefer, though you will get the same surface noise) using a computer and appropriate software (iTunes, Foobar, etc.). Most downloaded music comes in the form of low-resolution (compressed) smaller files. I suspect that's where the daggers in your ears are coming from.

Marco

Jax 2 thanks for the lead on that DVD, will add to my list.

Also if you get the chance view the Tape or DVD of "Harvest of Shame". done in 1960 by Edward R Murrow, part of the CBS Reports series as only Murrow could do. Gut wrenching account of povertry in America at that time. Sad thing we have not come all that far in 2007. First time I saw this I was 16 and it has remained with me ever since.

Most libraries have this program, as it remains to this day as the definitive white paper on poverty in the U.S.

Thanks for the tip, Ferrari. I've put it on our Netflix queue. It's not listed there by title, but it is part of a larger collection of Murrow listed as part of a set where it is disk #4. Alternatively, it is listed on imdb, here.

Thanks.

Marco