A lie of this magnitude makes the Laptop Hunter ads look almost reasonable. Considering the fact that

• Not all songs cost $0.99 (some cost more but some cost less too).
• Purchasing albums lowers the cost per song
• Ripped CD’s
• Movies take up a lot of room, and if you have an iPod touch, apps
• Maybe I like my iPod to double as an external hard drive

These are all ways that you can fill an iPod without spending $30k. I didn’t even mention pirated music! As far as I’m concerned, digital music is somewhere Microsoft has managed to fail on a much more consistent basis that some of their other departments (Windows XP sort of…and XBox).

Given the outrageous claim that we all spend $30,000 to fill our iPods, my iPod library (movies, music, apps, audiobooks, photos) does take up a significant portion of my hard drive, on my old HP laptop, it was over half; granted I only had an 80GB HD back then.

First, the shuffle is tiny. It makes carrying my music remarkably easier. The 60GB iPod isn’t as easily pocketable as i would like given that I also carry my phone, wallet and keys there too. Also, the shuffle is more durable than any of the iPod models. Its aluminum construction makes the shuffle less susceptible to scratches. Its use of flash memory and lack of moving parts means less things for me to break as I go about my day-to-day business. For this reason, it also makes a good running companion. Seeing as I don’t really run enough to take advantage of the Nike+ system with the iPod nano; the shuffle suffices for my needs.

The real reason for this post however, is to give props to Apple’s Special Deals section of their store. They usually sell refurbished products and occasionally offer new, but discontinued models. While buying refurbished electronics is often hit-or-miss, my experience with Apple was nothing less than stellar. Apple’s refurbished products come with the same warranty you’d get if you bought a brand new item and even come beautifully packaged in a shrink-wrapped box. I definitely would not have a problem buying refurbished from Apple again.

Thanks once again Apple, for successfully getting me to give you my money.