Technofetishism IV
Today I had the most wonderful consumer electronics design experience I have ever had. My new iPod came in the mail today. From opening the package to plugging in the firewire, the iPod is a delicious design experience. The unit itself is beautiful, although surprisingly heavy, and I was surprised and delighted by the packaging as well. The iPod's sturdy clam-shell box comes in a slip sleeve sporting an image of Bob Marley. And once you slide the box out of the sleeve and open the clam shall, there are little flaps you have to lift out toward the edges to access the items placed in the box's indented spaces. Even the one empty space is filled with a silver cardboard tuck.

I've been a little slow to jump on the iPod, and I'm feeling even slower now. I didn't splurge the extra $100 to get 10 MB instead of 5 MB (I can't imagine I'll need more than 1,000 songs with me at any one time.), and I didn't even think to check whether my PowerBook G3 was outfitted with firewire before I placed the order (It's not, natch. And d'ohh!). But David's setting me up with a starter mix as we speak, so to speak, and I'm highly excited to put the little earbuds in my ears and start listening to some tuneage soon, soon.

Kudos, Apple, for the iPod. It's beautiful.