In a verbal statement about the death of Michael Jackson, US President Barack Obama said “I still have all his stuff on my iPod.” So, I was wondering if iPod sales shot up after the announcement or did he mean MP3 player. People use a popular household brand name to refer to a type of product because that brand has been the leader for years. For example, people in Trinidad and Tobago say Crix when they mean cracker, Coke when they mean Pepsi, Trojan when they mean condom and Manning after they are sc…
Apple and Steve Jobs did a fantastic job in making the iPod the brand that it is today and the only people who don’t have real iPods are those who are either too hungry or too oppressed. When Barack Obama said iPod I am sure he meant iPod and not Zune, Sansa, Creative or a made-in-China black box. In the US, everybody who is anybody young at heart has the iPod brand MP3 player loaded with every song they and their friends ever thought they heard. That doesn’t mean other brands of MP3 players are not good and I think many non-iPod MP3 players are worth buying. But in the real world, brand is everything and I am sure 9,999 out of 10,000 people buy the BMW brand to look important and not for its assumed superior shock absorber or girl-catching technology.
There is one item I recently added to my wish list along with Megan Fox, and that is the Cowon S9 16 GB Video/MP3 Player. Like Megan Fox, the S9 is fun to look at but unlike Megan Fox, has a touch-screen. The Cowon S9 plays MP3 and video files but its main attraction for me is that it also plays FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec). FLAC is lossless and MP3 is lossy so, to put it simply, I find FLAC sounds better than MP3 and I want my CD collection to sound as good as it should. Unfortunately, iPods do not support FLAC but the S9, which comes highly recommended by smart people, does. 
Right now, I listen to my FLAC files on my PC using the free MediaMonkey since the free version of Winamp doesn’t play FLAC. The modern world has taught me that the ability to listen to music where ever and whenever we want is a new human right and that is why I must get an S9; I don’t want to oppress myself.
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18 responses so far ↓
bandi // July 9, 2009 at 8:37 pm |
nice review… FLAC is a nicer format and you do sacrifice size for quality…
maybe the S9 will evolve to do double as a phone
aka_lol // July 10, 2009 at 7:08 am |
I have some good quality CDs that are good quality and when I ripped them to MP3 something was missing. I am hooked on FLAC now but I did try WAV some months ago but the size didn’t cut it.
aka_lol // July 10, 2009 at 9:20 am |
bandi, maybe S9 could evolve into a nice touch-screen phone but I don’t want a device that is a jack of all trades but a master of none
Jumbie // July 10, 2009 at 1:27 am |
I listen to OGG when I can, CDs when I can’t and online streaming radio in between.
aka_lol // July 10, 2009 at 7:11 am |
Jumbie, I heard about OGG before but never dabbled in it. I will give it a try later.
wuzdescene // July 11, 2009 at 9:03 pm |
aka_lol ….. this post totally lose me ….. I have no idea what allyuh talkin about
…… de only flac I know about is ‘FLACK’ ….. and LOL wit de crix/cracker …. coke/pepsi …. Trojan/condom …… reminded me of pampers/disposable diapers ….. cutex/nail polish ….. Q-Tips/cotton swabs ….. and the many other jokey tings we say in Trini …..
aka_lol // July 12, 2009 at 1:23 pm |
Yes, I forgot to include those
…and what about Jockey shorts for underwear and Red Rose for salmon.
Jumbie // July 12, 2009 at 3:50 pm |
Ah thought condom was Durex?
aka_lol // July 12, 2009 at 6:16 pm |
I suppose that depends on what part of Trinidad you talking bout
Jumbie // July 12, 2009 at 1:32 pm |
Colgate – toothpaste
Lipton – tea
Milo – chocolate drink
Klim – powdered baby milk (or powdered milk)
Carnation milk – evaporated milk
Kentucky – fried chicken
…
The list is not yet exhausted…
aka_lol // July 12, 2009 at 2:59 pm |
…nice additions, Jumbie
Guardian – newspaper
Shelltox – insecticide
Orchard – orange juice
Jumbie // July 12, 2009 at 3:49 pm |
Breeze – Clothing detergent
Vim – dishwashing powder
Sqezy – dishwashing liquid
Carib – beer
Lux – bathing soap (sweet soap as opposed to ‘blue soap’)
Consul – stove (^_^)
Dat is a classic… meh mammy had one last 20 yrs, oui.
aka_lol // July 12, 2009 at 6:20 pm |
Blue Band – margarine
Was coxset a brand?
Limacol – Limacol
bandi // July 13, 2009 at 12:39 pm |
limacol = alcolado
coxset = fish brand
shelltox is now suretox
corn flakes = all processed grain cereal
aka_lol // July 13, 2009 at 6:24 pm |
Nice additions
I saw the Suretox and it even looked like the Shelltox can.
Jumbie // July 13, 2009 at 12:49 pm |
… cockset – mosquito coil repellent … doh ask me why it name so eh.
Penta – paint
Barber-Green – tarmac
Caterpillar – graders
PH – private car on hire
WASA – water company with terrible service
Telco – phone company with terrible service
TSTT – phone company with terrible service
Bwee (BWIA) – airline with terrible service
aka_lol // July 13, 2009 at 6:29 pm |
A few weeks ago I saw an old machine somewhere in Central with Barber-Green written on it.
Some of my worst nightmares involved Bwee. Yet, for some reason, Caribbean Airlines still have the http://www.bwee.com website.
wuzdescene // July 13, 2009 at 11:53 pm |
OMG …. LOL …. y’all realise dat dis could go on and on …. somebody need tuh do a post ….. and look ah nex one fuh it
…..
Osterizer/Blender