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How does one survive without an iPod in this day and age? On the surface the question seems shallow and contrived, but it speaks much more about the state of affairs than anything else. The iPod is a brand of MP3 player, and in today's fast-paced marketing campaigns, branding is everything.

First, let's take a look at how you can tell if someone is using an iPod. If you haven't picked up on it by now, the easiest way to spot one of these devices is by the signature white wires of the ear buds, the modern equivalent of headphones. The next time you watch a movie, play close attention for the product placements. Before long you'll begin noticing iPods and Mac laptops (look for the apple that is always conveniently visible) all over the silver screen. So, with this rampant subversive advertisement exposed, let's ask the question again - How do you survive without an iPod?

Even though our society is having a love affair with technology that is largely susceptible to branding, there are always other options. Take Microsoft's Zune HD, for example. This device, while virtually unnoticeable in product placement campaigns to date, has pretty much all of the option that are available with an iPod but ups the ante by offering a built-in HD radio tuner and supports 720p video out with add-on peripherals. Or the Creative Zii, yet another option not touted by Hollywood. The Zii, with its Android or Plasma OS capabilities, does a lot of neat things as well, including built-in GPS, two cameras for photos and capturing video, video output, and so much more. And the best news is that these aren't your only options on the market, just a sampling. It turns out that the MP3 and mobile media market isn't so small after all.

There are, of course, other options as well. Perhaps you just don't find yourself to be in the market for an iPod or any of its competitors. That's just fine. There is no need to feel pressured into purchasing the latest and greatest just because it seems to be the thing to do, or to maintain some sort of status quo. It may be particularly hard to move toward digitization of your music library if you have a large portion of your collection in cassette tape format. There is no re-purchase credit for albums or singles you've already bought in another format. This can be a daunting obstacle for some considering whether they should upgrade to the latest technology.

Another funny thing about latest technology is that it keeps getting better. Those who choose to wait may not be so technologically inept as it may seem at face value. It could just be that they are waiting for prices to come down while capabilities continue to increase. After all, if making the move to digital is going to be a pain, depending on the format of your library, you might as well wait to make the move until you're good and ready. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Learn more about this author, Brady Frost.
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