Okay, the iPod classic is not a character in a novel, but it almost feels like a character.

I used to own a 160gb iPod Classic until the hard drive died. It was then I hurried over to my local brick and mortar store and picked up a 64gb iTouch. Nice device. It connects to the internet, allows you to surf, check emails, and purchase apps from the iTunes store. That’s not why I bought the device, though. I use it for music. The 160gb Classic I had could not connect to the internet, and that was just fine.

There’s nothing wrong with devices that do one thing.

There, I said it. Devices that do one thing usually do that one thing well. Devices that try to do many things usually do them half-assed. My iTouch cannot hold 160gb of music. Nor can you find the music as quickly as you can on the Classic. Plus, the battery life stinks. It’s nice for checking email in a pinch, but good luck browsing on it unless you are a masochist (I’m typing this on a 24 inch IPS monitor with a huge keyboard, so consider the context).

Yes, a smart phone can take pictures, play some of your music, stream content, make phone calls, let you scan items at the store (this always creeps me out, not sure why) but the thing it’s really best at is making phone calls. It’s inferior to a DSLR camera with a dedicated lens system. Storage space for music is limited, and perhaps worst of all, it never allows a person to detach from the internet. Do we need to check email when going for a jog or walking in the park?

There’s something to be said about devices that do one thing, and do it well. They have…character. And speaking of character, Neil Young is about to release a music-only player that utilizes 24bit audio files. It’s called Pono, and it might just be my next music player.

When you think about it, this is scary. Imagine having to carry a phone, a real music player, and a camera with a sensor larger than a mosquito.