The Perfect Thing (pg. 135-196)

Summary:
Chapter 6: Download
The iTunes did not exist before the iPod. It actually came around 2 years later after the introduction of the iPod. In 1997, Justin Frankel created WinAmp, the application that can be considered a digital jukebox. He sold the program to AOL. MP3s used to be on computers, but in 1998, Diamond Multimedia, a small Korean Company, released a tiny speaker device called the Rio PMP300, that would play an hour's worth of MP3 songs that can uploaded from the computer. Record labels sued because a digital music players that can make computer copies of songs was a violation of copyrights. Record labels were desperate for people to listen to new releases, that they even bribe radio stations to play their songs. However streaming songs on the internet would let people hear new songs faster. Michael Robertson created a web site where one can search information about MP3 files. Visitors of the site requested Robertson to upload songs. So, he asked unsigned bands (bands that are not signed to a record label) if he can upload their songs on the website and the bands can use the website to promote themselves. Robertson also let people listen to music from their collections while they are online. Record labels sued Robertson . Napster was the next victim to record labels. Napster was a program where one can download songs for free. Record labels sued because of copyright. For iTunes, one way is that one can insert a CD and import the songs to the iTunes library. Steve Jobs wanted to give iPod users a way to buy music legally. So the iTunes Music Store was launched on April 28th 2003 with 200,000 songs. By 2006, the store more than 2 million songs. This made buying music much easier because it was part of the iTunes software. So, Apple needed to make a version that would work on Windows computers. Record labels are liking it. Instead of buying a whole CD, from iTunes one can buy their favorite songs instead of buying the whole CD.
Chapter 7: Shuffle
One feature of the iTunes and the iPod is shuffling, where you can listen to your songs in random order. However, the narrator (Steven) is questioning whether if his songs are really shuffling. On his iPod, he had about 50 Steely Dan songs , he felt that Steely Dan is being played too much. Some artists doesn't even come up at all. So it like the iPod is only playing favorites. When Steven asked other iPod users if the iPod is also playing favorites even when put on shuffle, they said yes. So in January 2005, the iPod shuffle was introduced.  During that time, the Shuffle costs $99. It does not have a click wheel, display, or a menu-driven interface. The reason why this new iPod is called a shuffle because its main job is to shuffle songs.

Quote: 

"One was that using shuffle on the iPod has become incredibly important to people" (Levy 173).

Reaction:
Using the shuffle option is really fun. It brings me suspense of what the next song might be. If there wasn't a shuffle button, the songs would play in alphabetical order. That would boring because it is predictable of what the song will be. I would have that moment that I didn't know this song was going to play next. If the shuffle feature is not working like I want it, there is always the forward button.