There has been one other problem that kept MP3 from becoming even more popular and it is also due to the music industry. So far MP3-fans are restricted to using either their PC and/or one of the few MP3-devices that are available. Most people are either storing their MP3-files on the hard drive of their PC, or they are burning CDs with MP3-files. Those CDs, which can store about 10 music albums, can either be played on the computer or in some of the rare MP3 CD-players that are slowly becoming available. I wondered more than 4 years ago, why commercial MP3-recorders didn't replace the highly useless tape decks that can still be found in most stereo systems. I couldn't understand the idea of 120x CD-changers when you can store the same amount of music on merely 12 MP3 CDs. The same is valid for car stereos. One MP3-CD offers more storage than the 10 CDs that typically fit in a car CD-changer. If this CD-changer could play MP3-CDs, you could benefit from some 100 hours of music while driving along.

Today MP3-enabled audio devices are slowly becoming available. However, e.g. consumer electronics giant Sony is still not supporting MP3, simply because Sony owns a large record company as well. This condition keeps people that don't use computers from taking advantage of MP3 and basically those people are cheated from an inexpensive and convenient way to store and play their favorite music.

I personally don't appreciate the stance of the music industry, which is the reason for the slow adoption of MP3 in the non-PC consumer space. Where is it written in stone that music artist as well as record companies are supposed to make millions of dollars? Are music artists worth that money? I am sorry, but I highly disagree. Making good music is a nice thing, but it doesn't justify that those artists become multi-millionaires. The prices we pay for CDs are way beyond their production costs, because record companies finance less successful albums with that money (which is justified) and successful artists have to become millionaires to have enough money to pay their shrinks, plastic surgeons and magnificent parties. Do I feel the urge to finance Madonna's psychiatrist? I certainly don't! The same thing is actually valid with MP4 and the movie industry. Are actors worth the millions they make? I fail to see what makes them special enough. Go and try to talk to one. You'll be rather disappointed about the meaningless conversation you'll have. As long as we consider Intel pricing their CPUs too high, we should realize that CD and DVDs are also way overpriced. Let's be a bit reasonable, folks, shall we? I won't adore any celebrity that hasn't impressed me personally. Plastic surgery and comments like "Oh my life's so difficult! Nobody has ever taught me how to be a celebrity!" show how sad many of those people really are.

MP3 On The Road And In Your Home

For me personally, MP3 opened a great way of taking my favorite music along on my travels and to make sure that all of my music is available to me in each of the different places where I happen to live. Yeah I know, good old Tom has become one of those sad jet setter too, as much as he hates it.

My requirements for a decent MP3-device are high. It should be small, so that I can take it with me wherever I travel. It should store at least 100 CDs, if possible even all of my CDs. The device should not permanently require a computer system and you should be able to hook it up to a normal stereo system. The device should be easy to use, so that Kate can take advantage of it too without the need to have major computer skills.

As you can see, MP3-devices as Diamond's Rio Player or Creative's previous Nomad products as well as all the portable MP3 CD-players were never able to fulfill my requirements. The Flash-card based players can store one or two CDs, which I consider as rather minimal. Portable MP3 CD-Players are shock-sensitive, can store only 10-12 albums and you've got to burn the MP3-CDs before you can use the thing. That's all not good enough for me. Thus I was rather stunned when I read Patrick's article about Creative's upcoming Nomad Jukebox. I knew that I had to buy one as soon as it came out and that's exactly what I did. I better don't report the price I paid, because it was several hundred dollars higher than its actual price now.

The Nomad Jukebox

The Jukebox is about as big as a portable CD-Player, although it's a bit higher (thicker) and quite a bit heavier. The Sony Discman shown in the picture weighs only 210g (about 7 ounces), while Creative's Nomad Jukebox is more than double of that weighing 440g (~15 ounces). From that point of view the Nomad Jukebox isn't likely to ever become 'Jogger's Best Friend'.