Before the iPhone, there was the iPod Classic. Now that iPhone 6 is released, Apple has discontinued the iPod Classic. =(
I love my iPod Classic 5th generation, with 80gb. It's both a music and video player, a portable file back up device, and back then at least, photos straight from a camera can be backed up to the device as well! I didn't have to bring a laptop to back up photos or find a place to back up the photos to a CD/DVD what have you when on the road travelling. Gosh.
It's simpler to use than iTunes and I don't have to have to buy music from iTunes to play my collection. That music player didn't have to be combined with a multimedia and communications device such as an iPhone. There are just lots of occasions when I'd rather use my music player independently of the one in my smartphone. I've even brought my iPod on a trek in the Himalayas. I imagine an iPhone would be rather less useful to me up on the boondocks and past the clouds, don't you think? And I was able to take my iPod with me running. I can't imagine carrying a "taller"/bigger and more slippery iPhone in place of the iPod so I can have music on one ear while running. *sighs*
Anyway, I just updated my iTunes program on my Macbook to v11.4, and now Apple wants me to sign in with my Apple ID before I can play music from "radio" in iTunes. Gah. Thank goodness for TuneIn radio. I don't like the idea of having to sign in to listen to radio on the Internet. Like what does Apple care that I have to sign in with my Apple ID before the radio feature on iTunes can be useful? Geez. Gathering data on me? *frowns*
I've never used nor created an iTunes/Apple ID account before this, though I've been a Mac OS X user since 2005, back when Mac laptops didn't yet run on Intel chips, but rather on Motorola ones (I believe).
Sorry I kind of digressed. I was just annoyed by this iTunes radio Apple ID sign in bit.
So back to the iPod, this means I might have to shop around sooner or later for an alternative. *sighs* Thanks Apple! Really! (smiley rolls eyes). Sony's looks promising. Or I'll just stick with an iPhone. Not very happy about this at all! Gah. My iPod's still in good shape. I wonder when its battery will finally die.
