Sonos With iPhone/iPod Touch
Did you read that story in the "Wall Street Journal" about the iPhone/iPod Touch becoming a gaming platform?
That’s Doug Morris’ mistake. He thinks the iPod is merely a music machine. He thinks he’s got all the leverage, when he’s losing power daily.
In the seventies, the first thing you did upon moving into a new apartment was set up your stereo. You dropped the needle and played your vinyl as you unpacked. If you were starting anew, having left a relationship, maybe you went to the local record store and purchased six or a dozen records to start completely over, with music that was special to you only.
You snipped the speaker wire, hooked the JBLs/Advents/ARs to the amp, and then plugged in your turntable. You dropped the needle and you got…euphoria!
I just had that experience. The modern equivalent of it.
I’ve had a Sonos system forever. But I found it too cumbersome to search for the music I wanted to hear, by time I finally found it, I’d lost the urge. But now I have instantaneous access, because my Sonos system is controlled by my iPod Touch!
I won’t say hookup was easy. I was on the phone with their ever so helpful tech person for a couple of hours. We were especially frustrated that the system wouldn’t see the music on my computer. This gentleman wanted me to enable screen-sharing, he wanted to go deep into my Mac via the Terminal to root around and try to fix the problem.
I said no. Because when I upgrade my machine and have a problem, who am I gonna call? I keep my computer stock, I don’t need any more upgrading trouble than I’ve already got. He recommended doing the combo update, that it might fix the problem.
Yeah, right.
I took an hour from my day. I repaired permissions, downloaded and installed the 10.5.5 combo pack, repaired permissions again and then it worked! I was like a dad on Christmas morning, finally having figured out how to build that bicycle!
Then we installed the Sonos app on my iPod Touch and I’ve been in hog heaven ever since. Playing music in each and every room of my house.
I just think of a track, and then I dial it right up!
You see we installed Napster. And Pandora. We had trouble with Sirius and LastFM. But I just picked up the iPod Touch and typed in what I wanted to hear via Napster the same way you send an e-mail on your iPhone.
What did I listen to?
David Ackles’ "American Gothic".
The Beach Boys’ "Marcella", which I’d heard on Tom Petty’s "Buried Treasure" show on XM.
A bit of 10cc.
And now I’m listening to Stevie Winwood. The original solo albums. She bought the first one just before we moved in together, I bought the second right after I moved out. Do you know "Night Train"? It’s the soundtrack of my move-in!
I even fired up my real stereo. To listen. I hadn’t played a CD in years. And I may never again!
All because of the iPod Touch.
I didn’t even have to attach it to my computer, in order to sync it. I downloaded the app wirelessly! Just like you download a game. To be able to control my Sonos system, in order to be able to hear the history of music through my entire house.
It’s a couple of hundred bucks for the Sonos system. And you’ve got to have an iPod Touch or an iPhone. And a stereo. But when you do, you tell yourself this is the way it’s supposed to be. All your music at your fingertips.
