His point was that the iPod name is used just like the Walkman name was. Perhaps it is a US thing and not a UK thing, but the fact remains that iPod is to mp3 as Walkman was to tape deck.

Argue like a 14 year old? Hey, you refuted a side point in the article based on what your mum says. ‘Nuff said.

When I was a kid I owned a Walkman. It was a Sanyo brand, but to me, it was a Walkman b/c that’s what I knew it as. To me, Walkman wasn’t a brand, like iPod. It was a generic product that sat under the category ‘Walkman’. So to me as a child, all I knew is that I owned a Walkman.

My point is that regardless of what you want to call it, it’s usually non-tech savvy people who will call something incorrectly, b/c to them, it doesn’t matter. It falls under a ‘type’ or category of product. So everything along the same lines get branded under the same category b/c that’s how they perceive it to be. To them, there is no distinction between iPod or MP3 player. Walkman and iPod were branded so well that the words will mean the same to everyone, just with a slight variation in the exact definition.

I had a walkman and I actually still have it. I think it’s a Sony but in all black. I’m not really that old but I feel old sometimes compared to my wife and the people I use to hang out with. It’s amazing how things change over time as new technologies come into play.

I don’t want to argue like a 14 year old, so I’ll just ignore that ..

I might assume this is location specific – certainly here (UK) you just *don’t* hear people refer to MP3 players as “iPods”. It has been my observation that you get a lot more of this in the US – i.e. “Can I have a Kleenex?” When tissue is correct, ect.

Certainly, those “with it” people know the distinction. But the general populace does not, and considers all MP3 players “Ipods”. As a matter of fact, when I showed my Creative Zen to my “Mum” her first question was “is that one of those IPod things?”

This is completely untrue. The distinction between “MP3 player” and “iPod” is pretty vast, to be fair. Ergo such intense mimicry of the iconic white headphones.

I have never heard anyone brand an “Creative Zen” an “iPod” nor have I ever heard anyone brand an iPod as a generic MP3 player – even my Mum makes the distinction.