It has now been 1,000 days since Apple updated the iPod Classic. Is it time to give up the ghost that this will ever see another refresh?
The last time the iPod Classic received any love from Apple was on September 9, 2009.  The classic click-wheel design did get mentioned at the 2010 iPod event, but it didn’t receive a mention or even a graphic in the iPod family portrait in October 2011.  This led many people to believe it was being quietly killed off, but as of this writing, you can still pick one up from the online Apple Store as well as the brick and mortar locations.
The question most people ask in relation to the iPod Classic is why it should be updated, but with the declining prices for solid state drives (SSD), you have to wonder why Apple is keeping this particular device saddled with a platter-based hard drive.  Wouldn’t it make sense to update the drive at least?  Even a minimal purchase of additional SSDs would theoretically help Apple secure better pricing for all of its devices based on volume.  It would also make users of the device a little less concerned about potential shock damage to the heads used in a platter-based system.
I am still using the 160GB Classic I purchased in September 2009 and, after the omission of the device from the 2011 announcement event, I purchased a spare one just in case anything should happen to my beloved music player.  The idea of using my iPhone 4S in the gym around machines with moving parts, on the treadmill or even around all that sweat doesn’t exactly thrill me.  I use the Classic in a nice case from Speck that can attach to the waist line of shorts. I get my workout in without having to worry about slamming into the glass front of my phone with a barbell.
And why do I want a MP3 player with so much capacity?  Well, I listen to a ton of podcasts, and my music tastes are extremely varied.  When I’m out and about I might want to listen to some Flogging Molly, but what if I had been in the mood for Mozart when I last synced my library?  Yes, with the iPhone I could just not worry about this and stream music from any of the multitude of music services, but as with the gym, I would rather not worry about potential damage to my main phone.
Yes, it can be a pain carrying around an iPod in addition to a phone â€" and I actually carry a secondary Android phone â€" but it’s worth it to me to avoid the potential damage to the admittedly fragile iPhone.
So, one has to wonder where the iPod Classic update is.  Apple is not known for keeping under-performing products in its lineup.  One of the company’s claims to fame is how nimble it is with its inventory levels, which would lead one to believe that if it isn’t still selling, it would be chucked out the door.  That being said, Apple isn’t known for going so long between updates on a product.
Which is it Apple, are you done with the iPod Classic or not?
Until you make up your mind, I’ll keep using my current model, and keep my backup safely packaged in its original shipping box… should I ever need to break it out in an emergency.
unopened iPod
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