From Here to There with an iPod Case
Almost every electronic device has a case. From cell phones to digital cameras to portable gaming systems, cases not only protect these gadgets, they ensure that every component stays together. With cases, cables stay put and memory cards are not lost along the way; headphones are not separated or broken, and batteries, games and even instruction manuals never slip where they cannot be seen. However, many of these cases are bulky; rarely is any socialite seen walking around with his or her cell phone slipped into a belt buckle carrying case. While older women or construction workers might not see the absurdity in this design, others do. Cases are, for the most part, the opposite of delicate, and in a world where electronic manufacturers are marching ever so quickly toward the smallest, the coolest, the thinnest and the sleekest, many users will go without the protection of a case to maintain the look and presence of their devices. Yet the iPod case is a different story. In this shallow world of universal concern for everyone else's appearance, rarely is any iPod user ever seen without a case. While the case does, once again, protect a multi-hundred dollar investment, the iPod case is sleek, it is cool, and in many ways, it allows the user to express his or her beliefs, personality and desires in a way the iPod itself cannot.
Listen to the Rainbow
Most older iPods were available in either black and white, and while the new Nanos and Shuffles offer a larger selection of colors, the variety is still limited. However, the iPod case is available in a rainbow of colors, designs and patterns. If a user wants a purple iPod, or an iPod graced by the logo of a certain band, he or she can find a case to transform his or her iPod into a work of art. The iPod case is also offered in numerous materials, each serving a specific purpose and each tailored toward the specific need of potential buyers. Some cases are nothing more than a knit sock that slides of the iPod to protect it from minimal dirt and dust. Others are rubber sleeves that offer grip as well, beside protecting the iPod from water and other damaging agents, and protecting the screens from the elements. An iPod case can even be made from metal, clipping around the iPod to provide the ultimate shield, while also maintaining an aura of awe and splendor with its futuristic look and feel.
Color and material are only the beginnings, however. An iPod case is also designed with certain uses in mind. While most allow the user to keep his or her iPod protected while still utilizing its functions, some are more or less aimed toward carrying the iPod while it is not in use. Others are arm bands that slip around the upper arm of a listener, holding the music player in place whether he or she is on a tread mill, in the weight room or at a yoga class. The iPod case is as varied in uses as it is in colors and materials, but in the end, a listener can make a rather loud statement when he or she protects his or her device with one of these products.
