Okay, I think I get it now...

A while back, the Wife ... and then I ... got iPods. She got the Shuffle ... and that's really cool, by the way ... while I got the big iPod. Not the Nano, but the one with the bigger video screen.

Of course, this was all shortly before they came out with the new iPods. Just my luck on timing, huh?

But, I'm not unhappy with the iPod. On the contrary. I think I get it now.

You see, I was always one of those that looked at folks carrying an iPod and wondered what that was all about.

And, when I got one, I wondered if it was a good decision.

The Shuffle? I liked it immediately. It was the iPod with video ... my iPod ... that I wasn't too sure about.

Well, I think I get it now.

I was listening to "Sweet Home Alabama" on the iPod yesterday. I've heard that song hundreds of times since it was released over 30 years ago.But, I never heard the sampling of the Neil Young song.

Oh, I knew all about Van Zant's writing the song in response to "Southern Man," but in all these years, in all the hearings of the song, I never heard, the sampling of "Southern Man" ... or what I now understand is Al Kooper's impersonation of Neil Young's singing ... until yesterday.

Never once, while playing the song on an 8-track. Never once, while playing a cassette with the song. Never while playing a 12-inch vinyl album or a 7-inch 45. Never once while playing a CD. Never once while listening on the radio.

Okay, I may be the only person on the planet that never heard it. But I never heard it. Until yesterday. On my iPod.

The point? Simple. Stuff sound good. Real good.

But, actually, the music was the easy part. I "got it" when we got the iPod Shuffle.

It was actually the video part that I just didn't get.

I mean, who would try to watch a video, whether it be a music video, a TV show, or a movie, on a small screen like that?

I just didn't understand it.

Until yesterday.

I had downloaded some music videos to entertain the oldest granddaughter. She thinks Weird Al is cool. Or at least one of his videos ("The Saga Begins").

But I was watching another one of them ("Smells Like Nirvana") while sitting on the couch, and looked up at the TV sitting across the room.

I looked back down at the iPod. Then back at the TV.

iPod.

TV.

iPod.

TV.

Then, I held the iPod up at watchable distance in front of the TV, then slowly slid it to the side.

I repeated it, only this time, slowly sliding it down.

I was comparing the height and width of the screens.

The 29-inch TV sitting across the room vs. the 3-1/2 inch iPod screen in my hand.

They're just about the same size.

And, the iPod's picture is clearer.

I think I get it now.