In a battle of audio formats, one would think the iPod would easily outdistance the soon-to-be antiquated cassette tape. Au contraire, mon frere. Daniel Turek (aka No Name No Slogan) did a pictorial comparison of the two titled “iPod vs Cassette.” The showdown compares lifespan, price, repair, a drop test and more. Check out the photos from Turek’s iPod vs. Cassette photo essay to see who wins.
NOTE: Our iPod vs Cassette article was first published in 2006. Four years later inNovember 2010, Apple discontinued all homepage.mac.com websites. We’ve included Turek’s photos below as a public service to help archive his great work.
Size
In this instance, size doesn’t matter. The cassette and iPod are exactly the same sizes. Coincidence or was it all part of Apple’s master plan to dominate global music business?
Thickness
The cassette wins this round. It’s clearly much thinner than the iPod. Maybe in the future, Apple will make slimmer devices as battery technology gets more advanced.
Music Storage
The iPod’s massive storage capacity puts the cassette tape to shame. The iPod can hold thousands of songs and hundreds of hours of music. But the maximum storage of a cassette tape is only 2 hours.
Drop Test
The cassette can easily survive a drop from 3 feet in the air. You can even throw it against a wall and still have it come out ok. But the iPod is a lot more fragile and probably won’t survive most casual falls. So hold on tight!
Repair
The cassette tape is the clear winner here. A few twists with a pencil can easily repair the most common cassette related issue: tape spooling. The iPod, on the other hand, can cost you hundreds of dollars in repairs and require Apple Care.
Scratches
Draw. Both the iPod and cassette can scratch very easily. The only difference is you don’t care if your cassette gets scratched. It doesn’t impact your experience. However, a scratched iPod screen can be difficult to read.
The Water Test
Electronics and water don’t mix. It’s a good idea to keep your iPod out of fish tanks… toilets too! If you do end up dropping your iPod in some water, here’s how to dry it out properly.
Car Listening Requirements
Lifespan
Price Comparison
($399 ÷ $0.99) * 3 = 1,210. That means you can get 1,210 cassettes for the cost of 1 iPod. The cassette wins again!
iPod vs Cassette: The Winner!
Thinner, easier to repair, drop damage resistant and cheaper! All hail the mighty cassette the winner of the iPod vs Cassette challenge! If you’re like me, you’ll be heading down to a local gas station to stock up on cassettes.
To see more great photos from Daniel Turek, check out the Apple Dumpster Gang.
Photos via Daniel Turek
Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.
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