A little mathematics analysis at ArsTechnica reveals that it should be "too" expensive to fill a standard iPod with retail music. Thus, while it is well known that P2P applications dominate the Internet’s bandwidth, the extent to which the general population utilizes P2P has never been fully conceived. With the widespread ubiquity of iPods, Zunes and other portable MP3 players sporting enormous capacities, it becomes a trivial exercise to question the legitimacy of the player’s files and whether or not the owner makes use of a P2P download application.
Current iPod offerings from Apple include the Shuffle, Nano, Classic and Touch – sporting maximum capacities of 1GB, 8GB, 160GB and 16GB, respectively. Assuming an MP3 is recorded at roughly 192kbps with VBR, a four and a half minute song will encode at approximately 5MB. Using a 99-cent download fee as the benchmark price for a "legitimate" single track, filling each iPod should cost approximately:
- iPod Shuffle – $200
- iPod Nano – $1,600
- iPod Classic – $32,000
- iPod Touch – $3,200
So, before getting nabbed in an RIAA lawsuit, remember to practice safe P2P downloading.