Thanks to Yvonne for bringing this one to my attention:

Birth of an Industry: iPod Loading, from the NY Times

On the one hand, just how lazy can you get? I mean, ripping a CD is something you can do while multitasking… it doesn’t exactly require your whole attention, does it?

On the other hand:

Consumers are realizing that the digital wonder that was supposed to unify and simplify their musical existence actually eats up time, lots of it.

Wow, that’s a shocker: technology doesn’t save time! That ramp-up time is a killer. The real question is, though, does the technology save you time in the long run? Do you save time by using an iPod versus schlepping CDs around with you? Actually though, I suppose time-savings isn’t the important criterion for iPods, it’s convenience. Similar, but not quite the same.

On the other hand (that’s 3 now), what a great gig for the person doing the ripping!

Transferring a single full-length CD takes five to nine minutes on a standard computer

Take a stack of CDs, find a book, and read in 5-9 minute increments. Swap CD. Rinse, repeat.