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AppleToTheCore.me

I'm a total Apple addict, as you might tell.

2004 U2 Special Edition 4th gen iPod

I’ve never been a fan of U2. I don’t have a single one of their albums. I’ll tell you what I’m a big fan of. I’m a big fan of discontinued Special Edition iPods in the box, in working order, with their accessories.

Say Hello to the 2004 U2 Special Edition 4th gen 20GB iPod.

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I guess if you’re a U2 fan, this was a pretty big deal. Even if I was a fan, I don’t know if I would have spent the extra $50 bucks for it. It was $349 when it came out in 2004. Back then, I opted for the standard-issue white iPod which was $299. Not that I’m cheap, it’s just that, the U2 iPod came with a $50 coupon for the iTunes Music Store. It gave you all their music in one convenient download. I’m sure anyone willing to spend $350 on a U2 iPod, already had all their music. So it kind of does’t make any sense. You’re really paying and extra $50 just for the design and not the music. That’s cool and all, but I still wouldn’t have gone for it. I’d rather have an iPod that remains timeless versus and iPod from a band that I might hate 5 years down the road. I mean, what if it was a Hootie and the Blowfish iPod. How cool would you look now?

Then again. I’m probably a hypocrite, because I’d rock a Nine Inch Nails iPod any day.

So what’s included? Let’s have a look.

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All the documentation is still included. Including the U2 poster, $50 iTunes coupon, and Apple stickers. I tried the coupon code just for kicks, but iTunes said it was invalid. (Hey you never know.)

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The booklet on the top of the stack is actually a poster. It folds out to reveal a hand-written message from Bono, barely legible and full of spelling mistakes and cross-outs. I would have been a little neater about it, but that’s me.

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Besides the documentation, there’s also a pair of headphones, FireWire charger, and FireWire and USB cables. They all look pretty new.

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Now for the iPod. It works, although it has some rough spots. It’s definitely been kicked around.

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The finish is OK. It has some small surface scuffs and a little ding on the back case.

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The previous owner must have cracked it open at some point to do a battery swap. The side of the case has that “used a metal screwdriver instead of a plastic spludger” look.

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In any case, it works. I powered it on and it had just enough power to start up. There’s no music on it. The previous owner wiped it clean.

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I plugged it into my Mac and iTunes picked it up right away. Just like all iPods, iTunes knows exactly what kind it is and displays it with the appropriate icon.

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As does the Finder. Looks like this iPod is in perfect working order.

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I’ll keep my eye on eBay for a replacement front and back cover. Then it’ll look as good as new.

Nice, a little more color for the iPod shelf.

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