Archos Jukebox Recorder

Shakespeare said: "Love is blind, and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit..."

That was certainly the case with my first MP3 player, the Archos Jukebox MP3 Player/Recorder & Data Storage USB Hard Disk that came out in 2001.

It didn't break my heart so much as it strained my wrist.

In the flush of new love, I was ecstatic. I mean, I could carry 6GB of music in the palm of my hand. Including the rubber corners to protect against drops my Archos (as I affectionately nicknamed "my lover") was 1.25 inches thick.

Sure, compared with the third-gen iPod Nano's 8GB capacity in a tiny eighth-of-an-inch thick case, that seems monstrous now. But looking back, was Marilyn Monroe really all that sexy? As with standards of beauty, what was once a hot item now just seems cute and quaint in the tech world.

When I jogged or did aerobics with weights, I only had to use one weight. The Archos acted as the weight in my other hand.

Then there was the time I thought I broke my pinky toe after dropping the Archos on my foot during yoga.

These days, I have my lightweight iPod Nano or video iPod to escort me on fitness dates. And Archos has moved on to mini laptops, PVPs, and possibly an Archos Android tablet/Internet phone for Google.

But one thing is funny. The iPod still doesn't have all the capabilities that my ex did.

The Archos had a mic jack so I could use it as a voice recorder. It came with a DC input that let me recharge it directly from a wall outlet. It had a USB port for transferring music and any other files to and from my computer.

I don't really use it anymore, but I just can't seem to part with it.

--Candace Lombardi