理解iPod：以Paul Levinson「玩具、鏡子、藝術」觀點考察

蘋果公司從2001年推出iPod已逾十年的歷史，它所引起的移動性、審美與功能的改變與突破，是人類從汽車音響、隨身聽後重要的移動科技。本文借用媒介生態學者萊文森（Paul Levinson）對科技發展的「玩具、鏡子、藝術」三階段來分析iPod：在其發展初期有著玩具時期的驚奇；而隨著iPhone的出現，讓人們關注起它的真實內容，也進入了鏡子時期。在iPad的問世後，讓其更綜集前兩個階段的特點，而進入到藝術時期，於是原本被遮掩的真正形式便逐步凸顯，那是以蘋果為代表的美學社會，其特色是華麗卻又虛空的狀態。

關鍵字

媒介生態學；萊文森；蘋果公司

並列摘要

iPod has come into being for more than a decade since Apple Inc. introduced it in 2001. As one of important mobile music devices following car stereo and Walkman, it has brought about great changes and breakthroughs, in terms of mobility, aesthetics and functions. This essay critically explores the trajectory of its mutation and the accompanied impacts, by drawing on media ecologist Paul Levinson's three-stage metamorphosis of technological media from toy to mirror of reality and then to midwife of art. Accordingly, iPod has a quite transient toy period in its early stage, seen mainly as a new gadget. With the emergence of iPhone, attentions turned more to its real content, marking its mirror period. Then with the advent of iPad, all technological features from the two previous stages were integrated. What remained covert before started to become obvious. The author concludes that a new aesthetics gradually takes form, pioneered and represented by Apple, which seems gorgeous yet still empty.