iWhat?

I went Christmas shopping yesterday. I'm pretty sure that Ridge Road sucked all the Christmas spirit out of me...but I digress.

My mom was up here a few weeks ago and mentioned that she wanted an iPod dock stereo for the kitchen. OK, no problem. My dad and I decided that I would be a better person for the job, since I'm so "in touch" with the techno goodness of iPods. So, this was supposed to be an easy present.

I did some research to see where I could get the best bang for the buck and still get a good stereo for her - I didn't want to get one with crappy speakers or one that would fall apart after little use. So - armed with information, I headed to Target. Walking around Target on Dec. 1st was a feat in and of itself. Trying to find the iPod stuff through the mass of people was a pain. But I prevailed. I came upon an endcap that had an Audiovox iPod dock/stereo/AM/FM Radio/CD Player - BINGO! So I pick it up and look it over. All it says is made for iPod. It doesn't say what iPod. I figure it'll fit my mom's - but I wanted to be sure.

BACKSTORY: My mom and I have the same iPod - just a different color. Clay got me my iPod mini for my 22nd birthday, and that swummer (2004) I got one for my mom. Well, after the nano and shuffle, they stopped making the mini. But lots of people still have them, so it's not completely obselete (like the first gen iPod sitting upstairs).

OK, so I go over to a guy. This is the conversation:

Me: Does this work with the iPod Mini?
Him: What?
Me: I want to make sure that this works with the iPod mini before I buy it.
Him: Ummm, let me see. No, it only works with the regular iPod. Wait, it should work. No, the picture is a regular iPod. I don't know. Let me check.
Me: OK, thank you.

waiting waiting...he goes to look at the ipod section......

Him: What kind of iPod?
Me: Mini.
Him: Can you come over here and look. I don't see it.

We both walk back to the iPod section, now there is another Target employee in tow....

Him: OK, the nano?
Me: No, the mini.
Him: There is no mini.
Me: They don't make it anymore.
Other dude: You mean the shuffle.
Me: No, the mini - it's bigger than a nano, and smaller than a regular.
Other dude: Well the dock is the same so it should work.
Me: OK
Him: And you can bring it back if it doesn't
Me: OK, thanks.

So I bought it and brought it home. I opened the box and stuck my mini on the dock and it works.

So long, Christmas spirit.