By Carleton Atwater

Whether iPods are simply another trend or the wave of the future is yet to be determined, but in the meantime, resourceful students have found plenty of opportunities to get an iPod without having to pay for it.

Northeastern has given away four iPods in the last three months and many Web sites offering free iPods.

Over 2 million iPods have been sold since Apple first released the portable digital audio player in October 2001, according to www.apple.com. Since then, iPods and their ubiquitous white ear bud-style headphones have become status symbols and a daily essential for many music enthusiasts. On the streets of Boston and around Northeastern’s campus, they can be seen almost everywhere.

“They have become quite the fashion accessory; it’s an overall college trend,” said middler marketing major Ryan Kelley.

University officials have tapped into the interest in iPods by giving them away as prizes during various Northeastern events.

Last month during Super Bowl parties sponsored by Residential Life, three iPods were given away in raffles. Currently, students can also enter to win a chance at a free iPod by completing the National College Health Assessment survey online at myNEU.

“We chose them as gifts because everyone loves iPods,””said John Guilfoil, Super Bowl party organizer and SGA vice president for administration and public relations.

The iPods are purchased with non-student derived funds, sometimes in the form of Northeastern credit card revenue, said Gail Olyha, associate dean and director of the Curry Student Center.

Junior marketing major Mike Searles said he appreciates Northeastern recognizing what is popular.

“NU is doing a great job; they know iPods are huge right now,” Searles said.

Although the iPod is packed with features and some versions can store over 15,000 songs, many college students cannot afford the price, which can reach over $400.

Companies like freeiPods.com offer free iPods in exchange for referring a set number of other individuals to affiliate programs such as AOL, Blockbuster and RealNetworks. The legitimacy of the program has attracted some controversy and accusations of being a cleverly disguised pyramid-scheme. However, the promise of free iPods has attracted many college students who have actually received the product for free.

Soon after viewing a local news segment detailing the legitimacy of the Web site, Searles signed up for an account at freeiPods.com. By November he had met his five referral requirements and was on his way to receiving his free 20-gig iPod, which retails for $300.

“It took about a month to process, which was longer than expected, but they still got my free iPod to me pretty quick and I haven’t had any problems with it since,” Searles said.

Even though he uses his iPod every day, Searles said he still feels the price is too high and he would have never gotten one if he had to pay the full price.

Although Searles was succesful in his quest, some students have not had such luck.

Yanoh Kay Jalloh, a sophomore biology major, tried out two different Web sites offering free iPods, but neither worked. She said she doesn’t recommend the experience.

“Most of [the Web sites] will probably make you sign up for a credit card or pay for some membership, so in essence it’s not free,” Jalloh said.

Jalloh said she first heard of the offers through spam and online advertisements for the programs. Currently there are four different groups on theFacebook devoted to ending the free iPod spam at Northeastern.

However, some students said iPods show no sign of decreasing in popularity. Searles anticipates they will become as much a part of daily life as cell phones are.

“It’s the direction technology is moving toward. With the multicolored mini-iPods available now, they have become fashion statements as much as they are music accessories,” he said.

Jalloh admits if she were to ever get an iPod it would mainly be for fashion.

“I would get a pink mini-iPod probably. They are cute, stylish and convenient. The regular iPods are just too ugly,” Jalloh said.

Mini-iPods are smaller versions of the iPod that come in different colors. They hold only a fraction of the songs of a regular iPod, but at $250, are not much lower in price.

Middler psychology major Katie Harris bought a mini-iPod for herself but said that “they are more fashionable than functional.”

Kelly said there is still quite a price barrier to overcome before the widespread adoption of the music player.