Before Apple switched to randomized strings, iPod serial numbers (typically 11 characters) contained specific data:
Elias plugged his in. The computer dinged. He typed in the information. Owner: Elias Thorne.
Elias sold his a year after graduation when rent was tight. He sold it to a pawn shop for fifty bucks, justifying it by telling himself he streamed everything on his phone now anyway. He didn't tell Maya. He didn't want to hurt her, to admit he had severed the link in the sequential chain. ipod serial number
Depending on your model and whether the device is functional, you can find the serial number in several locations: Go to product viewer dialog for this item. iPod touch : Engraved on the back case, typically toward the bottom. iPod shuffle (4th Gen) Go to product viewer dialog for this item. iPod nano (6th Gen) Go to product viewer dialog for this item.
"Hey, Elias. I saw this pop up on a resale site. I recognized the scratch on the back, but I checked the serial just to be sure. It was yours. I don't know if you'll ever hear this, but... I fixed the hard drive. I loaded some stuff I thought you'd like. It’s funny, right? We drift apart, we change, but the numbers don't change. 8L and 9M. They’re back together now, sitting in a drawer in my shop. I’m keeping them safe. Just in case you ever come looking for the music we used to make." Before Apple switched to randomized strings, iPod serial
This wasn't his old iPod. And it wasn't Maya's.
The recording ended.
I can decode that specific number into: