The Truth About iPod Batteries

[MacBytes]

Category: Opinion/Interviews
Link: The Truth About iPod Batteries (http://www.macbytes.com/link.php?sid=20050316161924)
Posted on MacBytes.com (http://www.macbytes.com)

Approved by Mudbug

[Daveway]

This guy has been bad talking Apple since he first began writing on the web. I have no respect for this guy he writes mindless articles.
Looks like he running out of anti-Apple articles so he is writing about topics that are years old.

[mkrishnan]

Actually, if you read the whole article, it isn't all that negative about Apple. The final conclusion is something along the lines of, yes, Apple was secretive about batteries in the beginning. But the issue that affects the iPod affects all Li-Ion batteries. Which is very reasonable.

OTOH, someone clearly needs to run an article about the truth about rehash filler articles. :D

[24C]

Maybe he is writing about year old stuff, but it's a fair 'rehash' and isn't anti Apple. OTOH he says short battery life is a dumb ass consumer problem...

It was the same in the UK with first generation cordless phones fitted with NiCads and rechargeable bases. Most folks have been educated to run them flat now before charging and not put them back on the bases after making a call. It got so bad, the retail stores were educating their staff on rechargeable batteries, as they were having to pick up the tab for 'failures' within the warranty period and losing money.

[vollspacken]

let's say it with one of Germany's worst rappers:

"Und mit dem Erfolg, da kamen die Hater..!"

"And with success, haters appeared..!"

vSpacken

[simX]

This guy has been bad talking Apple since he first began writing on the web. I have no respect for this guy he writes mindless articles.
Looks like he running out of anti-Apple articles so he is writing about topics that are years old.

Actually, I agree with the other posters. I did immediately recognize Lance Ulanoff as the guy who said "How cocky are you feeling now, Mac elite? Hmm. Suddenly it's gotten pretty quiet around here," in response to a small DHCP security flaw that affected Mac OS X. But if you read the article, he says it's actually fairly normal for batteries to wear out over time, and he gives Apple it's fair share of credit and fault. It's pretty well-balanced, which is surprising coming from Lance. Maybe he got enough e-mails saying how Mac users were all still "cocky" that he learned his lesson. :P

[Daveway]

I'm just exploiting his track record of not liking Mac users.

[iGary]

This things such a piece of crap that they've sold almost 15 million of them...

DUH

I'll admit my 3G iPods gave disappointing performance, and perhaps Apple was not properly prepared for the problem.

My 4G iPods have given outstanding battery life.

I have a friend with a 3-year-old 5GB 1G - works like a charm.

Let's see this guy do an article on Windows 90,000 security vulnerabilities that Microsoft only just started shipping with proper defenses against. :rolleyes:

Oh yeah, and MS Windows is only like 3X as expensive as OS X.

God, I could go on forever.

Tools.

[dornoforpyros]

boy if love reading 2-3 pages of stuff with out an original thought in it. I wish I could get a job writing for tech publications right now. It seems pretty straight forward.

1)People like their iPods alot
2)Isn't the Mac Mini neat? slightly under powered but neat
3)Don't people like their iPods alot? I see them everywhere
4)Apples iPod is a hard drive based mp3 play...

I think you get my point.

[mkrishnan]

4)Apples iPod is a hard drive based mp3 play...

*gasp* It is? I thought they had a really really small CD player in there. I'm shocked, and a little bit disillusioned. :eek:

*goes to write a "The Truth About Hard-Drive Based MP3 Players" article*

:D

[crap freakboy]

If my iPod was scratched to blazes, with a cracked casing etc etc and I sent it in for a replacement battery would Apple send me a shiny new refrub?

Not that I'd do that, just wondered, honest....really...look our iPod is just sat in its dock connected to the stereo, so there. :D

[AlmostThere]

4)Apples iPod is a hard drive based mp3 play...

<sarcasm>
Then be pepared for the onslaught of flames and insults as Macfans flood your inbox telling you that there is something called an iPod Shuffle that is not hard disk based and in fact the iPod plays much more than mp3 files, including the vastly superior and standard AAC format. It will then follow with various comments implying that you have obviously done no research before publishing and hence you are a two bit, lazy, illerate, Mac-hating Windows weanie. A template for this letter will naturally permeate every Mac talkboard on the web and several online petitions will crop up calling for you to be dragged from your office and publicly tarred and feathered in front of a crowd of hundreds of baying iPod owners
</sarcasm>

[nbs2]

<sarcasm>
Then be pepared for the onslaught of flames and insults as Macfans flood your inbox telling you that there is something called an iPod Shuffle that is not hard disk based and in fact the iPod plays much more than mp3 files, including the vastly superior and standard AAC format. It will then follow with various comments implying that you have obviously done no research before publishing and hence you are a two bit, lazy, illerate, Mac-hating Windows weanie. A template for this letter will naturally permeate every Mac talkboard on the web and several online petitions will crop up calling for you to be dragged from your office and publicly tarred and feathered in front of a crowd of hundreds of baying iPod owners
</sarcasm>
Now that's funny. Very funny. Unfortunately true.

While it was a bit late for the elite "uproar," it was a well written article that I think applies as much today as it did yesterday and will tomorrow. People began buying their iPods in droves in the last 18 months or so. The ones who abuse their batteries are the ones who will be complaining now. Remember - because you bought it first means you're a geek and not a member of the masses. A lot of stupid people from the masses are going to be getting upset in the next 6 months or so. The article was written for them.

[awal]

I have to say that all of this hand-wringing about replacing the battery is much ado about nothing. I am the least competent electro-technical repair person that you could ever meet. I couldn't solder something to a circuit board if my life depended on it.

That said, it took me exactly 5 minutes to open the iPod, take out the old battery, plug in the new battery and put the case back together. And the after-market battery I bought regularly gets 20 hours per charge even when I'm not optimizing the backlight and equalizer and all that other power-hungry stuff.

Yes, the battery in my 2G iPod should have been a little more robust, but those things happen. Repairing the thing was truly one of the easiest repair jobs I have ever done.

[Paul O'Keefe]

Replacing batteries in an iPod (regular, mini, or shuffle) is a legitimate concern. It's not easy. If an end user can replace the battery in a laptop, why can't apple industrial design build an iPod with a user-replaceable battery.

I think Apple does it for three reasons:
1. Upsell the consumer a newer iPod when the old one runs out of juice
2. Upsell apple's battery replacement services and warranties (third party batteries and installation kits are must cheaper.
3. Create an excellent exterior form factor, shaving off milimetres... but at the expense of a key function--user-replaceable battery.

Eventually I think these HD players will be designed with user accessable battery slots. Why? Because as the think become more popular, more people will complain. And if the customer demands it....! Hey, they're even moving towards an apple-branded two button mouse option, anything can happen with enough people behind it.

[SiliconAddict]

*shrugs* I don't know what the big deal is. I got my iPod Photo last Fall. I will use up the one year warnantee until there is only something like 1 month left and then get an extended 2 year warantee from Apple.com for like $60 or something and bam. 2 more years where if the battery starts to fade I can get it replaced for free. 36 months of battery coverage is not bad. Heck by the time the warantee expires I will be looking at a new iPod video at that point. :D

People complain too much.

[Paul O'Keefe]

I think apple's extended warranties start after the warranty that comes with the unit.

I could be wrong... but Applecare could be bought at anytime within that original warranty and it would still cover two years after the original warranty expires.

[balconycollapse]

does anyone recall the website/store where you can purchase replacement ipod batteries for around 60 bucks that add something along 35 percent more charge life to the original hrs. I've been meaning to purchase one for my 3g ipod as I think its starting to lose a little gusto. anyone?

[ldburroughs]

Oh yeah, and MS Windows is only like 3X as expensive as OS X.

God, I could go on forever.

Tools.

Minor point: Windows costs about the same as OS X. I picked up a Home version for my PC for $89. Mac OS X is a little pricier unless you can get a student discount. Last I checked it was $129 for a single user without a discount. It should have been qualified, that's all. I mean no offense.

[iGary]

Minor point: Windows costs about the same as OS X. I picked up a Home version for my PC for $89. Mac OS X is a little pricier unless you can get a student discount. Last I checked it was $129 for a single user without a discount. It should have been qualified, that's all. I mean no offense.

No, no big deal at all.

I'm talking about Windows Professional - apples to apples and all.