iPod 30GB Black iPod Video

[Sathos]

Just today, my parents bought me a black 30GB iPod video. Can't use it until christmas, but I'm so excited Anyways, I have a few questions for all you experts out there. 1 - what's the best way to protect/clean my iPod? I realize that its color will cause it to pick up on fingerprints very easily, as well as show scratches very well. Is there a method of cleaning it that will not harm the iPod? Also, what's the best way to protect it from scratches? 2 - Is there any way I can get the maximum battery life out of it? I've heard something about fully draining its battery and letting it recharge overnight the first couple of times it's used. How long a battery life can I expect? 3 - any general advice? Tips to keep my iPod alive and well for as long as possible? Thank you for taking the time to read this, and hopefully for having any answers to my questions

 

[Josh396]

I would suggest an Invisible Shield to protect your iPod. I put one on mine and it is near flawless even after dropping it.

 

[deanwaterman]

I would recommend the Agent 18 Case. if you go to their website and use this code: a18nano05 , you can get the case for $15.00 and shipping for $6.65. This is a polycarbonate protection, and saves you the hassle of putting on the invisible shield. This this can be a pain. The Agent 18 cases have always been good.

Google Agent 18 and you should find the website. Make sure you use the code to save $10

 

[Sathos]

Thank you both for the suggestions!

Anyone know about my other question? Will draining the battery fully and letting it recharge overnight a couple of times at first help lengthen battery life?

 

[Battousai]

Apple has some tips on how to get the most from your iPod battery:

http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipods.html

As for whether its better to run the battery all the way down then charge it or do partial charges, I'm not sure. I know on my cell phone, its best to run it all the way down, but on my clie, the instruction manual specifically says to not let it run all the way down, and always keep it charging when I'm not using it. It largely depends on what kind of battery is being used, and I'm not proficient in all the different types.


As for the scratches, I own a 60 gig 5g white, and after 3 days of regular use and keeping it in the case, I started to notice the notorious hairline scratches. I tired all kinds of polishes and creams to get rid of them, but none of them helped. Then I ordered an inisibleshield. Its the best move that I ever made. The invisibleshield is probably one of the best accessories I've ever bought for a portable electronic. If I ever get another iPod, I won't even take it out of the box till the invisible shield comes in. I find cases bulky, and sometimes cumbersome. Plus, you may not be able to use some accessories while your iPod is in a case.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[buryyourbrideau]

The first time you use your iPod, let the battery drain til it dies,

then give it a full charge.

This will calibrate your battery

 

[Battousai]

The first time you use your iPod, let the battery drain til it dies,

then give it a full charge.

This will calibrate your battery

Please understand that I'm not trying to start a flame war, or discredit you at all. That being said, I've heard a lot of people say this, but no one ever links to a technical report, or cites a source at all. Is there an official source that says this? Thanks for your help.

 

[bepster]

Please understand that I'm not trying to start a flame war, or discredit you at all. That being said, I've heard a lot of people say this, but no one ever links to a technical report, or cites a source at all. Is there an official source that says this? Thanks for your help.

was wondering that as well... i hear it everywhere but I can't find any "proof"...

 

[Chundles]

Please understand that I'm not trying to start a flame war, or discredit you at all. That being said, I've heard a lot of people say this, but no one ever links to a technical report, or cites a source at all. Is there an official source that says this? Thanks for your help.

Apple states that you should fully charge and recharge the battery in the portable Mac lines to calibrate them and so most people reckon it's a good idea to do it for the iPod. I think so too, I mean, it can't hurt. Batteries are made to be used, if you don't put the battery through a cycle on a fairly regular basis the electrons in the battery grow "stagnant" and you begin to lose available charge.

I've kept my iBook's battery in good use and at the end of a year the battery can still hold 98% of it's original capacity. Down to 4313 mAh from 4400 mAh. Not bad in my opinion.

 

[Battousai]

OK. I found an iPod specific battery FAQ on Apple that seem to answer a lot of these questions. Specifically, I found these three points interesting:

Question: Do I need to "prime" my iPod's battery by letting it charge for 24 hours before I use it the first time?
Answer: No. Just charge the battery until the indicator says the battery is full.


Question: Do I need to completely empty the battery before charging it, and does doing this prevent the so-called "memory effect"?
Answer: You don't need to empty the battery before charging it. Lithium-based batteries, like those used in iPod, have none of the memory effects seen in nickel-based rechargeable batteries.


Question: Should I leave iPod connected to the charger or in the dock whenever I'm not using it?
Answer: The battery stops charging when it's full. Leaving it connected won't charge it any more. It's perfectly OK to leave it connected so it can charge overnight, for example.

The full FAQ can be read here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=62018


I also read on the laptop FAQ that the reason they tell users to fully charge then fully drain then fully charge their laptops is so that the battery indicator chip can be calibrated. Nowhere does apple ever mention having to calibrate the iPod's battery indicator, and we all know how inaccurate it is anyways. But, as Chundles says, it doesn't hurt anything to try it.

I'm just glad I can leave leave my iPod plugged in all the time without killing the battery like I did on my cell phone. I plugged in my cell phone everynight for a while, and left it in my car during 100F temperatures (electronics are considered safety/productivity hazards at the plant where I work), and now my phone can only hold about 30 hrs worth of a charge, and thats just on standby. It only has a handful of actual talking hours.

 

[iDM]

OK. I found an iPod specific battery FAQ on Apple that seem to answer a lot of these questions. Specifically, I found these three points interesting:



The full FAQ can be read here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=62018


I also read on the laptop FAQ that the reason they tell users to fully charge then fully drain then fully charge their laptops is so that the battery indicator chip can be calibrated. Nowhere does apple ever mention having to calibrate the iPod's battery indicator, and we all know how inaccurate it is anyways. But, as Chundles says, it doesn't hurt anything to try it.

I'm just glad I can leave leave my iPod plugged in all the time without killing the battery like I did on my cell phone. I plugged in my cell phone everynight for a while, and left it in my car during 100F temperatures (electronics are considered safety/productivity hazards at the plant where I work), and now my phone can only hold about 30 hrs worth of a charge, and thats just on standby. It only has a handful of actual talking hours.

I feel compelled to post on this issue because of my experiences with the iPods battery. In the FAQ section above it says that the iPod stops charging after it is full but i really do not think this is true. I received my first iPod 3rd gen and charged it up as soon as i got it. I then used it for a little bit and charged it again without completely draining it, this was my typical usage never fully draining it and to this day i believe that i "over" charged it and ruined the battery. Now i know that the 3rd gens had battery problems but i just do not believe that these things know when they are fully charged. I have plugged in my iPod when it is half way charged and it still takes the full period of time before the indicator stops blinking and shows fully charged, making me wonder if the juice keeps flowing to this thing after it feels full.

In my experience with cell phones this is also true. I have a samsung that since the day i got it i have used until it has completely died. I then fully charge it and use it until it dies again, this has gone on for well over a year and i routinely (!!!!) get 5 or 6 days out of a full charge. My parents, gf, brother, roommates and just about everyone else i have ever known charges their cell phones every night and guess what after long periods of usage(similar to mine, my parents got there phones the same day i did) they all complain about their phones lasting 1 to 2 days or less.

I know ipods are different but in my experience i truly believe i ruined my 3rd Gen iPod by over charging it and charging it over night. I may just be a paranoid schizophrenic but after replacing my 3rd Gens battery(b4 it got stolen) i treated it the same way as my phone and routinely got the Apple rated 12 or 14 hrs(whatever it was). I just can not see how these electronics are smart enough to know when their battery is full and to turn off the juice. If this is the case then i would like someone to explain to me why my old ipod would continue charging for 3 hrs if it already had a strong charge, i would also like someone to explain to me how charging an ipod every night is better for it then treating it how i do(which i believe truly allows the battery to utilize all of it's cells and therefore allowing it to last longer over a longer period of time(years)). I know i am not a chemist so it may be difficult to grasp memory and electron flow/storage but i am extremely skeptical and have seen first hand batteries(including iPods) damaged by charging to frequently. Whew that was much longer then i meant for it to be.

 

[greg555]

Here's a post from Candlepowerforums from the resident Li-ion expert:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1126578&postcount=8

If the manufacturer sets the shutoff point a bit too low you can run down the battery more than it should be. And if it isn't recharged right away the cells can be damaged, reducing their life.

So the manufacturer can set a high(er) shutoff point and extend the battery life in # cycles but this reduces run time. So they may pick a lower shutoff point to get better run time.

If it was mine I wouldn't worry aside from recharging it ASAP if it ever shutoff due to the battery.

Greg

 

[FadeToBlack]

I would recommend the Agent 18 Case. if you go to their website and use this code: a18nano05 , you can get the case for $15.00 and shipping for $6.65. This is a polycarbonate protection, and saves you the hassle of putting on the invisible shield. This this can be a pain. The Agent 18 cases have always been good.

Google Agent 18 and you should find the website. Make sure you use the code to save $10

Dude, thanks for that code! I just ordered a case for my yet to be purchased 5th Gen. iPod.

 

[jman151]

Hey

Hey guys Im from Canada, wondering if the agent 18 for my white 30gb video can be sent here, the registration for the site is only US states, Id apreciate info.