Apple Releases 4th Gen iPod

[drlunanerd]

Here we go.

Apple have just emailed me this:

First of all may I apologise for any confusion caused by the Apple support web-site yesterday (20th July).

It has been brought to our attention that the web page http://www.apple.com/uk/ipod/specs.html was displaying some inaccurate information about the specifications of the new iPods for a brief time yesterday. We brought this to the attention of the web masters in the Apple Care department and this was quickly rectified and now displays the accurate information in relation to this product.

Despite this the web-site http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore, where you placed your order
has always stated clearly what the 20GB iPod ships with, which is Apple Earphones, AC Adapter,
FireWire cable and USB 2.0 cable. As such, when placing your order, you would have been advised on the Apple store web site that the carry case and the remote are available as optional accessories. As such, we advertised exactly what we were offering for sale on the Apple Store web-site and feel that the Apple Store was not misleading. We deeply regret if you feel we have misrepresented the accessory items that come as part of the new generation iPods, but stress that our web masters have gone to great lengths to ensure that the content would not be open to interpretation.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you feel that we may be of further assistance for any future orders.


Kind regards

Sharon
Apple Store Europe
Sales Support Team
Hollyhill Industrial Estate
Hollyhill
Cork
Ireland

 

[DaveClarkOne]

Why wait for mail order?

I did the same. The Apple Store has 'em. A new game on the 4G, which has you guessing the name of randomly selected songs on your iPod. You have to be QUICK selecting the multiple choice questions, or your score is less. Best game on the new iPod, and I'm not generally a gamer.

It's so much better with the click navigation wheel. Worth the price of admission alone. Touch sensitive buttons ---BEGONE!

WOOT I got mine! 😀

I called my local store and they had 700 ipods, so I canceled my online order, headed over and picked up this baby. Its SWEET

 

[Trekkie]

Imagine My surprise...

Hopefully they're on the same plane, not the same boat.

Same happened to me. I ordered Monday, it shipped tuesday (or didn't, missed the cutoff time at 2PM??? Come on)

At last look it wandered through Anchorage, AK at about 2PM Alaska time I'm guessing. It's kinda funny because it's the same day it shipped meaning if you look at the tracking the anchorage entries are lower than the shipped from china entries because of the time difference.

It's not landed anywhere from Anchorage, so that probably means it is on a truck outside a door waiting for someone to come to work on the west coast. Those lazy bums, won't probably be to work until 10 or 11 my time 😉

My iPod showed up on the doorstep this morning! I was having fun watching the tracking information because of the 'back to the future' of it leaving china later than it arrived in alaska type thing and I went to show someone at work (we have co-workers in Singapore and were talking about it) and it said 'DELIVERED' as of 9:48AM EDT today.

So maybe the others that missed cut off on 7/22 will show up?

now I have to sit at work for another 6 hours or so before I can go play!

 

[LuvAussies]

You need to develop a bad headache, cough, or the runs and rush home! 😱

😛

Congrats! I ordered mine Tuesday with engraving, so I probably won't see it until Tuesday.

 

[Trekkie]

[Takes deep breath]

<lots of interesting stuff snipped for brevity>

Heh. sounds like me. I had a 400 and a 300 disc changer loaded with everything I owned. I kept thinking 'someone has got to make something that would let me put this on a hard drive dangit'

That was 2001. Bout freaking time the Airport Express showed up! 😉

I understand your delimma. The way I get around it in the 500 - 600 or so CDs I own there are a few 'why on earth did I buy those' that I try not to admit I've ever owned, or after I bought became the 'play this every 5 min' song so I never want to hear them again (Hootie and the Blowfish anyone?) so for me I can 'afford' to not have them on my iPod because if they came on I might have a violent reaction and rip my ears off type thing.

I'd say if you have a working iPod that you can live with until Paris I'd hold on. I'd gotten to the point where my poor 2G 20GB had been beaten a bit and the headphone jack has a little crack in it so I have to really turn up to almost max volume just to hear it normally when I'm on an airplane. I've tried three sets of headphones (Originals, Apple in ear, and then some JBLs I bought for $20) and they all sound the same.

So with this generation I went with the 40GB because I wanted the dock/remote/case (only to find out the remote/case weren't really there, then they gave em to me for free it appears). Since my PowerBook only has a 40GB drive and all, I'll probably use it for about 20GB of music and as a portable hard drive for my digital camera

 

[JohnGalt]

New iPod and iSight Don't Mix

Here's an interesting tidbit:

http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/mac911/

 

[zucruw]

-36 Error

I've got me a new 40gb!!

There was one small problem, i wanted to transfer all the files from my old 2g 20gb ipod to my new one, i plugged my old one into the firewire port and new one into the usb2 port (on new 15" powerbook) When transfering files i kept getting error messages (error -36 transfer error) and the transfer would stop. I thought it might be the fact two ipods are plugged in, so i transfered the files to the powerbook, then unplugged my old ipod. I tried again (still plugged in via usb2) the same errors kept happening. They only stopped when i plugged the new ipod into the firewire port, it worked fine. Anyone else having this problem?? Is this an flaw in the new ipod or have i got a bad cable or something??

I got the same problem. Bought a new 20Gig two days ago at the apple store. I brought it home, transfered all my songs (only 700) and after I tried plugging it in later, it gave me that same error message. I thought it was because I hadn't downloaded the software update, and after I did, it was fixed. But then the next day, it happened again. Also, i was using the firewire port, so it isn't a USB problem. Has anyone else had this problem, and fixed it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is my first ipod and so and after having it 3 days, I've gotten a lot of error messages, so it's kind of dissapointing. (I am syncing it to a 15 in. 1 Ghz AL powerbook.) Please help!

 

[raypang]

Here we go.

Apple have just emailed me this:

First of all may I apologise for any confusion caused by the Apple support web-site yesterday (20th July).

It has been brought to our attention that the web page http://www.apple.com/uk/ipod/specs.html was displaying some inaccurate information about the specifications of the new iPods for a brief time yesterday. We brought this to the attention of the web masters in the Apple Care department and this was quickly rectified and now displays the accurate information in relation to this product.

Despite this the web-site http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore, where you placed your order
has always stated clearly what the 20GB iPod ships with, which is Apple Earphones, AC Adapter,
FireWire cable and USB 2.0 cable. As such, when placing your order, you would have been advised on the Apple store web site that the carry case and the remote are available as optional accessories. As such, we advertised exactly what we were offering for sale on the Apple Store web-site and feel that the Apple Store was not misleading. We deeply regret if you feel we have misrepresented the accessory items that come as part of the new generation iPods, but stress that our web masters have gone to great lengths to ensure that the content would not be open to interpretation.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you feel that we may be of further assistance for any future orders.

Give them the stuff about the misrepresentation of goods, and collateral contract, and the fact that they gave you confirmation forms a verbal offer by you to buy and an acceptance for them to sell. All I needed to do was to say that I actually ordered the 40gb one, not the 20gb one, and that I was unhappy at the way I had been dealt with. As I rang them to give them the legal spiel, they were updating my order. It has the two accessories on at 1p each.

I also mentioned in my email complaint that I had read that some people had their orders appended with the 1p items, and that I was unhappy at the inconsistent line taken, stating that I felt like I was being unfairly treated.

 

[Dreckins]

My iPod showed up on the doorstep this morning! I was having fun watching the tracking information because of the 'back to the future' of it leaving china later than it arrived in alaska type thing and I went to show someone at work (we have co-workers in Singapore and were talking about it) and it said 'DELIVERED' as of 9:48AM EDT today.

So maybe the others that missed cut off on 7/22 will show up?

now I have to sit at work for another 6 hours or so before I can go play!

Had a nice little package waitin on my doostep when i woke up!
Sweet.
Its much more appreciated when you think it wont arrive for another 4 days.
Now who's the one with the badass coke mirror, bizzle? 😛

 

[rX_mE]

What are the ways to change a 40GB 3G iPod to 40G 4G?

I am wondering what are the posibilities to change a 3 months old 40GB 3G bought by Apple.com iPod to a 4G 40GB?

Is there any exchange plan even if I have to give a few bucks (still it's 500$ to 400$)?

Or I am wondering. What happends if the curent iPod breaks? What do they give in exchange? Do they have an option where you can get the new one as a replacement?

Waiting for an answer,
rX

 

[Codemonkey]

I am wondering what are the posibilities to change a 3 months old 40GB 3G bought by Apple.com iPod to a 4G 40GB?

Is there any exchange plan even if I have to give a few bucks (still it's 500$ to 400$)?

Or I am wondering. What happends if the curent iPod breaks? What do they give in exchange? Do they have an option where you can get the new one as a replacement?

Waiting for an answer,
rX

Are you really that dissapointed with your (now well used) 3G iPod that you're considering defrauding a company?

Do you also buy an expensive tux, wear it to a wedding and then try and return it the next week?

Don't wait for an answer - suck it up and enjoy a perfectly good MP3 player.
🙄

 

[rX_mE]

Are you really that dissapointed with your (now well used) 3G iPod that you're considering defrauding a company?

Do you also buy an expensive tux, wear it to a wedding and then try and return it the next week?

Don't wait for an answer - suck it up and enjoy a perfectly good MP3 player.
🙄

I expected an answer like that. Look, the thing is when i bought the 3G i was sure it would charge by USB2 (it sounds natural, dosen't it). I have firewire on my (duh) PC. But i use the ipod a lot as a external HDD from PC to other PCs that usualy only have USB2. I can only keep it pluged for like 15-20 minutes until my battery is out. And it sucks, doesn't it. Also, if it had USB2 charging, i only have to have one small cable with me (USB) and charge it almost everywhere.

Also i think of the 50% battery gain (witch i bet is mostly software). Actualy almost all of the stuff is new software (except the new form-factor). Don't you see, i feel a little ripped off. Wouldn't you?

Anyway, just answer the question and don't try sounding smart.

 

[MacinDoc]

I am wondering what are the posibilities to change a 3 months old 40GB 3G bought by Apple.com iPod to a 4G 40GB?

Is there any exchange plan even if I have to give a few bucks (still it's 500$ to 400$)?

Or I am wondering. What happends if the curent iPod breaks? What do they give in exchange? Do they have an option where you can get the new one as a replacement?

Waiting for an answer,
rX

If you really want a 4G iPod instead of your 3G, sell the old one on eBay, they're selling for almost as much as it would cost you to get a 4G...

Besides which, I don't understand why you want to change an iPod that's almost brand new for one that's not substantially improved - some posters on this thread prefer the 3G anyway...

The reason I ordered a 4G at this time was that the Canadian price of the 40 GB model dropped significantly, finally taking into account the more favorable (favourable, if you prefer) exchange rate.

Edit: posted my reply before I saw your post regarding battery life - I'll reserve comment regarding battery life until I see the results myself.

 

[rX_mE]

Well, the 3G cost 500$ and the new 4G cost 400$. Who would buy a used 3G at about 400$ when they can buy a new one on the same price?

I actualy like better the 3G too. What's the hope for the USB2 charge for 3G? (what about battery life?)

Finaly I will decide for myself what I chose. What are the options for changing it? What happends in case of faliure? What do you get back?

rX

 

[MacinDoc]

Well, the 3G cost 500$ and the new 4G cost 400$. Who would buy a used 3G at about 400$ when they can buy a new one on the same price?

I actualy like better the 3G too. What's the hope for the USB2 charge for 3G? (what about battery life?)

Finaly I will decide for myself what I chose. What are the options for changing it? What happends in case of faliure? What do you get back?

rX

You're right, used 3G iPods are selling for about $350 on eBay right now.

If your iPod fails, Apple will fix it. It is unlikely that it would need to be replaced. If they do replace it, I suspect they still have a number of 3G models in their repair channel, and they will replace your 3G with another 3G if they can. Of course, if they can't fix it or replace it with an equivalent model, they will replace it with the nearest equivalent, which would be a 4G 40 GB.

I'm sorry you're feeling ripped off, but remember that technology is constantly advancing, and Apple makes no apologies for improving its products. It's unfortunate when you make a purchase not long before a new product is released, but it would be poor business practice for a company to tell people not to buy their products because improved products would be available in 3 months (although Apple did make this mistake with the iMac). I believe that Apple does have a policy that if a product is on order at the time of an update, the customer gets the improved product at the old price. This does not apply to you, however, if your iPod is already 3 months old. But consider: when Apple released the updated Power Macs, it dropped the 2 GHz model's price by $500 and added an 8X SuperDrive. If you had bought a 2 GHz model 3 months before the new models were announced, you wouldn't expect that Apple would exchange your 3 month old Power Mac for a new one, would you? (Of course, this doesn't stop someone from regretting that they made a purchase that seems not as good a value as the current model).

Finally, keep in mind that one way that Apple reduced the price of the 4G models was to no longer include the case and remote. These are now rather expensive accessories at the Apple store. So, perhaps the difference in value between the old and new models is less than it seems.

By the way, I'm surprised at how poor your battery performance is. Perhaps your battery is defective, and you can get Apple to replace that free of charge.

 

[gco212]

Could someone tell me who apple uses for standard delivery. I'm going down the shore, and I had ordered the new ipod, so it will arrive while I'm there. If it's USPS, I'll have no problem because they are going to hold my mail, but if it's UPS, I have to do something because I can't leave it on my porch for a week.

 

[smegdude]

I got the same problem. Bought a new 20Gig two days ago at the apple store. I brought it home, transfered all my songs (only 700) and after I tried plugging it in later, it gave me that same error message. I thought it was because I hadn't downloaded the software update, and after I did, it was fixed. But then the next day, it happened again. Also, i was using the firewire port, so it isn't a USB problem. Has anyone else had this problem, and fixed it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is my first ipod and so and after having it 3 days, I've gotten a lot of error messages, so it's kind of dissapointing. (I am syncing it to a 15 in. 1 Ghz AL powerbook.) Please help!

my ipod is working fine with firewire, its just when i tried to transfer with usb2 that the error messages started coming.

Are your errors coming when syncing with itunes or when using the ipod as a firewire hard disk?

 

[rX_mE]

By the way, I'm surprised at how poor your battery performance is. Perhaps your battery is defective, and you can get Apple to replace that free of charge.

It's not defective. In real playback it plays 5-7 hours. The problem when it's mounted as a HDD (via USB) and the HDD is spinning all the time. I guess that uses lot of juice.

I also heard of exchange to a newer product in some shops. Any idea what's that about?

Anyone have any idea about the posibilities of a software upgrade for the 3G? That might add USB2 charging and/or "better battery management" (as Steve said; so it seemed like a software "management" that can be ported to 3G too) to curent 3G?

Thanks for your answer MacinDoc,
rX

 

[MattG]

Could someone tell me who apple uses for standard delivery. I'm going down the shore, and I had ordered the new ipod, so it will arrive while I'm there. If it's USPS, I'll have no problem because they are going to hold my mail, but if it's UPS, I have to do something because I can't leave it on my porch for a week.

Apple uses either FedEx or Airborne Express...I've had them use both. The other day my Airport Express came via Fedex.

 

[caseyD]

It's probably fedex if you ordered an iPod, and they won't leave it on your doorstep, some one has to sign for it. They won't even take it back to the warehouse for you to pick it up, they'll send it back to apple. If your friendly with the neighbors, leave a note on the door telling the fedex guy to let them sign for it. After 2 delivery attempts, that's what I finally had to do.

The whole concept of fedex's not leaving it on the steps is a little screwed up, since my 3200 dollar Powebook came via UPS and they left it on my doorstep with out even thinking.

 

[zucruw]

Both

my ipod is working fine with firewire, its just when i tried to transfer with usb2 that the error messages started coming.

Are your errors coming when syncing with itunes or when using the ipod as a firewire hard disk?

I got the error message with using both Firewire and USB, although not right away with each. After a couple hours of playing around with my new ipod and connecting it via firewire, i got the error for no apparant reason. I then plugged it into my usb and it was working for a day, and then yesterday i got the same error. i had my ipod set up as a hard disk when the errors came up, but it appeared that the error was a result from attempting to sync with itunes.

 

[gco212]

Crap, do they send it back to China or whatever, or somewhere a bit closer.

 

[ifudge]

new model or mini?

I'm ready for an ipod. Like some other lucky people, I've ordered two ipods - a regular and a mini. But I can only afford one.

Because I want an ipod for solo bicycle rides and because I'm a weight weenie, the mini seemed perfect - the lightest possible ipod, which ordinarily would be the overriding (so to speak) factor. And 4 gigs is about 3 gigs more space than i need for entire collection of music.

But on the other side of the equation, the new models have shrunk in size and weight and so are just a few ounces heavier and slightly larger than the mini (they would fit in my bike jersey's pocket just as easily), they have apparently updated the hardware somewhat, and the battery lasts a lot longer.

It used to be I'd purchase a new toy and it would be updated or outdated a month of so after I purchased it. But the mini won't ship for at least a week. So I've also ordered up a 20g ipod and of course I (am having fun) torturing myself over which one to keep (although I'm leaning toward the 20g). One of em's going back. What to do!?

 

[OziMac]

Just to let you know that Apple were updating my order as I called them at 9:25am. My complaint via email was dealt with before I even had a chance to use any of the legal stuff!

On the negative side, estimated ship date is now 03/08/04. I guess they have a supply problem here in the UK.

Hey Raypang,

How long did it take them to respond to your email query? I sent them one two days ago and have not heard anything back yet, let alone had anything updated (which it seems won't happen anyway)... thanks.

 

[MacinDoc]

It's not defective. In real playback it plays 5-7 hours. The problem when it's mounted as a HDD (via USB) and the HDD is spinning all the time. I guess that uses lot of juice.

I also heard of exchange to a newer product in some shops. Any idea what's that about?

Anyone have any idea about the posibilities of a software upgrade for the 3G? That might add USB2 charging and/or "better battery management" (as Steve said; so it seemed like a software "management" that can be ported to 3G too) to curent 3G?

Thanks for your answer MacinDoc,
rX

For a trade-in program, you could try Small Dog, but I'm not sure you would get as much as you would like for a nearly new iPod (they only require that your battery has a 2 hr life). The amount of their rebate is based on the model and capacity of the iPod you're trading in. I believe there are also other resellers offering rebate programs.

With respect to the new battery management software, someone posted that it was specifically written for the new iPod, although I guess it may be possible for someone to port if for older models. However, if your HD is spinning all the time, power management software probably won't help much, anyway (the first thing power management software does is spin down the HD whenever possible). And if the improved battery life in the new iPods is due mostly to this software and not to improved batteries, then it is likely that a 4G model would have the same problems as your 3G model. 🙁