iPod Question: Refurbed 3G iPod at Apple.com

[GenesisX]

Right now at apple.com's store, there is a nice deal on a refurbished 3G 40GB iPod for $299. I have a couple of questions which may not be common ones (thus, I have asked on a number of forums). I hope somebody will be able to answer them 🙂.

1.) Will these refurbished 3G iPods have the old 8hr battery installed, or will they (since they are refurbished and stuff) have newer, longer-lasting batteries? I don't wanna be stuck with a battery that (as I've read) lasts for only 4-5 hours at a time.

2.) What does apple mean when they put "PC FireWire Adapter" in the list of included items? Is this a 4 pin-6 pin Firewire converter? Or something else?

Thanks in advance. 🙂

 

[wwooden]

I am probably wrong, but there used to be (maybe still is) a cable that had both USB and Firewire connectors on it so that you could connect the iPod to a PC and also charge it. They did this because at the time USB didn't have enough power to charge the iPod alone. I'm not sure if this is the cable they are talking about, but it seems odd that they would call a normal iPod firewire cable a "PC firewire adapter" if it was the same.
About the battery, my guess is it still has the 8 hour battery that was in it. It's not always the battery that causes the iPod to be fixed. Maybe a bad component board or screen, I've also heard problems with the hold button.

 

[tangerineyum]

The fire]wire adapter is not a cable but a small adapter that does go from 6 to 4 pin. that other cable that featured both usb and firewire was an extra item that needed to be purchased.

 

[wwooden]

So that must be the Windows version of the 3rd gen iPod? I don't remember there being that adapter in the Mac version of the box.

 

[applemacdude]

NO its nots the windows version

the adpater came with all 3g ipods

 

[GenesisX]

Ah ok, so that clarifies question #2. Does anybody have personal experience of getting a refurbished 3G? If indeed the battery were the older 8hr one, then I probably wouldn't get the 3G iPod (I've already pretty much worked out that the 20gb 4G would probably be enough space for me + thinner + cheaper + more features).

 

[abc123]

i would imagine that they would have new batteries in them but they will only hold whatever a new 3rd gen ipod would have.
i've been lead to believe that the newer ipods have a longer battery life because they are better at conserving power not because they have better batteries in them.

i'm not sure if that is the answer that you were looking for though.

 

[solvs]

It will have the older battery, but probably a newer one, so you'd get the full 8+ hours. I'd go with the refurb 20GB 4G for $249 if they still have it. It's a good deal. Otherwise, if you don't mind the 3Gs, you could always get a better third party battery with the savings.

 

[applemacdude]

Ah ok, so that clarifies question #2. Does anybody have personal experience of getting a refurbished 3G? If indeed the battery were the older 8hr one, then I probably wouldn't get the 3G iPod (I've already pretty much worked out that the 20gb 4G would probably be enough space for me + thinner + cheaper + more features).

I have bought a couple of refurbs before

a 10 gb and a 15 gb

when i received them they had the 8 hour battery and they had no scratches at all, they seemed like they were new

 

[sacear]

Definitely worth it!

Right now at apple.com's store, there is a nice deal on a refurbished 3G 40GB iPod for $299. I have a couple of questions which may not be common ones (thus, I have asked on a number of forums). I hope somebody will be able to answer them 🙂.

1.) Will these refurbished 3G iPods have the old 8hr battery installed, or will they (since they are refurbished and stuff) have newer, longer-lasting batteries? I don't wanna be stuck with a battery that (as I've read) lasts for only 4-5 hours at a time.

2.) What does apple mean when they put "PC FireWire Adapter" in the list of included items? Is this a 4 pin-6 pin Firewire converter? Or something else?

Thanks in advance. 🙂

I bought one! It's the same as a brand new one.

My battery lasts at least 8 hours. Although I am getting paranoid about it now, after reading so much about iPod battery issues.

Yes, the "PC FireWire Adapter" is a 4 pin-6 pin Firewire converter.

I am very happy with the iPod and my purchase. I am glad I took advantage of Apple's offer.

i would imagine that they would have new batteries in them but they will only hold whatever a new 3rd gen ipod would have.
i've been lead to believe that the newer ipods have a longer battery life because they are better at conserving power not because they have better batteries in them.

i'm not sure if that is the answer that you were looking for though.

The extended battery life seems to come from power conservation of the slower CPUs in the 4G. The 3G iPod has two 90 MHz CPUs and the 4G iPod has two 80 MHz CPUs, therefore conserving power and prolonging battery life. 😀

 

[GenesisX]

Thanks. You guys NAILED what I was asking 🙂. Okay, so if it's still 8hrs, then it looks like I will be getting a 20GB 4G iPod. I thought the 20GB extra space would be sexy, but after reconsidering, I could live without it. Plus, with the 4G, I will get more battery life, a thinner unit, save $50 😀, and the new features found on 4G models. Thanks a lot for everyone's help!