iPod batteries

My son has been given an iPod for his birthday and tells me he has heard that the batteries only last about 18 months and cost a fortune to replace.
r wrote on :

My son has been given an iPod for his birthday and tells me he has heard that the batteries only last about 18 months and cost a fortune to replace. Since there is no obvious way into the device, he may be right. Or is he? Does anyone have any experiences to share please?

It's the first time I've had the opportunity to handle one and I have to say it's a very impressive piece of kit. I wish it was my birthday.

David Kennedy replied on :

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

My son has been given an iPod for his birthday and tells me he has heard that the batteries only last about 18 months and cost a fortune to replace. Since there is no obvious way into the device, he may be right. Or is he? Does anyone have any experiences to share please?

It's the first time I've had the opportunity to handle one and I have to say it's a very impressive piece of kit. I wish it was my birthday.

There was a thread on this very subject a few days ago. Try a search on google. I think they are expensive though.

r replied on :

David Kennedy davidkennedy@redacted.invalid wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

My son has been given an iPod for his birthday and tells me he has heard that the batteries only last about 18 months and cost a fortune to replace. Since there is no obvious way into the device, he may be right. Or is he? Does anyone have any experiences to share please?

It's the first time I've had the opportunity to handle one and I have to say it's a very impressive piece of kit. I wish it was my birthday.

There was a thread on this very subject a few days ago. Try a search on google. I think they are expensive though.

Found it, thanks. I don't read all the threads, sorry. But it looks like the information is correct :-(

Marc replied on :

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

Found it, thanks. I don't read all the threads, sorry. But it looks like the information is correct :-(

I've had my iPod a year now and its going strong. Touches wood but I certainly wont be getting a new one when it does go wrong, I'll get a USB based device, something cheaper. The Nokia 3330 and N-Gage play AAC files AFAIK so I might just get one of them.

Unless apple release iPods with batteries that are easy and cheap to change.

Marc

Woody replied on :

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

David Kennedy davidkennedy@redacted.invalid wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

My son has been given an iPod for his birthday and tells me he has heard that the batteries only last about 18 months and cost a fortune to replace. Since there is no obvious way into the device, he may be right. Or is he? Does anyone have any experiences to share please?

It's the first time I've had the opportunity to handle one and I have to say it's a very impressive piece of kit. I wish it was my birthday.

There was a thread on this very subject a few days ago. Try a search on google. I think they are expensive though.

Found it, thanks. I don't read all the threads, sorry. But it looks like the information is correct :-(

$50 for a DIY kit, $70 to get someone to do it for you or $99 to get $99 to get it done by Apple. Doesnt seem that excessive. Mine is just over 1 year old now and doesn't show any battery problem yet.

Woody

r replied on :

Woody usenet@redacted.invalid wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

David Kennedy davidkennedy@redacted.invalid wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

My son has been given an iPod for his birthday and tells me he has heard that the batteries only last about 18 months and cost a fortune to replace. Since there is no obvious way into the device, he may be right. Or is he? Does anyone have any experiences to share please?

It's the first time I've had the opportunity to handle one and I have to say it's a very impressive piece of kit. I wish it was my birthday.

There was a thread on this very subject a few days ago. Try a search on google. I think they are expensive though.

Found it, thanks. I don't read all the threads, sorry. But it looks like the information is correct :-(

$50 for a DIY kit, $70 to get someone to do it for you or $99 to get $99 to get it done by Apple. Doesnt seem that excessive. Mine is just over 1 year old now and doesn't show any battery problem yet.

In the UK? That $99 will probably be £99 here. I suppose we could always send it over to my daughter in NY to be done.

A.lee replied on :

On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 21:03:35 +0000, Woody wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

David Kennedy davidkennedy@redacted.invalid wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

$50 for a DIY kit, $70 to get someone to do it for you or $99 to get $99 to get it done by Apple. Doesnt seem that excessive. Mine is just over 1 year old now and doesn't show any battery problem yet.

$99 to get it fitted? That really is too much. Even $50 to DIY is too much.These batteries are probably very similar to Mini disc rechargeables, which are available easily for less than £10. Alan.

Jim Taylor replied on :

A.lee alan@redacted.invalid wrote:

$50 for a DIY kit, $70 to get someone to do it for you or $99 to get $99 to get it done by Apple. Doesnt seem that excessive. Mine is just over 1 year old now and doesn't show any battery problem yet.

$99 to get it fitted? That really is too much. Even $50 to DIY is too much.These batteries are probably very similar to Mini disc rechargeables, which are available easily for less than £10. Alan.

Also, they give you a different iPod to that which you send in (unless yours is engraved):

from http://depot.info.apple.com/ipod/

"NOTE: iPod equipment that is sent in for battery service or service requiring other repairs will be replaced with functionally equivalent new, used, or refurbished iPod equipment. You will not receive the same iPod that was sent in for service."

Jim

Bella Jones replied on :

Jim Taylor spam@redacted.invalid wrote:

A.lee alan@redacted.invalid wrote:

[snip]

Long essay on the iPod here, via NTKnow. It's NYT tho, so you might have to registrate. I could cut + paste + email if anyone's desperate...

http://news.google.com/news?q=%22The+Guts+of+a+New+Machine%22

PeterD replied on :

A.lee alan@redacted.invalid wrote:

On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 21:03:35 +0000, Woody wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

David Kennedy davidkennedy@redacted.invalid wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

$50 for a DIY kit, $70 to get someone to do it for you or $99 to get $99 to get it done by Apple. Doesnt seem that excessive. Mine is just over 1 year old now and doesn't show any battery problem yet.

$99 to get it fitted? That really is too much. Even $50 to DIY is too much.These batteries are probably very similar to Mini disc rechargeables, which are available easily for less than £10.

Absolutely, but there is a precedent in massive profit-making from "consumables". How about $30 for a small plastic box containing 3c worth of liquid chemicals?

And not getting your own iPod back sucks. Apple should realise that Apple product users DO get quite anthropomorphically attached to their computers, and probably to their iPods too.

Wayne Stuart replied on :

PeterD pd.news@redacted.invalid wrote:

A.lee alan@redacted.invalid wrote:

On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 21:03:35 +0000, Woody wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

David Kennedy davidkennedy@redacted.invalid wrote:

r@redacted.invalid wrote:

$50 for a DIY kit, $70 to get someone to do it for you or $99 to get $99 to get it done by Apple. Doesnt seem that excessive. Mine is just over 1 year old now and doesn't show any battery problem yet.

$99 to get it fitted? That really is too much. Even $50 to DIY is too much.These batteries are probably very similar to Mini disc rechargeables, which are available easily for less than £10.

Absolutely, but there is a precedent in massive profit-making from "consumables". How about $30 for a small plastic box containing 3c worth of liquid chemicals?

And not getting your own iPod back sucks. Apple should realise that Apple product users DO get quite anthropomorphically attached to their computers, and probably to their iPods too.

Unless yours has been scratched to hell and covered in coffee stains in the button creases. Not that mine is, but if it was, the replace with another might seem like a good deal.

Simon Stuart replied on :

Woody:

$50 for a DIY kit, $70 to get someone to do it for you or $99 to get $99 to get it done by Apple. Doesnt seem that excessive.

Exactly. What do these people want: blood? And 18 months is a long time in gadgetdom ... right now I imagine I'll try to fit a new battery myself, but I bet within two years I've bought a 100GB iPod. Or something.

Mine is just over 1 year old now and doesn't show any battery problem yet.

My old 5GB blah battery still going strong blah shame I dropped it blah twat blah usual tedium blah.

S

r replied on :

Wayne Stuart me4@redacted.invalid wrote:

And not getting your own iPod back sucks. Apple should realise that Apple product users DO get quite anthropomorphically attached to their computers, and probably to their iPods too.

Unless yours has been scratched to hell and covered in coffee stains in the button creases. Not that mine is, but if it was, the replace with another might seem like a good deal.

True. And in some cases it might even come back with a better selection of music.

Wayne Stuart replied on :

r@redacted.invalid datasmog@redacted.invalid wrote:

Wayne Stuart me4@redacted.invalid wrote:

And not getting your own iPod back sucks. Apple should realise that Apple product users DO get quite anthropomorphically attached to their computers, and probably to their iPods too.

Unless yours has been scratched to hell and covered in coffee stains in the button creases. Not that mine is, but if it was, the replace with another might seem like a good deal.

True. And in some cases it might even come back with a better selection of music.

Impossible! :-p

zoara replied on :

r@redacted.invalid datasmog@redacted.invalid wrote:

My son has been given an iPod for his birthday and tells me he has heard that the batteries only last about 18 months and cost a fortune to replace.

Memes are dangerous things.

    -z-
gp replied on :

zoara me3@redacted.invalid wrote:

Memes are dangerous things.

That ain't no meme. That's just post-accumulative neurosis.

r replied on :

zoara me3@redacted.invalid wrote:

r@redacted.invalid datasmog@redacted.invalid wrote:

My son has been given an iPod for his birthday and tells me he has heard that the batteries only last about 18 months and cost a fortune to replace.

Memes are dangerous things.

Are you trying to start one?

zoara replied on :

r@redacted.invalid datasmog@redacted.invalid wrote:

zoara me3@redacted.invalid wrote:

r@redacted.invalid datasmog@redacted.invalid wrote:

My son has been given an iPod for his birthday and tells me he has heard that the batteries only last about 18 months and cost a fortune to replace.

Memes are dangerous things.

Are you trying to start one?

No. I think http://www.ipodsdirtysecret.com/ beat me to it, at least according to the evidence in this thread.

    -z-