Tips to Prolong Your iPod's Battery Life

The iPod's battery life is a sore subject of conversation for many, and one that Apple continues to address and improve on. Playlist Magazine wrote a nice article on ways to prolong your iPod's battery life, and Apple also offers some pointers on their site. Some tips may be no brainers to you, yet others offer helpful insight. Here is a short list of things you can do to save some of that iPod juice, and continue rocking out to your favorite tunes.

1. Use the Hold switch. The iPod wheel is so sensitive that one small tap will activate your player. Practice using the Hold switch when your iPod is not in use.
2. Turn off power consuming features. Some examples would be the iPod's backlighting, equalizer and Sound Check features.
3. Audio Format. This is really up to you, but files in Apple's AAC and MP3 format are more compressed and use less power.
4. Keep at Room Temperature. Since the iPod runs on lithium-ion batteries, it's best to operate it at room temperature between 32 to 95 degrees. Climates that are too hot (over 95 degrees) could cause permanent damage, while freezing temperatures will render it less efficient. Also don't leave it in your car if the temperature is too hot outside and avoid exposing it to direct sunlight.
5. Charge it. Keep it on that charging cradle when you're not using it.
6. Software Updates. Ensure your iPod has the latest software updates which may help increase battery efficiency.
7. Changing Tracks. Restrain from overusing the Previous/Rewind or Next/Fast-forward buttons, and shuffle your songs instead.
8. Pause Button. Use the Pause button while you take a break, this will save you a lot of power.

If all else fails, and you continue to have battery problems, take it to an Apple Store and have your iPod checked out by a professional. It may be that your battery is defective and needs to be replaced. Apple will replace your battery for $59 or free if you're still under warranty.

I've had different experiences with my iPods, and I have to say the iPod Nano has been the best one when it comes to battery life. I rarely have to charge it. Check out the full article at Playlist Magazine, and if you have other tips to contribute, post them in the comments section.

1 posted on 05/16/2006 6:00:22 AM PDT by martin_fierro

To: ambrose; Cagey; Caipirabob; CFC__VRWC; cyborg; DaveMSmith; Dont Mention the War; ...

	iPod
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2 posted on 05/16/2006 6:01:20 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)

To: martin_fierro

3 posted on 05/16/2006 6:03:14 AM PDT by satchmodog9 (Most people stand on the tracks and never even hear the train coming)

To: martin_fierro

sent the article to xskids.

4 posted on 05/16/2006 6:05:00 AM PDT by xsmommy

Now remind me who all has an iPod and what kind.

And why doesn't excessmom have one.

5 posted on 05/16/2006 6:07:27 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)

To: martin_fierro

xsmommy has no need. xsboy has the nano and xsteen has the original one. or the one prior to the nano that is not a shuffle or a mini.

6 posted on 05/16/2006 6:21:25 AM PDT by xsmommy

To: martin_fierro

Why is it that women generally do not buy iPods? It is true that myself and my sons have iPods but my wife does not have an iPod and does not desire one. Why is this?

I go to the Apple Store to look at other iPods and mostly men are there checking out the iPods. Why do men like myself who already have iPods go to the Apple store to check out other iPods even though they know that there are no new models (they know this because they have iPod websites bookmarked on their web browsers). Even though I know all the different types of iPods, I still like to go to the store to look at them. They all look so shiny and new. Like mine used to. I wish my iPod could be shiny and new again but I tote it around with me everywhere and thus it eventually picks up the inevitable little nicks and scratches.

Sometimes I take my iPod out of its protective case just so I can spin the scroll wheel a few times and check out the gleaming mirror surface on the reverse side.

I also never let my iPod get too full. My iPod will hold 15,000 songs but once I get to the 7,000 to 8,000 song range, I get nervous and I start looking for songs to remove. I don't want my iPod to get too full. Because then all those songs start getting crowded on that tiny hard drive and suddenly I will feel like I don't have enough space anymore.

I'm like that with computers too. I had an 80GB hard drive for just my iTunes but when I hit about 50GB in songs, I went out and bought a 160GB hard drive. Now I have a 300GB hard drive and I have about 42,000 songs on it so now I get nervous that I might lose it all so I have another 300GB drive to back it all up on. But that is not enough security for me. I have now taken to store my purchased music on CD-ROM and I take them into work to store there in case my entire house burns down or falls into the ocean. If either of those things happened, I'd be okay because then I could go to work and get all those CD-ROMs and put my music back together on the new computer that I get with the insurance money. Life will be good again.

If both my office and home floated into the ocean at the same time, then I'm screwed. I would not know what to do in that situation. Maybe I should send these CD-ROMS to some super-secure government underground bunker.

7 posted on 05/16/2006 4:28:15 PM PDT by SamAdams76 (I think Randy Travis must be paying his bills on home computer by now)

I have everything backed up on about 50 dvds. I also have a separate hard drive with all the music loaded. I burned all my cds and vinyl. Too much time invested to lose it all.

8 posted on 05/16/2006 8:09:48 PM PDT by satchmodog9 (Most people stand on the tracks and never even hear the train coming)

To: SamAdams76; Petronski

Slap a clickwheel and a tiny LCD display on it, and you've really got something.

Petronski already did the math.

9 posted on 05/17/2006 4:43:22 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)

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