Shame On You: The Apple iPod

CBS 2 New York ^ | Arnold Diaz

[finnman69]

Shame On You: The Apple iPod
Battery Replacement Problems Are Creating Problems

Feb 25, 2005 3:00 pm US/Eastern

NEW YORK (CBS) The Apple iPod is one of the most popular consumer electronic products in history. Thus far, 10 million have been sold to music lovers.

But you may be surprised to learn what happens when the battery on the iPod dies.

Our Shame On You team reports that battery replacement problems are making some people irate over the iPod. See why Arnold Diaz puts Apple in the Hall of Shame.

Video at the link

Here: is the link to the movie referrred to at the video story:
http://www.ipodsdirtysecret.com/

[cajungirl]

All I have to say is I love my Ipod more than any other toy I have ever had other than my first Bride Doll and my first toy Gun and Holster given to me in 1947. It is a wonderful toy and I don't care what Apple does, they are Santa Claus to me.

[jeffsg4mac]

He cant prove it, except to say that the ipod shuffle and the ipod mini do not come with ac adapters which is true, but misleading. None of the ipods NEED an ac adapter. They can be charged via the Firewire or USB 2 cable that is included. So everything you need is included with the mini, apple does not have to provide and ac adapter with the other models in order for one to charge their ipod. It is an extra.

[orangelobster]

"Telling a lie doesn't not make a person a liar. Telling a lot of lies can be a strong sign that a person is a liar. "

You're a real gem. My post #35 speaks for itself. I'm a little baffled by your philosophy and arcane system of categorizing "liars," but not particularly interested in it. You've brought a new, perplexing, novel meaning to 'think different.'

[angkor]

http://www.ipodbatteryfaq.com/

Q: Is the iPod's battery user-replaceable?

A1: Yes and no. The iPod's case is not designed to be opened, so, in that respect, it's not what would generally be referred to as "user-replaceable". But, the case can be opened, and there are several third parties that offer replacement batteries for the iPod for as low as $30, such as:

iPodBattery.com (instructions, with pictures: original, non-"dockable" iPod, new, slim "dockable" iPod, 4th generation "clickwheel" iPod, iPod mini)

PDASmart

iPodResQ

Small Dog (original, non-"dockable" iPod, new, slim "dockable" iPod)

iPodminiBattery.com (instructions, with pictures: original, non-"dockable" iPod, new, slim "dockable" iPod)

iPodBattery.com.au

Some will even do the replacement for you if you send it in (PDASmart, iPodResQ).

A2: TechTV's Call for Help has a story discussing and demonstrating replacing an iPod battery.

A3: Popular Science HOW 2.0 also has an article about replacing the battery.

[Petronski]

IMO, the majority of Apple critics are parroting information they've heard from someone else, rather than knowing about the products themselves.

A minority of them are deliberately spreading incorrect information which they know to be false.

I am not an iPod user, nor am I likely to become one, BTW.

[RadioAstronomer]

bttt for later read.

[Petronski]

None of the ipods NEED an ac adapter.

Precisely. The only iPod user who NEEDS an ac adapter is someone who (a) has no USB port or (b) might wish to be away from their computer while using the iPod, such as a vacationer.

[jeffsg4mac]

Good point about the vacationer, I would be nice to have the adapter for that purpose if you owned a mini, but a car charger is cheap enough.

[Petronski]

My post #35 speaks for itself.

LOL. Sure does.

[orangelobster]

"the ipod shuffle and the ipod mini do not come with ac adapters "

You're starting to wake up. You guys are hilarious.

[television is just wrong]

It is less expensive to buy a new one.

[jeffsg4mac]

" You're starting to wake up. You guys are hilarious."

Obviously your are not, the ipod shuffle and mini do not need an ac adapter for the market they are targeted ( Kids ) who are not likely to be away long enough to require anything other than their computer to charge their ipod.

[Doohickey]

I'm not an iPod user either, but this sure has been an interesting thread. For a bunch of conservatives, there sure are some anti-business types around here.

[Mike-o-Matic]

This is a [multiple expletives deleted] disgrace, but it's nothing new for Apple. Back in '87, I bought an (expensive!) Apple IIgs at the end my senior year of high school, and by about (ironically) 18 months later, it wouldn't keep date, time, or other CMOS settings.

I took it to the local computer store, whose owner said the only way to fix it was to replace the motherboard (!!!). There was a $5 lithium cell SOLDERED TO THE MOTHERBOARD. Talk about planned obsolescence! This sort of crap borders on outright theft, with a heaping helping of deception thrown on to boot.

Well, it turns out the tech only half right. Instead of forking over ~$250 for a new mobo, I nipped the battery off and alligator-clipped a $2 Radio Shack battery box's leads to the stubs. A pair of D-cells did the job just fine for the next 18 months. That is, until I finally just got sick of the CRAPPY PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE and CONSTANT CRASHES, and dumped Apple forever. Good job with the customer relations, Apple!

Batteries are consumables and should be treated as such. You wouldn't buy a car if the wheels were welded to the hubs! Actually, this is more akin to a gas tank that may hold a thousand gallons or so, but it has no filler pipe!

Apple's miserable quality may have chased me off, but their arrogance will keep me away, permanently! Re: the movie, they've got a lot of 'nads giving their phone-bot a script like that one to read!

[FreedomPoster]

Puh-leeze. There are all sorts of free market solutions to this problem. Go Google one up, and don't succumb to TV news hype.

[theFIRMbss]

>there sure are some anti-business types around here

This "event" isn't
happening in a vacuum.
And the complainers

ain't anti-business,
they're anti-Apple. For years
and years, Apple has

two reputations --
a high quality class act;
and a shoddy, cheap

exploitative act.
It depends who you talk to.
There have been other

battery issues
in Apple's past. As well as
bad analogue boards

and touchy displays.
All computer makes have
some quality hits,

but people react
strongly to Apple because
of their posturing.

[Mike-o-Matic]

  All computer makes have some quality hits, but people react strongly to Apple because of their posturing.

BINGO!

[Doohickey]

I don't feel like counting syllables this morning. Was that Haiku? :)

I've learned on technology threads that the CEO of every major technology firm is a foaming-at-the-mouth anti-American lefty.

[Glenn]

They have discontinued including the firewire cable.

Mine came with firewire. Is it just the mini that doesn't?

[jeffsg4mac]

" CRAPPY PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE and CONSTANT CRASHES, and dumped Apple forever"

Hmmm, ok last time I checked my mac at home has had an uptime of 232 days. That is 232 days without a single reboot. Final cut pro, Photoshop, Garageband, Office X, Gimp, Open office, Firefox, Avid, and just about any Unix app you could ever want, etc etc, Yep all proprietary and crappy you really got us mac users with that one.