iLounge

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This came out last week and still fails to fix what has become my “Apple doesn’t give a frak” indicator bug: On both the nano 3G & 4G models, the main menu items, “Video Playlists” and “Playlists”, have their preference settings randomly set at each reset of the iPod. Either they are actually randomly reset, or the location these prefs are read from during a reset is incorrect (more likely). It’s a fairly basic bug in origin and a simple bug to fix. Unfortunately, nearly two years into the software for the nano 3G & 4G, there’s been no fix. Sure, it’s not the most serious bug that could strike the nano, but given the continued lack of stability, spread out across the millions of 3G & 4G nanos, this seemingly minor bug accounts for a considerable amount of time wasted by nano users as they continually have to reset their menu preferences every week or two. Put it this way, if even 3 million iPod nanos were reset in a given week, the time lost to fix the menu listings could add up to well over five man years each and every week. That’s not insignificant. In essence, whatever cost savings Apple has achieved by not fixing such a simple, clear cut bug, said bug has potentially cost the rest of the world something on the order of $10 million dollars in lost time. Not exactly what I’d call fair or acceptable.

Nearly a year into my 4G nano’s life and, realisitically, only a few weeks away from when Apple will do nothing more for improving it, I’ve seen three software releases (1.01 came out almost instantly to fix a spelling error in the menu items with large font), and the only improvement of note was adding an option for turning off the accelerometer for cover flow mode. I did and still love the 4G nano, but the complete lack of attention to the product while they figured out yet again how to break smart lists on the iPhone OS iPods leaves me with one conclusion: if I bother to spend any money this year on a DAP, it won’t be an Apple product. I’m not ready to swear off of iPods, smart lists are too powerful to swear off of with no suitable alternative, but I’ve never been closer to seeking a hybrid solution.

Posted by Code Monkey in Midstate New York on August 24, 2009 at 9:18 AM (PDT)

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‘Code Monkey in Midstate New York’...what a load of rubbish!! Yes there may be a bug but to say that it has wasted $10 Million in time in wrong!  If you are on your ipod watching a movie or looking through your music you not working anyway and that would cost alot more than just trying to change a setting every once and a while.  People like you that sit on their ipods and watch movies and listen to music all day probably cost the world a considerable amount more every year than $10 Million. You just upset that its digging into your time wasting time!!

Posted by flodge02 on November 20, 2009 at 11:54 AM (PDT)