iLounge

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

<sarcasm>Woah, what a GREAT IDEA!! I wonder if they thought of that themselves.
</sarcasm>

Posted by Dasein on January 23, 2004 at 10:39 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

” and even then you’re probably not going to get back your original iPod?  Most likely they’ll just send you a refurbished one.”

I see that as a GOOD thing!  You abuse the hell out of your iPod for 3 years… then your battery runs out… and only $100 for a fixed up, tested, guarenteed to be running in fine condition iPod.  One hell of a great replacement plan for those of us who forgot to/didn’t know about/didn’t think they’d need to buy the extended warrenty or an applecare plan or whatnot.

Posted by seth on January 23, 2004 at 10:31 AM (PDT)

Updated: Audio Outfitters looking for beta testers for new iPod product

Yeah. just got the survey as well. Hope I get picked. we shall see.
                  -Ziggo

Posted by Ziggo on January 23, 2004 at 10:27 AM (PDT)

Updated: Audio Outfitters looking for beta testers for new iPod product

The survey is here! The survey is here! (Think Steve Martin in The Jerk)

Filled out the survey, sent it back. Am I the taget demo? I doubt it, since I’m a geezer at 42.

RIP Capt. Kangaroo

Posted by Pete LaV on January 23, 2004 at 10:12 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

Where the hell are you getting $300?

Posted by duke on January 23, 2004 at 10:08 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

I for one would definitely reconsider buying another iPod if the batteries were replaceable. Or maybe just as easily as the 5gig Gen1 I have right now. Even if it looks a bit funky it would still be worth it.

And WebBat, the problem is not that Apple has a replacement program, it’s the cost of the program that I think really ticks people off. $100 and even then you’re probably not going to get back your original iPod? Most likely they’ll just send you a refurbished one.

Also, wouldn’t you rather pay $50 every two years for a new battery instead of $300? I know I would.

Posted by Andrew on January 23, 2004 at 9:51 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

The most unreliable thing on most electronic devices is the connectors.

A removeable battery adds connections that are vulnerable, quite apart from compromising other design issues.

I’ve had a number of cellphones ( Motorala in particular ) with persistant problems due to poor battery contacts.

I think Apple have made a wiser decision in not making the battery user replaceable as it makes it more reliable.

Posted by AlanAudio on January 23, 2004 at 9:35 AM (PDT)

Apple past, present, future, Analyst says iPod the leader for only 2 more years?

How is Apple monopolizing accessories, Jaguares?  Prices artificially high?  And you know this, how?  Oh, I get it.  You just can’t afford one and somehow it’s Apple’s fault because, as a business, they like to make a profit.

Posted by The Raven in USA on January 23, 2004 at 8:58 AM (PDT)

Apple past, present, future, Analyst says iPod the leader for only 2 more years?

apple is cool n3wb!

Posted by Schiano on January 23, 2004 at 8:56 AM (PDT)

UK House of Commons split over battery issue

Split?  Ridiculous.  Let’s bring every Li-Ion product to legislature… then they’ll laugh them away as they come!

Apple has provided several options to rectify this issue… (soon to come to the UK)... let it go!

Posted by azdude_15gb on January 23, 2004 at 8:49 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

Different colored batteries? what a stupid idea. people buy ipod because it looks good and uhm if you have a white ipod, a silver back panel…then a purple battery? i mean wtf.

Anyway..yeah it would be nice if it was replacable, but by screw to prevent accidental mishaps like it slipping or falling out.

Posted by Brock on January 23, 2004 at 8:48 AM (PDT)

RIAA sues 532 music downloaders

I have no feelings about iTMS versus OD2, one way or another. I wrote this because Jackson said there was “no viable download site” in Europe. I typed “europe legal music downloads” into Google and this is the first thing that caught my eye. So while it’s true there’s no iTMS in Europe, there are a bunch of other legal music download sites.

Posted by OD2 on January 23, 2004 at 8:41 AM (PDT)

O'Reilly: Five things the next iPod software version needs to have

silver_haze20,
I agree with your comments 100%

Posted by revmike on January 23, 2004 at 8:18 AM (PDT)

Apple past, present, future, Analyst says iPod the leader for only 2 more years?

Anyone else want to project two years into the future and say what the technology will be?  Before you do, look back at January 2002 and try to explain today.

Posted by thenightfly42 on January 23, 2004 at 8:14 AM (PDT)

O'Reilly: Five things the next iPod software version needs to have

Don’t forget about on-screen text size selection. That size is way too big for showing the song lists. The could easily use the bold Calendar font and still be readable.

Posted by ikelleigh on January 23, 2004 at 7:56 AM (PDT)

Pepsi ads to feature teens sued by RIAA

Well at least these teens will have some fundage from the commercials for covering the legal fees.

Posted by ikelleigh on January 23, 2004 at 7:53 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

You entered the wrong thing in the name field Trent.

All removable battery designs will increase the size of the iPod.  #####.

Posted by dan0 on January 23, 2004 at 7:51 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

it was an idea, not a template for production. morons!

Posted by Margk on January 23, 2004 at 7:46 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

Yes! Fight the corporate machine Dr. Webster!  Kill the opressors!

Posted by Karl Marx on January 23, 2004 at 7:44 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

Apple doesn’t offer a user-replaceable battery because they want make money from replacing batteries for $100. That, and Apple has had a policy of forced obsolescence for a long time now, so in their eyes, when your iPod battery dies, it’s just time to throw it out and buy a new iPod.

Posted by Dr. Webster on January 23, 2004 at 7:33 AM (PDT)

Pepsi ads to feature teens sued by RIAA

I agree, I can dowload in 4 hours, about 200 songs on my school’s T1 line.  I have airport on my ibook G4, then unload the songs to my 120gb drive when I get home.  So i understand what you are saying there.  But maybe she was an occasional downloader. 

Posted by anon on January 23, 2004 at 7:32 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

Well, clearly, it would cost more to produce a model with a user-changeable battery.

Who wants to pay more for an iPod ?
Not me.

The entire design would have to change to cope with a new button/switch thing to open the case.

It’s a sealed product. Get over it.

Apple have even started to introduce a replacement scheme, so I really cant see what the problem is.

It’s really very simple, if you don’t want an iPod (and all that goes with it, like battery life)...don’t buy one.

Posted by WebBat on January 23, 2004 at 7:27 AM (PDT)

Korean iPod clone released

Read the patent. It just goes to show that some folks play by the rules, as it is pretty specific to the domain in which it its intended. So no lawsuits over steering wheels, etc; that is pretty much a .com “business process” phenom.

It looks like Apple recognized back then that the scrollwheel “mouse and nav” solved the huge problem (I had Rio players and the Porta cd-shaped Nomad before my first iPod) of picking a needle in a haystack of songs, as it were. Clickity-click-click-click…if you used the Jukebox, you’ll know what i’m sayin’

The patent is pretty specific to Apple’s actual implemention.

BTW, the first thing I thought when I saw the 1G button and wheel arrangement was that it looked like a woofer

-K

Posted by Kai on January 23, 2004 at 7:26 AM (PDT)

Korean iPod clone released

Read the patent. It just goes to show that some folks play by the rules, as it is pretty specific to the domain in which it its intended. So no lawsuits over steering wheels, etc; that is pretty much a .com “business process” phenom.

It looks like Apple recognized back then that the scrollwheel “mouse and nav” solved the huge problem (I had Rio players and the Porta cd-shaped Nomad before my first iPod) of picking a needle in a haystack of songs, as it were. Clickity-click-click-click…if you used the Jukebox, you’ll know what i’m sayin’

The patent is pretty specific to Apple’s actual implemention.

BTW, the first thing I thought when I saw the 1G button and wheel arrangement was that it looked like a woofer

-K

Posted by Kai on January 23, 2004 at 7:24 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

The pictures show where the battery is placed: http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.html?i=1827

Posted by podLover on January 23, 2004 at 7:20 AM (PDT)