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iPods...too fragile...battery doesn't work etc. etc.

#21
I'm looking at the 60GB iPod..in the near future.
Why? 'Cause my Dell 20GB DJ w/ 350+ albums bit the dust 3 DAYS after the warranty expired(bought in July 2004, died with "Hard Disk Problem" on August 3 2005).

Dell's Customer Service did say-
1)It was my responsibilty to keep the warranty current. They didn't reply when I asked if they had a responsibilty to design something that lasted more than a year + 3 days.
2)Was I rough with the unit? If jogging on a treadmill is 'rough', they need to re-think their design...IMO.
3)We will gladly give you $25 off a new DJ. I bet you will.

Clink...I hung up on the chick.
 
#22
JimK said:
2)Was I rough with the unit? If jogging on a treadmill is 'rough', they need to re-think their design...IMO.
Click to expand...
If you're jogging on a treadmill perhaps you should have been looking at non-HD-based players... It's not like your average hard drive is DESIGNED to withstand that kind of vibration during extended periods... or any period at all, for that matter.
 
#23
syciprider said:
The reason why you don't hear problems about the other brands is because they hardly sell any :) . If you compare iPod's market share to theirs it is like comparing the sales of Ford's F series to the closest Chevy/CMC competitor (GM is waaaay behind).
Click to expand...

You have never been to Iowa then. GM is the truck to own around here.

Ford sells more because they are cheaper. They have weakers engines and lower towing capacity, but thats not what we are talking about ;)

iPod sells more because they got a jump on the market even though Sony was the first to offer a mp3 player. It has had the most exposure, yet is far too restrictive. I have an iAudio X5 that can run circles around an iPod in features, yet it will never sell as much because it doesn't look like an iPod. The X5 has a 12 minute shock protection so you can run just fine with it. I know I do!
 
#24
Have had an iPod 4G 40gb for well over a year now. It travels with me everywhere and gets used for at least 4-5hours every day. I treat it like crap (ie thrown into bags, dropped off machines at the gym etc) and I have never had a single problem with it or the battery life and would replace it in a heart beat if I did.

Maybe I got the one good one out of the millions that have been sold. But I doubt it.
 
#26
protoz said:
Ford sells more because they are cheaper. They have weakers engines and lower towing capacity, but thats not what we are talking about ;)
Click to expand...

Is that the secret of years and years of market leadership? So how come GM can't figure it out? I mean, they got the market cornered on powerful but fragile trucks, it's only a small step to making them weaker...

But I don't have a truck so let's get back on topic. Nothing in the market beats the utter operational simplicity and ergonomics of the iPod. Use thumb. Twirl. Simple.
 
#27
Oysterman said:
If you're jogging on a treadmill perhaps you should have been looking at non-HD-based players... It's not like your average hard drive is DESIGNED to withstand that kind of vibration during extended periods... or any period at all, for that matter.
Click to expand...

You may have a point...I would think the engineers would factor in that people would use these things while jogging, biking, etc.
Another guy at my gym RUNS on the treadmill with his...his Dell DJ is a year or so older than mine.
In any event, no more Dell products for me.
 
#29
JimK said:
You may have a point...I would think the engineers would factor in that people would use these things while jogging, biking, etc.
Click to expand...
Although I have to say I've never seen HD-based players *marketed* as suitable for such use... every player I've seen depicted with joggers et al. have been flash-based. Not that I've seen them all...
 
#30
It's a winner's curse ... you get more of the units in users hands, and more of them are bound to break. News media count the number of breaks (and report all the grusome details), but not the occurence rate.

Apple is now replacing nanopods with broken screens, but otherwise has noted that the nanos are pretty similar in construction to the iPod minis (same surface scratching, etc.)

I guess if it is that big a concern, there are only about 3000 other MP3 players to choose from ;)
 
#32
KeithBMI said:
Will the price of an IPod Mini come down? I wish it was like $50.00 :hmm:
Click to expand...


But then they wouldn't be "cool"... :rolleyes:

Funnily enough, after I started this thread - this story was actually on the main early evening TV News on the BBC - i.e. the fact that Apple actually acknowledge that there is a problem with nanos and they have been forced to offer refunds after there were so many complaints on websites!!

What made me laugh was how they did some interviews outside the Apple shop in London and there were loads of "hip" young people hanging around - they talked to one who had a broken iPod in his bag and had been refused a refund - but he was there to buy another one!!

The incredulous interviewer asked why he was buying another one when he had already had such a bad experience and he said - well they're just so cool, you have to have one....!!!


:scowl:
 
#38
I have an iPod I picked up 3 years ago (2nd gen 20GB) and I still use it daily. The battery only lasts about 6-7 hours per charge instead of the 10-12 when I first bought it, but all rechargeable batteries are like that. Look at any laptop or other electronic device using rechargeables. Sooner or later they don't hold as much juice as they used to.

If I actually get bothered by it, I can buy a replacement battery for $40. Heck of a lot cheaper then buying throwaway Duracells or Energizers every so often.

The nanos are cool but they just don't hold enough music to suit me. Of course I don't see any reason to own more then one iPod at a time.
 
#39
WillPlay4Food said:
Sooner or later they don't hold as much juice as they used to.
Click to expand...

Re-Chargable Batteries(e.g. NiCd) have memory issues...the result of poor charging habits.
Attempting a Re-Charge when the battery doesn't require such, leaving the unit ON while being charged, etc.

Supposedly, Li-Ion & Nickel-Metal Hydride alleviate some of these symptoms.
For their portables radios, Motorola has come up with something called "Smart/Impress" Technology. The Smart Charger only charges the Smart Battery to that percentage which is required for a full charge...or sumthin like that.
 

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