iPod NOT again

[leelastarsky]

Can we say 3 out of 4?

That's how many iPods have up and died on us in this household now.

Yes, unbelievable as it may seem, my SON'S iPod has ceased to be. He went to bed with it working. Turned it off to sleep, got up the next morning and... iPod wouldn't turn on, won't react to being plugged into the comp or power... dead as a dodo.

He got it for xmas. A 20gig iPhoto. It didn't even make 3 months. And now we have to jump through Apple's ludicrous hoops to get a replacement. *sigh* We still haven't got the replacement for my replacement!! *headdesk*

I swear I'm starting to take this personally.


And now I'm wondering how long the iPod I'm currently using (the one I gave hubby for xmas) will last...

Comments

[aibhinn.livejournal.com]

Dell DJ. 20 gigs for about 2/3 the price of a 20 gig iPod. It's not a video player, but it is utterly reliable--I've had mine for months, and it hasn't given me a lick of trouble.

(This is why I don't buy Apple products.)

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Well, despite almost being a pre-requisite in the grapics industry, I certainly can't see myself buying an Apple computer any time soon. Their computers cost twice the price of PC in Australia, and my confidence in their product is... pretty much non-existant.

And the thing with the non-apple mp3 players here is that the Apple really is better value. (or SEEMS that way) For an extra $50-100 you can buy a 20gig iPod as opposed to a 3gig non Apple.

When my first iPod died, I thought I was just unlucky. When the replacement for that died, I was outraged. And now my son's has died... yeah, not happy.

[ctrinity.livejournal.com]

have you thought of getting an mp3 player at best buy or circuit city and getting the protection plans they offer? i had it on my last mp3 player, which didnt work as well about 9 months after i got it. the plan was for 2 years, so i just sent it in and they sent me a CC gift card for what I paid. I went back and got another.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Oh, all my iPods have died WELL within the warrantee, plus, I bought extended warrantees on them. Apple will replace them. But the thing that really pisses me off is that I can't just go to the store I bought it from and have them give me a new one. It has to go to Apple, be shipped off to their repairers for 6 weeks, and then be replaced if they decide it's their fault.
And it takes HOURS/days to load music etc onto the bloody things. I still haven't loaded everything I had on my first iPod because I just don't have the time, and I'm afraid I'm just going to lose it all again.

[velleitas.livejournal.com]

I say stay away from iPods. I've heard sooo many bad things about them... I think it's planned obselescence... >_> my friend's got a zen that she says has been awesome. She got it after her iPod failed on her. XD

[bennmorland.livejournal.com]

I think it's planned obselescence

It is. However, it should even out soon. They planned the obsolescence to kick far too early. There's a balance involved. The consumer has to believe the product's "had its run" before it gives up the ghost.

Three months? Seems like Apple can't even cheat properly.

[shirasakura.livejournal.com]

It's horror stories like these that make me stay away from iPods. That's why I have an iRiver. It has it's problems, but every problem it's gotten I've fixed on my own. Usually I just have to run a database refresh or just restart it. And it's pretty quick about uploading; I just use WMP.
[/end endorsement]

No, I was not paid by iRiver to say that.

[almond-joyz.livejournal.com]

*pets Leela*
That's why I refuse to buy one. Don't have the deisre to have one, either. I'll stick with a walkman.

[chanel19.livejournal.com]

That's so strange. I know loads of people with iPods and only one of them ever had a bit of trouble and Apple corrected that on the phone. I have alway bought Apple products. I've never had a computer virus. I've never had a blue screen of death. I've never lost a moment's productivity. Weird. Still, if I were you, I'd try the Dell. One of my friends has one and likes it.

[godrics-h.livejournal.com]

It's not just Ipods, my Mp3 is dead as a Dodo, I have to remember to take it to Harvey Norman for a fix!

[fiendling.livejournal.com]

my roommates 4th replacement ipod died after a month :P uwterghhh

[jennycarolyn.livejournal.com]

You may have tried this, but my iPod froze a couple of weeks ago and it worked. Hold the middle button and the menu button with seperate hands and wait to see if an Apple appears on the screen. It worked for me.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Yeah, thanks anyway, we tried that. :~\

[purplethings.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Everyone I know who has ever had an Ipod has had trouble with it (and trouble getting replacements) so I tend to stick to regular old MP3 players. I'm only on my second one, and I only had to get rid of the first because I pulled it out of my bag and whacked it accidentally on the side of my bed!

If you're going to get another portable music player, I'd certainly suggest something less flashy (and cheaper)...

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

The thing is, here in Australia, the other brands are not that much cheaper. In fact, by gigabyte, they're probably more expensive. :~\

[shinko.livejournal.com]

Ugh, iPods. I'm on my fourth right now. It seems to be holding up, but it doesn't like it when I listen to my Harry Potter audiobook for too long.

Good luck with it though.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

How does it tell the difference between an audio book and music??

I play the audio books all day on mine (while I paint usually) and .... ohgod, dare I say I haven't had a problem yet? I haven't, but then I have had 3 iPods die... admittedly, none of them were playing the HP audio books at the time but....

[shinko.livejournal.com]

I don't think that it can, it's just that when I listen to my audiobooks I have a tendency to listen for hours and hours and it zaps all my battery in one go.

I've had the worst luck with my previous pods. My first lasted a few months, but then it had a battery failure and it took me six months to get it repaired (mostly because I was lazy and didn't bring it back). My second lasted a week, it took a spill from my bag (but it was in its case and shouldn't have died that easily) and the scrollbar died. And then the third I had for a day and it's battery died and my computer/charger wouldn't recognize it so it could reload. -headdesk-

So let's cross our fingers, eh?

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I think if they're that touchy to bumps and/or knocks, they need to be sold WITH a protective cover. I mean, it's a personal player - it's designed to TRAVEL. If it can't cope with travelling then they need to stop advertising it as such!.

Ridiculous!

I usually listen all day, then leave it charging over night. Sometimes I forget and then I just have it charging while I'm listening. When I'm home painting anyway. :~)

[shinko.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know! I had to pay thirty dollars for my travel case. IPods (and everything to do with them) are so expensive. And I totally agree with you on the advertising bit. If my CD player can last three years of being dropped, spilled upon, thermonuclearly bombed, etc. then why can't my iPod?

I would charge it over night, but I heard that it kills the battery's recouperative power. And I don't want to imagine the Mac guy's face if I show up again with another dead iPod.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

This is my concern. If I was in their shoes, I'd think I must be doing something stupid with them to have had 3 die. :~(

[m4g1c4lm3.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, im sorry for that. I had a Silver mini and than I got the Harry Potter ipod not too long ago. What kind of ipod do you have? and how old is your son??

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

My son is 14. I had the older 20gig click wheel (I think), the 2nd of which is being replaced. I gave my son and hubby each a 20gig iPhoto for xmas. My son's has just died and my husband's is the one I'm currently using...

[m4g1c4lm3.livejournal.com]

i feel stupid asking but does the iphoto actually do music too?

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. :~) It's the photo bit that's sort of the added extra. I really like having the photo option because I can (and have) loaded my folio onto it and can therefore have my full folio with me wherever I go. :~)

[m4g1c4lm3.livejournal.com]

I do that too! i have a lot of my artwork on mine. Does the one you use right now have video too? Sorry for all of the questions!

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

No, the video one came out just after I'd bought the iPhotos for son and hubby. I think hubby would have enjoyed the video one, but he's completely furious with Apple over the problems we've had and flatly refuses to have one. Hence the fact that I currently have his iPhoto...

[m4g1c4lm3.livejournal.com]

I think sometimes people can just get bad eggs you know? but when the number gets higher and higher its a little suspicious, so long did you have each one?

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Ist one lasted 6months. Replacement for that lasted 6months. My son's lasted... not even 3 months. :~\

[m4g1c4lm3.livejournal.com]

omg, im so sorry for that. i wonder why? that makes apple look really bad. because i know a lot of people with crappy ipods that die.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

It certainly leaves me with zero confidence in Apple. And, while I know it's sort of a pre-requisite in the graphics industry, I won't be forking out for one of their computers any time soon. :~| They're just too expensive here in Australia and too difficult to service if there's a problem.

[bennmorland.livejournal.com]

The thing is, the warranty guarantees replacement with a like model. If the model's broken, so's the warranty. And the only way to fix that is to bing class action; which will only stand if it can be proved that the company knowingly allowed a definitely faulty product to be sold.

Myself, I've had my 20gig iPod, second gen, since Christmas 2004. I've never once had any sort of problem. Not once. It's actually (shocker!) outlived its warranty.

[m4g1c4lm3.livejournal.com]

I never had any problems with my Mini either, im not sure how long i had that, atleast 1-2 years.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I wanted to buy that HP iPod too. But it only came with the US editions so that was out of the question. :~P Plus I already have all the books loaded onto my current iPod...

[webbapettigrew.livejournal.com]

God, that's just wrong. And the other mp3 players out there suck, at least for the most part. :-(

[voldemortsjihad.livejournal.com]

maybe you have a weird magnetic field or something around your house

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I've wondered about that more than once. ;~P In my more paranoid moments...

[puddleduck3.livejournal.com]

I've had two cark it on me and I'm not sticking with the third to see how long it lasts. I'm selling it on ebay eventually and buying an iRiver (or just something that ISN'T Apple).

[suehypno.livejournal.com]

God, that just sucks!! I'm so sorry to hear this. Maybe you guys zap iPods like I tend to zap watches? I also wonder if things like different electrical currents/crap could be influencing them down there? And I still suspect that many of these licensed resellers are of lesser quality than "authentic" Mac products, although I realize many folks have no choice.

When I had the iPod Mini, I had that week when it didn't work (while I was on vacation) but when I went back to the Mac store, they plugged it in and it came right up--so go figure! I sold it on eBay in January and the guy had it a couple of days and it suddenly died again...and then started working again a week later while he was waiting for Apple assistance. I'm wondering if some of the older ones have some glitch.

I've had my iPod Video 60gig for over 6 months now and haven't had single problem (knock on wood!) or regret in buying it. It's a permanent resident in my purse and is used daily at work.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I've often wondered (specially in my more paranoid moments) if I have some sort of bizarre electrical field. I can't seem to own a radio very long before they start to fizz, won't stay on the station, or just die completely. House, car, bedside - every radio. My mum suggested that the same thing was happening to the iPods but I'm clinging to the hope that my radio thing is just my own paranoia. O.o So far the radio in our Tarago is still working!! (touchwood!)

[miss-rina.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, that is AWFUL. That would piss me right off. We're a Mac family -- we've never used PCs, even when Apple was at its most unpopular. I've heard that AppleCare over the phone is horrific, while one-to-one it's awesome. One of our iPod Minis stopped working, so when we were in Japan we took it to the Apple Store and someone at the Genius Bar there swapped it for a new one, no questions asked and no fees.

Maybe you have a mean iPod gnome who likes to suck the juice out of them while you sleep ;)