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I bought the 512Mb Cowon iAudio U2 for my daughter. While I cant speak to replacing the battery, I can say that its an excellent player that I would buy again (and I would not buy the ipod shuffle).
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We need seperate human-only games for MP/PBEM that dont include the over-simplifications required to have a good AI
If any man be thirsty, let him come unto me and drink. Vampire 7:37
Just one old soldiers opinion. E Tenebris Lux. Pax quaeritur bello. -
From iPod Battery FAQ:Originally posted by Winston
The point is, it's borderline fraud to market a player for which you cannot replace the battery unless you pay $200, and the average time from the purchase to the death of the battery is 12-18 months. It's been in the news here quite a bit; a lot of people feel severely cheated by Apple - I'd say all of them will, once the gruesome realities start dawning on them...
The moral of the story is don't believe everything you hear in the news. And read the goddamn manual!Question: I heard that the iPod's battery only lasts 18 months, and then you have to buy a new iPod! Is that true?
Answer: NO! The vast, vast majority of even the earliest iPods, now over two years old, continue to function just fine. Some iPods, however, have had issues with batteries. Lithium ion batteries are only good for 300 to 500 charge/discharge cycles (more). For this reason, certain customers' usage patterns may cause the batteries to degrade, or fail, sooner than others.
Let us be lazy in everything, except in loving and drinking, except in being lazy – LessingComment
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No, the 'moral' of the story is, if you're happy with your iPod, use it for an extended period of time every day, and charge the battery, say, 3 times a week, you're likely to experience the manufacturer's great service concept around 18 months after you bought it.
It may be 'only' $59 in the U.S. under certain conditions, but here it's DKK 1,095.-, which is roughly $200. Plus weeks, maybe months, of not having your iPod. Repeat every 18 months - or as long as it takes you to realise this isn't a very good deal.
It should be stated clearly in Apple's marketing of the iPod that these are the conditions you're facing, but it isn't.Comment
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You haven't read my post, have you? It clearly states that the 18 months rumour is just that, an unsubstantiated rumour. AFAIK, the majority of iPod batteries work just fine. Some people got unlucky, or they didn't read their manuals and hence didn't take care of their batteries properly, and it was blown all out of proportions...
Of course, like you pointed out, it depends on how you use it. If you're a really heavy user, and have to charge it 3 to 4 times a week, the battery will obviously die out sooner. And that's listening to a lot of music (almost non-stop). But that's not a problem with the Apple's batteries in themselves: its a problem with all MP3 players. Hell, Apple and Creative probably buy their batteries at the same place. OTOH, most people aren't heavy users, so AFAIK their batteries will probably last between 2 and 3 years.
Of course, the fact that the batteries are not user-replaceable is a slight pain in the ass, but only a slight one. Its not a big deal, not here at least (I feel your pain). For 59$ usd Apple will replace it for you. A battery for an iPod Mini, for example, costs 40$ usd in itself.Last edited by Nostromo; August 8, 2005, 01:24.Let us be lazy in everything, except in loving and drinking, except in being lazy – LessingComment
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Li-ion batteries are good for ~500 charges if you have a good battery (Apple doesn't use good batteries, they tend to use cheap batteries [which is why their battery life has sucked in comparison to other players until very recently]).
That's not 500 complete charges, that's 500 charges. Period.
It's not that the batteries just stop working usually, it's that the life of the batteries constantly decreases to the point where it'd ridiculously short and a fraction of what it used to be able to hold.
It's a fact of life with batteries. Changable batteries (a la the Zen Micro/Vision) are fair to the consumers: not only can they buy extra batteries to extend the battery life on long trips, but they can easily replace aging batteries.
"The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "Comment
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The $59 thing is a new policy. It was $99 before that, and well over $100 before that. People got more and more pissed off as the iPod aged and people inquired into new batteries since they weren't holding their charge as long, and more and more people saw Apple milking them for all they're worth.Originally posted by nostromo
Of course, the fact that the batteries are not user-replaceable is a slight pain in the ass, but only a slight one. Its not a big deal, not here at least (I feel your pain). For 59$ usd Apple will replace it for you. A battery for an iPod Mini, for example, costs 40$ usd in itself.
They still turn a blind eye to Apple's blatant and wilful actions to force out anyone else who tries to offer iTunes/iPod compatibility..."The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "Comment
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Well there might be a solution for anybody who owns an Ipod shuffle. Apple sells a backup battery pack for around $30. It uses two AAA batteries as backup and to extend the life of the playtime. Presumably if the Lithium-ion battery in the Ipod shuffle completely crapped out, this could be used as an alternative to sending it in for $59.
It makes it less portable but at least your not throwing out a perfectly good device after 2 years of use.Comment
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So the "until recently" means the batteries are OK now?Originally posted by Asher
Li-ion batteries are good for ~500 charges if you have a good battery (Apple doesn't use good batteries, they tend to use cheap batteries [which is why their battery life has sucked in comparison to other players until very recently ]).
After all, the iPod Mini's battery is superior to the Zen Micro's.
I heard contradictory reports about that issue. Some say that Li-ion batteries are good for 300 to 500 complete charges, that partial charges don't count. Some, like you, that they are good for about 500 charges, complete or not.That's not 500 complete charges, that's 500 charges. Period.
Reliable info is so hard to find.
Let us be lazy in everything, except in loving and drinking, except in being lazy – LessingComment
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The specs page says it has a "lithium-polymer" battery.
What's the diff in this and a li-ion battery?
EDIT: Nevermind, I did two minutes of reading and answered my own question: it's less flammable and lighter. Wikipedia says some of the batteries last as long as regular li-ions and some don't.meet the new boss, same as the old bossComment
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We need better battery technology.Comment
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I'm sick of companies making these devices with an incredibly short shelf-life. If I buy something, I expect it to last and not have to be arbitrarily disposed of because something that should be easily replaceable isn't.
As well as the cost, there is the environmental concerns with manufacturing these things also
Speaking of Erith:
"It's not twinned with anywhere, but it does have a suicide pact with Dagenham" - Linda SmithComment
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Originally posted by Atahualpa
We need better battery technology.
And the basic li-ion tech is advancing all the time. I have 2000maH rech. batteries, and 2300maH's.I've allways wanted to play "Russ Meyer's Civilization"Comment
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Yes I know, I've read about them in an IEEE Spectrum a while ago.Comment
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IEEE? Sounds like an exclamation of pain!Speaking of Erith:
"It's not twinned with anywhere, but it does have a suicide pact with Dagenham" - Linda SmithComment
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That relates to a different form of battery.Comment
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