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iPod Users Get Official Battery Replacement 93
turkmenistani writes "It's about time. After much complaining from iPod owners, Apple has finally started an official Official iPod Battery replacement
(requires a free Apple ID). Although battery replacements have been available for older iPods for some time now, Apple has finally taken heed to their user requests and are now offering the service. From the Support page: 'If your iPod fails to hold a charge and it's more than a year old, you may need a new battery. Click Continue to order iPod battery service for $99 USD. This program is not available in Europe at this time.' Although the service is $99, they state in the article 'iPod equipment that is sent in for battery service or service requiring other repairs will be replaced with functionally equivalent new, used, or refurbished iPod equipment. You will not receive the same iPod that was sent in for service.'
So make sure you back up that music before shipping it off!"
This makes a lot of sense (Score:4, Insightful)
2) Apple sends him a refurbished iPod of the same type.
3) Apple then refurbishes the user's original iPod, getting it ready to redistribute elsewhere.
Not only is this quick, but it makes a lot of sense! Of course, the refurbished iPods have to be in mint condition, but otherwise what's not to like (except the fact that it needs to be sent away and shipped back, instead of just purchasing a replacement battery at Apple)?
This is bullshit (Score:2, Troll)
This sucks. Apple makes me happy one day then pisses me off the next. Reminds me of a lot of bad relationships.
Re:This is bullshit (Score:5, Informative)
Engraved ones are handled differently--the one you get back will have the same engraving.
I've had my iPod replaced before, and the replacement looked identical to a new iPod, to my eyes. I think your concerns are pretty unfounded.
Re:This is bullshit (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:This is bullshit (Score:2, Insightful)
The ones who take very good care of their things are wary. The ones who don't are eager. Do I sense a problem with the program here?
They do test them, you know... (Score:3, Insightful)
Any Apple reconditioned product gets thoroughly tested before it gets sent out. That's why they offer a warranty on reconditioned items. If they're not worried about it breaking prematurely, why should you be?
-Mark
Re:They do test them, you know... (Score:2)
Apple's approach will benefit many, but not all. (Score:1, Insightful)
If they're not worried about it breaking prematurely, why should you be?
Very simple... For Apple, it is a numbers game. If only 200 out of the 90,000 iPod users are unhappy, Apple
no issue (Score:4, Informative)
Re:This is bullshit (Score:2)
Re:This is bullshit (Score:2, Insightful)
Also, what about any music you have on the hard drive? Hard drived do have a MTBF. If you get one that's been used 24-7, it may have a shorter life span (although if you use it sparingly, you might not ever find out).
oh well. I don't even own one (yet).
Re:This makes a lot of sense (Score:2, Informative)
Also getting a refurbed iPod back is not a bad thing. Apple's refurbed products have the same testing & quality requirements before being shipped out as their new equipment does (same warranty too). I recently bought a refurbed 12" PowerBook and a refurbed 20GB iPod (old style), and I've been extremely happy with both. I honestly wouldn't have known that either
Re:This makes a lot of sense (Score:1)
That is essentially tech-illiterate market-speak and not worthy of a slashdot discussion.
The testing requirements are radically different for a piece of equipment that is fresh off a production line and for a piece of equipment that has been out in the field and treated in an unknown fashion by a random user.
A brand new item can be electrically tested, cosmetically inspected, an
Re:This makes a lot of sense (Score:1)
But thanks for the assumptions and veiled insults.
Re:This makes a lot of sense (Score:1)
Second, in your rant about marketing claims you failed to include in your quote the part about the warranty - a quick check on Apple's site reveals refurbs are covered by a one-year limited warranty (although I didn't look up the specifics). So it's not as though they're picking up replacement iPods out of a box, wiping off the tire marks from where they were run over a few times, and
What's not to like?!? (Score:2, Insightful)
How much does the battery degrade after a year of heavy usage? I was thinking of getting an iPod but I do not want to have to spend $100+ every 16 mos to keep it usable.
Re:What's not to like?!? (Score:4, Insightful)
I know, I've participated in battery compartment design for small handheld medical devices. It can end up being a huge part of the cost of developing a product. If you haven't done weeks and weeks of drop-testing battery contacts after customer-return problems, you wouldn't understand...
engraved iPods could be a problem (Score:5, Funny)
Re:engraved iPods could be a problem (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:engraved iPods could be a problem (Score:2)
After all, they are charging 99.00 USD for a battery. And that is what they are doing, their is no other way to get a new battery, so they are ripping people off.
All this for a little box that plays music.
Re:engraved iPods could be a problem (Score:2)
If you think it's just a box that plays music, its much more: It's a firewire hard drive, it's a calendar, it's a contact viewer, it's even got games. On top of that its the best walkman ever.
Re:engraved iPods could be a problem (Score:1)
Only for certain 'best walkman' paramaters.
Some would say that the 'best walkman' would be one that is so inexpensive that you can lose one every six months without it mattering that also has adequately high quality playback. For some purposes this could be a $6 garage sale cassette-based 'walkman', for others it might mean something more. It definitely wouldn't mean something that costs over $300.
It's similar to the 'cheap camera' thing. There are tons of pla
Re:engraved iPods could be a problem (Score:1)
Re:engraved iPods could be a problem (Score:3, Informative)
For $50 and you can install it yourself [ipodbattery.com].
What about personalization? (Score:1)
Didn't RTFA, 'cause I don't have an Apple ID - maybe someone who did RTFA can say if Apple answers this question:
Does Apple just refurb the "guts" of the iPod, or the whole thing? I've noticed that Apple offers engraving / personalization in their store - I would hope that they would only change the internal hardware, and leave the shell alone in the case of a personalized iPod.
iPod is on my list, but I don't think Santa's gonna be that generous this year... :-(
Re:What about personalization? (Score:1)
Re:What about personalization? (Score:3, Informative)
APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
REPAIR TERMS AND CONDITIONS
IMPORTANT: BY CLICKING ON THE "I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD, AND AGREE TO THE REPAIR TERMS AND CONDITIONS" STATEMENT BELOW YOU AGREE THAT THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS GOVERN THE REPAIR OF YOUR PRODUCT BY APPLE COMPUTER, INC. ("APPLE")
Apple will repair your product as described and for the charges offered to you (unless such charges are revised with your prior oral or written consent). When the product repair is covered by warranty, Apple will perform rep
This is why I love apple. (Score:1)
back when I had a G3 lombard, they replaced my power brick free of charge. Now, the iPod batteries. I love you apple.
Re:This is why I love apple. (Score:2)
Re:This is why I love apple. (Score:2, Funny)
This reminds me of the old joke: how much do dead batteries cost? Nothing, they're free of charge. Hey, it _is_ on topic!
Re:This is why I love apple. (Score:1)
Re:This is why I love apple. (Score:2)
Re:This is why I love apple. (Score:1)
Re:This is why I love apple. (Score:2)
That's because it has a habit of Catching Fire.
They didn't replace your power brick, they RECALLED it.
$99? (Score:4, Interesting)
Are there any third-party developers making cheaper versions? Sounds like there is a market there.
Re:$99? (Score:1)
http://www.mdsbatteries.co.uk/shop/product p rofile. asp?ProductGroupID=1249
The Danionics batteries are quite expensive but supposedly lighter than comparable models.
Danionics isn't exactly doing well:
http://www.danionics.com/sw982.asp
and has recieved a lot of bad press in danish media as analysts has predicted that they will go out of business soon.
Maybe Apple will switch to a cheaper model battery if Danionics is unable
Re:$99? (Score:3, Insightful)
Since shipping and tax makes it $70, and then you add in the hassle of having to install it yourself?
(The Apple offer includes shipping, I'm not sure if 'repairs' are taxable.)
-fred
Re:$99? (Score:5, Informative)
Minimum of a year's worth of batteries. Let's be generous and say two AAs.
Ten hours of play a day, for three hundred sixty-five days. If one set of batteries, let's say, lasts for two of those charges, and you listen for five hours a day on average, you're looking at buying about ninety pair of AAs a year. At two bucks a pop--minimum, for good 2-packs of AA batteries, that's more than you pay for the replacement battery which will give you a year of play, in theory, at the minimum. And it doesn't waste battery carcasses, which is good for the environment.
Now, if I've underestimated how long the batteries would drive an iPod, let's double their life up there. That cuts your yearly AA pair consumption in half, to about 45. That's
How is this highway robbery?
Postscript: Long day. Math may be wrong. Please do not flame. Thanks, Management.
Re:$99? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:$99? (Score:2)
Re:$99? (Score:2)
The typical usage of an iPod would suggest that its battery would often begin charging when not cmpletely flat, and disconnected before it's full, especially if you connect it to the firewire bus frequently for song updates and so on rather than connecting it to the power brick and leaving it to charge up fully on its own.
Sure you could leave it charging on the firewire bus, but what if you want to shut your computer off o
you have two nimh sets.. (Score:2)
Re:$99? (Score:1)
Re:$99? (Score:1)
Re:$99? (Score:1)
Re:$99? (Score:2)
I bought the original 5 GB iPod, that is almost two years ago now. I would not say my battery time is shorter now than it was when it was new (and last year, I have been using my iPod daily). Firmware upgrades have improved battery time.
The iPod has always had fairly shitty standby battery time - leave it for a week and you can most likely not use it. But when it is fully charged I can still use it as much as I like a day or two without problems. I always recharge it over night. When
Well. Uh... cool? (Score:5, Informative)
Well. That's nice if your battery is dead, but just how many iPods are there with dead batteries anyway? I have had my own iPod for over a year now, and the battery is just fine even though I listen to the iPod daily. One charge lasts to me about 10 hours.
iPodlounge has btw some tips [ipodlounge.com] how to recharge and use the iPod to maximaze battery lifetime.
Re:Well. Uh... cool? (Score:2)
Re:Well. Uh... cool? (Score:2)
My G3 Firewire Powerbook ('Pismo' model) went through its original battery in about 13 months, thanks to running OS X 10.0 on it. Partly because of the charging algorithm, and partly because 10.0 didn't turn everything off during sleep (I could tell that 10.0
Re:Well. Uh... cool? (Score:1)
According to about 5 minutes of googling this is correct, one of the benefits of lithium ion battery is that it has no memory...
check...
http://www.cellpower.com/battery_tips . cfm
http://wireless.berkeley.edu/services/battery
However... if you're machine has done a lot of charging and discharging, then the battery is just dead... afterall ev
And if your iPod isn't in mint shape ? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:And if your iPod isn't in mint shape ? (Score:3, Funny)
Apple gets your ipod, swaps for a "new" or refurb, and then has a technician re-create the scratch marks on your new one, to perfection.
Talk about an amazing company!
Another way this program could be used (Score:3, Interesting)
2. Several years later, iPod dies.
3. User blames the problem on a dead battery (even though that might not be the case) and sends iPod back to Apple.
4. User gets new/refurbished iPod.
Re:Another way this program could be used (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Wait, wait (Score:1, Troll)
Re:Wait, wait (Score:1)
Re:Wait, wait (Score:2)
Article forgot to mention.. (Score:4, Informative)
Apple just began selling extended coverage for iPod. @ $59 USD. As for the battery, it can be obtained cheaper from ipodbattery.com; unlike in the past, now they sell all generation replacement batteries.
Hope this helps.
AppleCare cost/benefit advantage (Score:3, Informative)
What's more, they'll replace your iPod's battery if it is at least 50% depleted under AppleCare. But then again, the iPod Battery Replacement Program linked above costs $99.
Re:AppleCare cost/benefit advantage (Score:3, Informative)
Given that rechargeable batteries are considered defect from a technical point of view if they have lost ~ 25% of their capacity, that's a bad deal for the customer.
Someone has to say this... (Score:2)
Re:Someone has to say this... (Score:2)
As for the "genius bar", that doesn't help much when the nearest Apple Store is a three- to five-hour drive away.
Re:Someone has to say this... (Score:2)
These are actually Lithium-polymer batteries, generally said to be more reliable than the old-school Lithium Ions (with liquid electrolyte). And actually Apple is not the only company with this attitude - recent cellphones also have batteries quite cumbersome to replace. I guess it's a matter of design compromises - at some stage you can't make the device smaller and lighter and STILL pr
Re:Someone has to say this... (Score:2)
Re:Someone has to say this... (Score:2)
Good point - and more to worry about (Score:2)
Let's say you're super-careful and never allow even a smudge on your iPod. It stops charging. You send it in for battery replacement.
What comes back, while looking similar, has actually been dropped, thrown around, left outside, farted upon through the back trouser pocket of an SCO executive, tightened between Steve Ballmer's thighs while he practices Desk-Jockey Calisthenics, and vanished internally du
RIAA rapid commandos on their way as of now (Score:5, Funny)
Destination: Apple headquarters.
Primary Objective: ensure that any Apple employee does not listen either intentionally or unintentionally to any iPod sent in for battery replacement. That would be a clear infrigement of intellectual property. Royaltes must be paid for any complete songs or fragments overheard.
Secondary Objective: nail some of those PowerBooks...
I repeat, I repeat: all units head to Apple HQ immediately.
dani++
AppleCare available for iPods as well, $59. (Score:5, Informative)
Oh... (Score:2, Funny)
So, if you live in Europe... (Score:2)
So, either:
1) iPods shipped in Europe have batteries that never wear down or need replacing; or
2) European customers just got shafted again.
Hint: the answer's an even number. Why is it that iPod owners who don't live in North America should have to wait to buy something that's probably smaller than a box of matches? And how long will they have to wait? Three months? Six months? A year?
Response to complaints? (Score:2)
Is this a response to complaints, or is it just possible that we are just now reaching the time when some of the third-generation iPods are getting old enough for Apple to actually need this program?
But that would mean tha all previous whining was just a speculative over-reaction to "you can't replace the battery" FUD, and we can't go thinking that now, can we?