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how old was your ipod?

Bummer, Justine.  <sings a dirge for the dead 'pod>  Maybe its worth a few bucks on ebay for parts.
My 2G iPod is a bit over two years old.  :: Stares at iPod and dares it to start acting strangely ::

I can think of several possibilities.  However they'd all be just speculation.

I'm in the same club.  Bought my 3G 10gig in May 2003.  In Nov 2004 it started majorly misbehaving.  Took it to the Apple store, they told it was a hard drive issue.  Sent it to iPodresq, they told me I needed both a new hard drive and battery.  Cost wasn't worth it.  Bought a new 4G 20gig...love it so far....

There are third part iPod repair houses that will replace parts for considerably less than Apple charges.  I suggest visiting www.ipodlounge.com forums and checking out their list of repair services. IIRC replacing the hard drive is about $200.

This freaks me out. Mine can only be about a month or so younger , a 10GB 3g ipod.

Perhaps a smart person could use the leftover parts for use in some sort of one-of-a-kind music player. Of course, a new hard drive would be needed....

I been through four iPods so far. No I am not wealthy.

My first was a third gen and it worked fine for the most part. But I began to have some odd behaviors while still under warranty. About that time the fourth gen came out so i used my extended warranty through Comp USA to get my iPod fixed. Though they canceled the warranty after the transaction I was able to upgrade to the fourth gen by paying the differance. And that was the last time I would buy anything from Comp USA. (I have had a few other bad expieriences with them)

So happily I used my fourth gen. I kept it pristine and never had any problems with it. Except before the first year was up, i noticed it rarely held a full charge anymore. It would top off but once in use show about a 3/4 charge. So I figured the battery is going.

I bring it in for Apple to look at and they say the battery is dying and give me a new iPod. OK that was easy. Till I get home and notice the screen has a weird "water mark" like bubble beneath the plastic. So, I bring it back (I am not accepting a defect in a $400 item.) They tell me to hold onto it as a 'loaner" and will get me a replacement.

OK Happy, I then try to load the iPod with my songs. I then spend the next few hours watching it crash my computer and freeze up my programs. I tried whatever i could but nothing helped.

I put it aside and say i'll just waite for the replacement.

I get the new one in (gleefully handing back the bad ipod) and bring it home. First I notice it's finnish is off. The case is misalinged slightly leaving a hard almost sharp edge on the bottom between the clear plastic and the metel backing. Great.

Now I am tempted to bring it back but my impatience won out.

So I begin to plug it in and guess what? It freezes my system and locks up Everything.

I do all the usual disc programs after unfreezing things. Nothing is helping this little bastard out. Now I think it's my system that's doing it. something is reacting badly between the ipod and my computer. I almost wish for the old Extensions Manager. Almost.

So after spending an hour on the phone with Applecare and nothing working i bring it back with my laptop (it froze my tower, laptop and mac at work) so now I know it has to be this piece of junk doing it.

Sure enough, The Apple tech gives me a new iPod and I plug it in my Powerbook and it works perfectly. In some ways it seems better than the old original one. It may be in not as perfect shape as my original one but it works just fine.

The point to all this is I think the damand is so high that Apple is reissuing rebuilt ipods that may or may not be "perfect". Maybe a quick boot up is all they give it and never try to load anything on them before they are shipped out. My two defects booted up OK but crashed once i tried to download to them and never where the same since.

Still, from what i have heard from a number of Apple employees off the record, was that the ration of defects to good units is very low.

I have not gotten any bad Apple store workers giving me attitude other than the ones a Comp USA.

I think the reason why the original iPods were better quality than those now is due to the demand. My best friend and I were in the Apple Store yesterday getting our iPods replaced (both had the folder icon problem, attributed to dead HDs). He has/had the 3rd gen. 15 GB (purchased August '04) and I have the 4th gen. 20 GB (July '04). There was a guy next to us that had two 4th gens with him - a white 20 GB and a U2 20 GB. Same problem.

Chris and I got ours replaced for free. On the spot. The Genius was very friendly about the whole issue, and took care of it. So I guess I can't complain. But this is my THIRD 4th gen. iPod. The first died when it wouldn't charge. The second died with the HD failure. So this is number 3.

Anyway... back to the whole 'quality' thing. When the iPods first came out, they were larger (physically) and there was less of a demand for them. They were also priced higher. Now there are a lot of models (variety). Apple at this point is trying to push them out the door, due to the crazy high demand for the iPod lineup in general. At the same time, they are using smaller components to reduce the physical size of the iPod. I think the combination of high demand + low size = lesser quality.

I've had the original iPod 5 GB. It worked great for the 2 years I had it. The girl I sold it to says it still works perfectly. Same for my 2nd gen. 20 GB. Chris' older brother has a 1st gen. 5. Aside from a new battery it also works without complaint.

justine wrote:

stoned wrote:

how old was your ipod?

May 2nd, it woulda been 2 years old. It's a 3rd gen 15g iPod. I believe the same as Knobtwirlers, whose also died, but i don't know remember what the problem with his was. I was fully expecting it to be the battery, and i woulda replaced it, but alas, it wasn't. Now, i have to decide what to get next. I already know i don't want a shuffle.

it cant still be the battery and u could just take it to a tech or press menu and click button hold it till it restarts or is it stuxk in a position with a blank screen or  stuck with a song on it ?

icebook1 wrote:

I think the reason why the original iPods were better quality than those now is due to the demand. My best friend and I were in the Apple Store yesterday getting our iPods replaced (both had the folder icon problem, attributed to dead HDs). He has/had the 3rd gen. 15 GB (purchased August '04) and I have the 4th gen. 20 GB (July '04). There was a guy next to us that had two 4th gens with him - a white 20 GB and a U2 20 GB. Same problem.

Chris and I got ours replaced for free. On the spot. The Genius was very friendly about the whole issue, and took care of it. So I guess I can't complain. But this is my THIRD 4th gen. iPod. The first died when it wouldn't charge. The second died with the HD failure. So this is number 3.

Anyway... back to the whole 'quality' thing. When the iPods first came out, they were larger (physically) and there was less of a demand for them. They were also priced higher. Now there are a lot of models (variety). Apple at this point is trying to push them out the door, due to the crazy high demand for the iPod lineup in general. At the same time, they are using smaller components to reduce the physical size of the iPod. I think the combination of high demand + low size = lesser quality.

I've had the original iPod 5 GB. It worked great for the 2 years I had it. The girl I sold it to says it still works perfectly. Same for my 2nd gen. 20 GB. Chris' older brother has a 1st gen. 5. Aside from a new battery it also works without complaint.

I agree with you the less demand the better quality and thats what has been proven to me i have a click wheel 20 gb and it froze in the middle of the son i called up apple/ ipod and they connected  me to an ipod tech and he said to plug i pod into wall make sure the ipod is not on hold!  then hold the menu bottun and the middle click button umtil it restarts and their is a picture of an apple and no u dont loose your music

Good Luck
I had my first Gen 20GB iPod for 2 years with no problems but sold it to get the new improved iPod
but my new 4th gen crapped out after 188 days so I had to pay $32 shipping (nice profit center)
Apple has had it for 2 weeks, has ordered a replacement (new or refurb???)
but can not tell me when I will receive it or if warranty will be pro-rated.
A co-workers 20GB died after 2 months and an acquaintance's failed within the 1 year warranty
Would seem there are reliability issues here.
When mine does come back expect to see it on eBay, then I'll go shopping for a new mp3 player.