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For example, their compendium of software includes:

A workaround for EU volume limitation
Ripping, encoding and tagging recommendations.
A utility to mass export Outlook contacts
News and Weather syndication downloaders.
By far the best way to retrieve your MP3s (a utility that sits on your iPod itself and is executable over a network!)
The fantastic iPod Agent, which creates beautiful XML music lists as well as performing loads of useful functions

Every other area of the lounge is equally as exhaustive - from iTunes configuration (you can do amazing things with smart playlists!) to headphones and case reviews. Visit the site instead of buying a book.

(Oh, and I'm in no way involved with the Lounge other than being a fan.)

I believe they had some problems with the 1G iPods, and as everyone knows, with the iPod minis - but the consensus seems to be that if you're concerned about reliability, buy a 3G.

From the accounts I've heard, they've been very good about fixing the defects lately - they usually ask to keep it overnight for testing, then either repair or replace it. There's a ton of repair stories on ipodlounge.com. In any case, I'd say go for it, especially if you just want the regular iPod. Now that I have one, I'm not sure if I could live without it.

so you want apple... to design something specifically for you rneeds... because you're too lazy to do it yourself, but too damn picky about 'style' to accept an existing solution?

According to comments in ipodlounge, this new version won't allow playback of Playfair DRM stripped AAC files.

Consumers actually prefer an mp3 player that can hold about 1000 songs and doesn't consistently & horribly break in two months.

Hopefully Apple will take this to heart.

Try forcing the iPod to do a disk scan

There's an interesting thread here about it, scroll down to the one that starts "OK, here's the scoop on allofmp3.com" by ronross.

$.01/MB is about what I think is fair for online music, you like $.99/track great, I don't, I like $.05/track. If I thought artists deserve to live like rock stars I'd send them parts of every paycheck, or buy them coke, but I don't. If a musician makes more a year than I do for what is obviously less work then they can't complain.

The URL again where you can legally get tons of good quality music for $.01/MB is www.allofmp3.com
The English button is at the top left, FYI.

Oh, and by the way, I welcome all flames/spam/etc to my personal email address kgb@submarinefund.com

There are a couple of discussion threads in the i-pod lounge (here) and macslash (here) about this topic. I have just under 3,000 songs on my i-pod, yet often get repeats when in shuffle play, indicating that the random is far from random. I had this same problem with the 300-CD changer I used to use -- it's "randomness" was rather poor.

There also exist many third party utilities for extracting music from iPods. These can be used to generate filenames, which the iPod often discards as it exclusively uses ID3 tags to populate its database.

The iPod lounge forums has a shitload of these. Some ranging from hacks to good, professional jobs like this story. Of course you could just get a Smart car, since it has an iPod option. Of course it is only for Europe, which is crap since I really want one, and it is kinda an antithesis to the Explorer.

Opps, linked got hosed. Not only stupid, it is not even an original April fools. In fact, there are way too many Apple iPod related hoaxes, even in one April 1st, shows lack of creativity on the hoaxers.

You can try sony ex 51 or sony ex 71. (Sony MDREX71SL) The 71s are with softer / more comfortable seal but essentially the same. Head Fi or Ipod Lounge for more info. You can buy them at some apple stores or amazon.com or buy.com

I just bought a 4 GB Microdrive on eBay for $299, before running across this article that explains how to get a 4 GB Microdrive for $50 less than the going eBay price by buying and taking apart an iPod Mini.

Apparently all of the 4 GB Microdrives on eBay were obtained precisely this way.... which may explain why the iPod Mini has sold out everywhere despite being a relatively-bad deal compared to the 15 GB model. Hitachi is clearly selling these drives to Apple at or near a loss, for whatever strange reason.

I wouldn't buy a car from that company again.

Then don't. BTW, the hood is not welded shut. Since you haven't even figured out that it can be opened (safely and easily), much less opened it, then by your own claim, you are not a geek.

Great! We've only just gotten through bringing the iPod story's server to its knees, and now we've trashed this site as well.

I just knew when I read the word, "Borg," that this would be the case. We geeks are too predictable.

All we need now is a "Natalie Portman enrolls in the CS department at Harvard" story, and the whole east coast will go black once again!

The IpodLounge.com Gallery.

Jonty should do some work ;)

Photo server is still up at http://gallery.ipodlounge.com/ipod/thumbnails.php? album=6 Taking apart the iPod mini

February 23, 2004 By Greg Koenig

Apple has crammed a lot of stuff into the anodized aluminum enclosure of the new iPod mini, and taking it apart is no easy task. I'm an industrial designer with lots of experience pulling back the curtain and meeting the wizard in PDAs, Mp3 players, stereos, watches and all sorts of other gear. I am usually pretty good at it, having not broken something in years (lots of bug hunts for tiny parts on the floor though). Except my brand-new iPod mini, where I screwed up big time... twice!

The Procedure:

Tools needed: (1) Wiha 1.5mm flat head screwdriver (1) Wiha Philips #000 screwdriver (1) Needle nose pliers or medical (Kelly type) hemostats (1) Hair dryer

To help illustrate my disassembly adventure, view the iPod mini autopsy photos and follow along.

To begin with, make sure the 'Hold' button is locked into the ON position (showing orange) to prevent the internal components to be turning on while you are taking it apart.

The plastic top and bottom plates are glued into place with a tacky adhesive that will soften considerably when heated so use the hair dryer on a low setting to heat up the top plate. Work the area until it's very warm to the touch. Now turn the mini around so you're looking at the Apple logo and squeeze the two rounded edges together at the top, causing the enclosure to bow a little bit in the middle. Insert the flat bladed screwdriver between the plastic and the metal (in line directly above the Apple logo) and gently pry the plate straight up. Work around the edges, leaving the area around the 'Hold' button till last. When you finally do get to the 'Hold' button area, pry carefully and pull the plate STRAIGHT up. Behind the 'Hold' button are two plastic standoffs (sort of like tabs) that extend down into the case and push the real switch on and off. If you pry the thing out at an angle, you will break one of these standoffs. That was mistake #1 for me. The actual 'Hold' switch soldiered onto the main board broke, so the 'Hold' switch no longer works.

Now perform the same procedure on the plastic bottom plate. When it is removed, you will see a shiny sheet-metal plate held in place under spring tension by 4 tabs inserted into reliefs machined into the enclosure. At the end of each of these tabs, you will see a round hole. Use the Philips #000 in these holes and carefully pry each tab out of its slot. The sheet-metal plate will come right out.

Next, you need to disconnect a ribbon cable that connects the scroll/click wheel assembly to the main baord. This ribbon cable is on the bottom of the mini on the left hand side. It is orange. You can't miss it. Use the 1.5mm blade screwdriver to pry it apart. If there isn't enough slack in the ribbon cable, don't worry, as long as you get the connector loose, you have done your job here.

Turn the mini over, looking back into the top, you will see two tiny philips head screws on either side of another metal plate. Remove these with the #000 screwdriver carefully and put them in a safe place (don't drop these on the floor, you will never see them again).

Now comes the fun part - gently push on the 30 pin connector at the bottom of the mini and all of the main components (on an assembly I call the component sled) will slide right out the top. It is a bit tight, but if you meet major resistance, back off and INSURE you have the ribbon cable disconnected. This is where I messed up and killed my iPod mini, I forgot to check and I pushed with all my might, ripping the ribbon cable off of the male connector. Oops.

The component sled contains nearly all of the iPod's internals; the main circuit board, battery, LCD display and hard drive. While the LCD is held onto the ma inboard with 4 plastic tabs, the battery and HD ar

Clearly, the first thing anyone should do with a new gadget is take it apart.
http://www.ipodlounge.com/articles_more.php?id=305 9_0_8_0_C

Try checking out ipodding or ipodlounge for some info on that. The people on their message boards would know for certain.

Hmm... The thread off the news article on iPod Lounge's front page has a comment that is word for word exactly the same as this one, except that it is formatted properly.

Is this the best that a Rio employee and/or fanboy can come up with? The iPod mini "look like butt." Amazing! I'd like to see that in a press release. I have to say that I'm not too impressed with the incredibly obvious bogus "grass roots" movement behind the Nitrus.

here

nope, it connected to the stereo of the car using a tape. Yes, a tape. Not an iTrip or even Belkin's TuneCast.

I just got an 10GB iPod for Christmas and I was curious how the iPod holds up on a treadmill or a jog around the track?

Im also curious about how iTunes works? If i download some songs on my laptop and can move/play them on my home computer as well?

Your question will probably be better answered here.

I read the article, and it is full of holes.

First, since they know about the "Amateur Neurosurgery" (hardly), they may have read it on a forum such as iPod Lounge or iPoding. This implies they knew of services that will replace the battery for you for a small fee instead of you doing it yourself. The brothers conveniently forget to mention that because it would show how cheap they really are. Also the rumor mill knew of Apple supplied replacements and warrantee's for months.

Casey (22) is probably a smart person and probably knew of those rumors but went ahead anyway. When the "patient died on the table", he said how cries unfair it is he has to spend $400 on a high end replacement. How many slashdotters have $400 to blow on a second MP3 player. If I was so serious about how Apple is cheating me, I wouldn't go out and purchase the same product from the very same company I felt was screwing me over? I'd buy a Dell, Creative, Nomad, Rio, or whatever.

(Then again, if he and his brother Van (29) are indi-film artists that they claim to be and use iMovie, they got a lot more learning (and purchasing of hardware/software) ahead of them of which $400 is nothing. Unless they want to be making wedding videos all their life.)

Second the response from Apple Store is hearsay. I have no doubt that they were told that the only solution available at the time from Apple was to purchase a new one (good advice, because a repair would cost more). However, I question the language and whether or not Apple Store employees would have mentioned the existence of 3rd party suppliers. Heck, perhaps that is where they tried the "Amateur Neurosurgery".

I didn't see the entire movie, but depending on where the signs they spraypainted, it could be considered more than just "merry pranksters". I was under the impression that they stuck to the wallpaper type ads. If that is the case, it's perfectly okay. And shame on Apple for using those sort of ads.

Casey claims to have bought the iPod "early in 2002" shortly after the iPod came out. It's just as likely he bought the iPod off someone else who purchased it early in 2002. Besides, the iPod came out the previous year, by that ruler, everyone who has bought an iPod, purchased it "shortly after it came out". I recall the first batch of 1G iPods (5GB) had a battery problem that was noticed as soon as it came out. Apple honored replacements on those even after the warrantee expired (at the time, those were sold under a 90 day warrantee, now they are a year). Why? new battery technology meant the failure was high for a consumer electronic device and Apple had since improved the quality of battery.

Also, it is implied the movie spread in a grass roots manner "within days". Hardly! The website was finished on November 23rd, three days after the domain was registered (20th). It started with an announcement on November 23rd which was picked up by nearly every Mac news site on the 24th (and also by apple.Slashdot). This is hardly a grass roots thing.

Next, they implied that Apple changed the warrantee rules and batter replacement rules "days after the movie made the wrong". This is an egregious error. An Apple-supplied replacement program was announced on the November 14th and the AppleCare extension on the 21st, both before any movie was created. In fact, the chain of events is that Apple announced these solutions which spurred the brothers to register their domain name, finish their movie, and get as many people to download it before it became common knowledge of how immature they actually are.

I read the article, and it is full of holes.

First, since they know about the "Amateur Neurosurgery" (hardly), they may have read it on a forum such as iPod Lounge or iPoding. This implies they knew of services that will replace the battery for you for a small fee instead of you doing it yourself. The brothers conveniently forget to mention that because it would show how cheap they really are. Also the rumor mill knew of Apple supplied replacements and warrantee's for months.

Casey (22) is probably a smart person and probably knew of those rumors but went ahead anyway. When the "patient died on the table", he said how cries unfair it is he has to spend $400 on a high end replacement. How many slashdotters have $400 to blow on a second MP3 player. If I was so serious about how Apple is cheating me, I wouldn't go out and purchase the same product from the very same company I felt was screwing me over? I'd buy a Dell, Creative, Nomad, Rio, or whatever.

(Then again, if he and his brother Van (29) are indi-film artists that they claim to be and use iMovie, they got a lot more learning (and purchasing of hardware/software) ahead of them of which $400 is nothing. Unless they want to be making wedding videos all their life.)

Second the response from Apple Store is hearsay. I have no doubt that they were told that the only solution available at the time from Apple was to purchase a new one (good advice, because a repair would cost more). However, I question the language and whether or not Apple Store employees would have mentioned the existence of 3rd party suppliers. Heck, perhaps that is where they tried the "Amateur Neurosurgery".

I didn't see the entire movie, but depending on where the signs they spraypainted, it could be considered more than just "merry pranksters". I was under the impression that they stuck to the wallpaper type ads. If that is the case, it's perfectly okay. And shame on Apple for using those sort of ads.

Casey claims to have bought the iPod "early in 2002" shortly after the iPod came out. It's just as likely he bought the iPod off someone else who purchased it early in 2002. Besides, the iPod came out the previous year, by that ruler, everyone who has bought an iPod, purchased it "shortly after it came out". I recall the first batch of 1G iPods (5GB) had a battery problem that was noticed as soon as it came out. Apple honored replacements on those even after the warrantee expired (at the time, those were sold under a 90 day warrantee, now they are a year). Why? new battery technology meant the failure was high for a consumer electronic device and Apple had since improved the quality of battery.

Also, it is implied the movie spread in a grass roots manner "within days". Hardly! The website was finished on November 23rd, three days after the domain was registered (20th). It started with an announcement on November 23rd which was picked up by nearly every Mac news site on the 24th (and also by apple.Slashdot). This is hardly a grass roots thing.

Next, they implied that Apple changed the warrantee rules and batter replacement rules "days after the movie made the wrong". This is an egregious error. An Apple-supplied replacement program was announced on the November 14th and the AppleCare extension on the 21st, both before any movie was created. In fact, the chain of events is that Apple announced these solutions which spurred the brothers to register their domain name, finish their movie, and get as many people to download it before it became common knowledge of how immature they actually are.

I read the article, and it is full of holes.

First, since they know about the "Amateur Neurosurgery" (hardly), they may have read it on a forum such as iPod Lounge or iPoding. This implies they knew of services that will replace the battery for you for a small fee instead of you doing it yourself. The brothers conveniently forget to mention that because it would show how cheap they really are. Also the rumor mill knew of Apple supplied replacements and warrantee's for months.

Casey (22) is probably a smart person and probably knew of those rumors but went ahead anyway. When the "patient died on the table", he said how cries unfair it is he has to spend $400 on a high end replacement. How many slashdotters have $400 to blow on a second MP3 player. If I was so serious about how Apple is cheating me, I wouldn't go out and purchase the same product from the very same company I felt was screwing me over? I'd buy a Dell, Creative, Nomad, Rio, or whatever.

(Then again, if he and his brother Van (29) are indi-film artists that they claim to be and use iMovie, they got a lot more learning (and purchasing of hardware/software) ahead of them of which $400 is nothing. Unless they want to be making wedding videos all their life.)

Second the response from Apple Store is hearsay. I have no doubt that they were told that the only solution available at the time from Apple was to purchase a new one (good advice, because a repair would cost more). However, I question the language and whether or not Apple Store employees would have mentioned the existence of 3rd party suppliers. Heck, perhaps that is where they tried the "Amateur Neurosurgery".

I didn't see the entire movie, but depending on where the signs they spraypainted, it could be considered more than just "merry pranksters". I was under the impression that they stuck to the wallpaper type ads. If that is the case, it's perfectly okay. And shame on Apple for using those sort of ads.

Casey claims to have bought the iPod "early in 2002" shortly after the iPod came out. It's just as likely he bought the iPod off someone else who purchased it early in 2002. Besides, the iPod came out the previous year, by that ruler, everyone who has bought an iPod, purchased it "shortly after it came out". I recall the first batch of 1G iPods (5GB) had a battery problem that was noticed as soon as it came out. Apple honored replacements on those even after the warrantee expired (at the time, those were sold under a 90 day warrantee, now they are a year). Why? new battery technology meant the failure was high for a consumer electronic device and Apple had since improved the quality of battery.

Also, it is implied the movie spread in a grass roots manner "within days". Hardly! The website was finished on November 23rd, three days after the domain was registered (20th). It started with an announcement on November 23rd which was picked up by nearly every Mac news site on the 24th (and also by apple.Slashdot). This is hardly a grass roots thing.

Next, they implied that Apple changed the warrantee rules and batter replacement rules "days after the movie made the wrong". This is an egregious error. An Apple-supplied replacement program was announced on the November 14th and the AppleCare extension on the 21st, both before any movie was created. In fact, the chain of events is that Apple announced these solutions which spurred the brothers to register their domain name, finish their movie, and get as many people to download it before it became common knowledge of how immature they actually are.

I read the article, and it is full of holes.

First, since they know about the "Amateur Neurosurgery" (hardly), they may have read it on a forum such as iPod Lounge or iPoding. This implies they knew of services that will replace the battery for you for a small fee instead of you doing it yourself. The brothers conveniently forget to mention that because it would show how cheap they really are. Also the rumor mill knew of Apple supplied replacements and warrantee's for months.

Casey (22) is probably a smart person and probably knew of those rumors but went ahead anyway. When the "patient died on the table", he said how cries unfair it is he has to spend $400 on a high end replacement. How many slashdotters have $400 to blow on a second MP3 player. If I was so serious about how Apple is cheating me, I wouldn't go out and purchase the same product from the very same company I felt was screwing me over? I'd buy a Dell, Creative, Nomad, Rio, or whatever.

(Then again, if he and his brother Van (29) are indi-film artists that they claim to be and use iMovie, they got a lot more learning (and purchasing of hardware/software) ahead of them of which $400 is nothing. Unless they want to be making wedding videos all their life.)

Second the response from Apple Store is hearsay. I have no doubt that they were told that the only solution available at the time from Apple was to purchase a new one (good advice, because a repair would cost more). However, I question the language and whether or not Apple Store employees would have mentioned the existence of 3rd party suppliers. Heck, perhaps that is where they tried the "Amateur Neurosurgery".

I didn't see the entire movie, but depending on where the signs they spraypainted, it could be considered more than just "merry pranksters". I was under the impression that they stuck to the wallpaper type ads. If that is the case, it's perfectly okay. And shame on Apple for using those sort of ads.

Casey claims to have bought the iPod "early in 2002" shortly after the iPod came out. It's just as likely he bought the iPod off someone else who purchased it early in 2002. Besides, the iPod came out the previous year, by that ruler, everyone who has bought an iPod, purchased it "shortly after it came out". I recall the first batch of 1G iPods (5GB) had a battery problem that was noticed as soon as it came out. Apple honored replacements on those even after the warrantee expired (at the time, those were sold under a 90 day warrantee, now they are a year). Why? new battery technology meant the failure was high for a consumer electronic device and Apple had since improved the quality of battery.

Also, it is implied the movie spread in a grass roots manner "within days". Hardly! The website was finished on November 23rd, three days after the domain was registered (20th). It started with an announcement on November 23rd which was picked up by nearly every Mac news site on the 24th (and also by apple.Slashdot). This is hardly a grass roots thing.

Next, they implied that Apple changed the warrantee rules and batter replacement rules "days after the movie made the wrong". This is an egregious error. An Apple-supplied replacement program was announced on the November 14th and the AppleCare extension on the 21st, both before any movie was created. In fact, the chain of events is that Apple announced these solutions which spurred the brothers to register their domain name, finish their movie, and get as many people to download it before it became common knowledge of how immature they actually are.

Actually they're Lithium Polymer

There is some info here about sound quality:

here

and here

These guys also seem to have a lot of info, but their site seems a little flaky right now.

The iPod can record with a Belkin add-on mic

The Belkin add-on costs $50, records at 8KHz mono, drains your battery, and sounds like crap. It also has terible recording and UI options. Edison got better fidelity with wax cylinders, and probably more flexibility.

Want to know more?

http://www.ipodlounge.com/reviews_more.php?id=P171 4_0_6_0_C

"It shreds the iPod in every way."

Hogwash. The The iHP-120 has some nice features, but like all MP3 players, it suffers from some disadvantages, such as:

- Mediocre button layout... no scroll wheel
- Edges not as curved as other players; not as comfortable to hold or pocket
- Mediocre menuing system
- Long startup time if using the DB to organize instead of sorting by directories
- Limited shuffling abilites (especially if organizing by directories)

Additionally, the iPod supports replaygain while the iHP does not does. Also, the iHP doesn't do gapless playback, FLAC, or ethernet (the Karma has all those things, and the Karma will be getting replaygain soon).

I recommend checking out: ipodlounge at least once a day until you find a deal you like. They frequently post deals on iPods. For a while Dell was offering some pretty good deals, but I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped selling iPods. Best of luck.

No, it does happen. I bought a 15 GB iPod around September for about $325 out of pocket, after reading a tip. That's about 20% off the Apple store price. This is shortly before Apple came out with the new line-up, but the Apple Store was still selling the same unit at $399 when I bought mine.

1. Since long before this. 3rd party offers iPod battery replacements and replacement services (typically $50 for battery, $80 for battery + service). There were many rumors of an Apple-provided solution.
2. November 14th: Apple offers a battery replacement policy for $99.
3. November 20th: the brothers registered the domain name ipodsdirtysecret.com.
4. November 21st: Apple offers a AppleCare protection for iPod. ($59 for 2 years).
5. November 23rd: Brothers finish editing video claiming that the iPod battery is not replaceable and post it to the internet.
6. November 24th: Mac sites and Slashdot pick up the story
7. November 25th: The brothers promise to put a link to the battery replacement and AppleCare policy in exchange for bandwidth.
8. November 27th: .7 terabytes later and after not fulfilling their side of the promise, U Wisc pulls the mirror and the brothers give an interview to MacDirectory trying to find another person to dupe.

Since their attempt to "stick it to the Man" occurred after a program was in place. I just have to add that I can only hope for the time machine the "Man" obviously must have be able to put a warrantee in place in response to a video that didn't even exist yet.

1. What date the support messages were recorded and were they actual recordings?
2. What date the filming occurred?
3. If the brother's purchased a used out-of-warrantee iPod from someone.
4. What time the brothers fubar'd their iPod battery swap (too cheap to pay $30 I guess).

1. Since long before this. 3rd party offers iPod battery replacements and replacement services (typically $50 for battery, $80 for battery + service). There were many rumors of an Apple-provided solution.
2. November 14th: Apple offers a battery replacement policy for $99.
3. November 20th: the brothers registered the domain name ipodsdirtysecret.com.
4. November 21st: Apple offers a AppleCare protection for iPod. ($59 for 2 years).
5. November 23rd: Brothers finish editing video claiming that the iPod battery is not replaceable and post it to the internet.
6. November 24th: Mac sites and Slashdot pick up the story
7. November 25th: The brothers promise to put a link to the battery replacement and AppleCare policy in exchange for bandwidth.
8. November 27th: .7 terabytes later and after not fulfilling their side of the promise, U Wisc pulls the mirror and the brothers give an interview to MacDirectory trying to find another person to dupe.

Since their attempt to "stick it to the Man" occurred after a program was in place. I just have to add that I can only hope for the time machine the "Man" obviously must have be able to put a warrantee in place in response to a video that didn't even exist yet.

1. What date the support messages were recorded and were they actual recordings?
2. What date the filming occurred?
3. If the brother's purchased a used out-of-warrantee iPod from someone.
4. What time the brothers fubar'd their iPod battery swap (too cheap to pay $30 I guess).

1. Since long before this. 3rd party offers iPod battery replacements and replacement services (typically $50 for battery, $80 for battery + service). There were many rumors of an Apple-provided solution.
2. November 14th: Apple offers a battery replacement policy for $99.
3. November 20th: the brothers registered the domain name ipodsdirtysecret.com.
4. November 21st: Apple offers a AppleCare protection for iPod. ($59 for 2 years).
5. November 23rd: Brothers finish editing video claiming that the iPod battery is not replaceable and post it to the internet.
6. November 24th: Mac sites and Slashdot pick up the story
7. November 25th: The brothers promise to put a link to the battery replacement and AppleCare policy in exchange for bandwidth.
8. November 27th: .7 terabytes later and after not fulfilling their side of the promise, U Wisc pulls the mirror and the brothers give an interview to MacDirectory trying to find another person to dupe.

Since their attempt to "stick it to the Man" occurred after a program was in place. I just have to add that I can only hope for the time machine the "Man" obviously must have be able to put a warrantee in place in response to a video that didn't even exist yet.

1. What date the support messages were recorded and were they actual recordings?
2. What date the filming occurred?
3. If the brother's purchased a used out-of-warrantee iPod from someone.
4. What time the brothers fubar'd their iPod battery swap (too cheap to pay $30 I guess).

That's not true. Until Nov 14, 2003, Apple wanted $255 to service iPod's with dead batteries. PDASmart, the $50 source you refer to, didn't source the battery until June 2003, 20 months after the iPod's introduction. The battery has a lifespan between 1 and 2 years. That means that there are people out there on the wrong side of the Bell Curve who have shelved their iPods because they didn't think paying Apple $255 to replace a battery on a $400 item was a fair shake. May not be a problem to you but ask those people why don't you?

What's really stupid about this is had Apple:

1. Made it easy to change a battery and...
2. Sourced the battery from the beginning.

Which i am sure you have been heard by now, is filled with bull...

Seems like the makers of this "film" have some secrets of their own:
Dumb kids.

Young, stupid and camera owning...a dangerous combination...

After much complaining from iPod owners

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 how to recharge and use the iPod to maximaze battery lifetime.

Why not just do a proper group review, rather than saying "Don't by this because we don't like it"?

I've just ordered my iPod and it is, as we speak, winging its way over to me from Taiwan. I am quite comfortable with my purchase, and having read over such excellent sites as The iPod Lounge I am pretty happy I have bought the right thing.

A group test for me is the way forward.. simply picking a product, and then writing an article to slate it is pretty poor IMHO. How the hell do they know what I am looking for in a portable MP3 player, or which MP3 player appeals to me more?

Apple were one of the first with a killer product, which is selling around 350,000 units per quarter - sure it obviously has a few issues such as the battery life, but Apple obviously felt that a reduction in size was worth the cost in battery life.

Pretty much anyone who owns one or anyone who reviews one ends up raving about it.

The only reason most people put up with Windows is as of now, they're the dominant operating system. Apple isn't a dominant desktop operating system, and we here are trying hard not to have another Microsoft. One's already bad enough, and this story came out just around the time I was considering getting an Apple laptop, kinda make me want to reconsider it.

My iPod experience would scare me away from buying any other Apple product, ever. The fact is that on Windows, the iPods are riddled with problems. Check out the forums. It's fine that there are problems -- they're expected with bleeding-edge hardware. The problem is that Apple hasn't even acknowledged these problems, and I don't forsee them being fixed any time soon.

Other than the price point and that damned single mousebutton (but alot of context menus in the interface) -- I think that Apple has excellent machines. However, after my iPod experience, I wouldn't have bought one of their laptops either.

--Turkey

Try Brasso (the metal polish), it works wonders on ipods, both the metal part AND especially the screen.

Source: iPod Lounge. And yes, I have and do use it on my ipod successfully.

Glad i ordered my iTrip yesterday... Ironically enough... www.ipodlounge.com had an article yesterday

Does iPod have FM out to my car stereo?

Not standard, but for about $35 you can buy a slick solution that lets you broadcast your ipod to FM frequencies (and it looks like it was made just for the ipod, well because it was...) Check that out here.

Does IPOD have line-in based recording?

Actually, not yet... but if you did any research you'd see that people found in the firmware the ability to activate ipod recording. Read about it here

Oh, and best yet... it's still an ipod. Slick UI, really light and small and it gets the job done better than any other mp3 player. It's been 2 years and nobody has caught up yet!

Apple have just shown that they like money better than customers by withholding firmware updates for "old" ipod models (I bought my "old" ipod 2 months ago) check it out here http://www.ipodlounge.com/ipodnews_comments.php?id =379_0_7_0_C

Over at iPodLounge they say that iTunes will be coming out for Windows. Hooray!! I never even installed MusicMatch, it is such a POS.

Here's my buddy Paul's entry there, outside Area 51. :)

if you have an older software version. check here for info.

here's what's on that page in case it gets slashdotted:
This mode is no longer available in Software Updater v1.0.4
Perform diagnostic tests at your own risk or not at all.

The following diagnostic mode discovery, test and results are courtesy of iPoding.com
1. Reset the iPod. Press and hold "Menu" and "Play" buttons.
2. The Apple logo will appear. Press and hold "REW", "FFW" and "Select" button. You will hear an audible chirp sound. Your now in diagnostic mode
3. Navigate the list of tests using "REW" and "FFW". The scroll wheel will not function while in diagnostic mode.

Please visit iPoding.com for test results with updates.
The Diagnostic Mode Tests:
1. 5 IN 1
2. RESET
3. KEY
4. AUDIO
5. REMOTE
6. FIREWARE
7. SLEEP
8. A 2 D
9. OTPO CNT
10. LCM
11. RTC
12. SDRAM
13. FLASH
14. OTPO
15. HDD SCAN
16. RUN IN

External FM transmitter adaptors are widely available from Radio Shack and the like.

A survey of reviews will inform you that most people are quite disappointed in their sound quality:

• Dr Botts
• Comments on several models
• another one

Basically, the impression I get from comments I've seen about these it that they work OK if you have no other option, but if you can at all manage a miniplug-to-RCA, or even a cassette adaptor, they'll sound better.

Buying a WinPod (or getting a MacPod and using the WinniePod Updater to make it a WinPod) allows you to use it on both Mac's and Wintel machines.
It's well documented at Ipoding, IpodHacks, IpodLounge, and the EphPod Forums that a Mac can read a WinPod. Thus, it works on both, and utilities are available to get your calendars and contacts on.
The only thing you give up with this arrangement is the ability to use "smart playlists"- at this time, the EphPod folks are trying to figure out why a FAT32 Ipod doesn't seem to write back how many times you played a specific song.