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Attorneys Prepare iPod Class Action Lawsuit
An anonymous reader writes "Well, it was bound to happen. It looks like some lawyers are preparing to file a class action lawsuit against apple computer due to the iPod's battery problem (previously discussed here, here, and here)."
Alright, so maybe they didn't use the BEST batteries. Maybe they made them proprietary so you couldn't just go replace it with a $10 or $20 one... Typical Apple. Anybody who didn't think they'd use their own format is NUTS.
I really doubt this lawsuit will go very far. At least I hope it won't.
Dark Nexus
"Sanity is calming, but madness is more interesting."
i've had my ipod for a year. no battery problems. this is FUD.
$51.2 million for the lawyers, anyone who had the ipod battery problem gets $20 off a select ipod accessory. Way to go.
So they're gonna create a class action lawsuit on the basis that batteries die and cost money to replace? This is gonna be a hard sell. And i wouldn't be supprised if apple doesn't settle.
yea. we should sue duracell, too. their batteries die too.
Don't ALL batteries eventually lose their ability to hold a charge? I agree that Apple should have designed the iPod so it is easier to replace them, but consumers also should have thought about things like replacing the batteries before buying an MP3 player that costs that much.
As with almost all class action suits, the lawyers will more than likely end up being the only "winners".
...because as we all know, the iPod user manual plainly says "The battery will never, EVER die!"
Oh, wait.
This lawsuit needs to be thrown out of court. No settlement, no nothing. Pay to get the battery replaced, only use the iPod while it's connected to AC power, or STFU and go buy some piece of shit Rio and a pallet of AAs.
as compared with batteries that DON'T degrade?
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
My CD player runs the CD on a pair of AAAs for ABOUT 40 hours (this is what it's rated for, manufacturer's stats).
I can get a 12-pack of AAA cells for $9 US, plus tax.
Now, the first batch of IPod batteries to fail went after 18 months of "heavy use". Let's call that... 5 hours a day. At least.
4 hours a day, for a year and a half... 2737.5 hours of use.
That translates into $102.66 US, plus applicable taxes.
Compare to the $99 battery replacement from Apple. The $49 3rd-party battery. Compare to the people who've been running theirs under "heavy use" for over 2 years now.
Hmm..... those Duracells aren't looking so good, anymore.
Dark Nexus
"Sanity is calming, but madness is more interesting."
What jurry is going to award these whiners any money what so ever?
How is an ipod any different from a watch? I need a special tool to open one of those too.
It cost $69 bucks to send it to any of the other 3rd party companies and you pay for shipping making it come out around $80 bucks by the time you finish. So no $99 bucks isn't bad when Apple covers the battery. Apple won't cover a battery you installed or someone else installed. I think most folks would send it to Apple just for the piece of mind that their battery now has warranty covering it now.
Also go price a Nokia brand name batter and you will probably pay around $50-60 bucks for it...which is very similar to Apples battery except for the service and labor charge added to it.
A: Unemployed
Lay the blame where appropriate. Lawyers are part of the problem, but not the only part. Blame the clients that hire them.
psxndc
The emacs religion: to be saved, control excess.
I could definitely see some compensation for people that were forced to replace their batteries (or iPods) prior to Apple's $99 replacement policy. And that doesn't seem totally unreasonable.
" My original 5 gig got went from 11 hours to 45 mins over three years of constant use."
three years of constant use?
from a device that's been out barely over two years?
The new iPod is the exact opposite thing you want in engineering. A device that lasts less time on battery power. But this seems to be the general trend at Apple lately.
You seem to assume that engineer has different priorities than the customer (engineers often call "customer" something like "mindless drone" or "Joe Sixpack" etc.). On the short term, it could be true indeed, but on the long term - it's not. An engineer working for a company that does not satisfy its customers will soon be an unemployed engineer. The new iPod is a piece of fine engineering, because the customers queue to buy it. Period.
Seriously, I use a 3rd gen iPod and I am happy with the trade "less weight for less battery life". Wouldn't swap it for the old one (actually, I was buying my machine when both generations of iPods coexisted on the market).
Batteries are not designed to have a life in YEARS. Their life is measured in RECHARGE CYCLES. Once the engineers know how the device is supposed to be used someone then figures out how often it is expected to be recharded and converts that into days/months/years.
I believe the battery in question is rated for 500 charge cycles. If you charge it twice a day then it will only last about eight months. If you charge it every two days then it will last just about three years.
If you drain the battery 20% and then recharge it you have used one of the battery's recharge cycles.
This is the main reason why normal batteries last longer for some people that for others.
The way i understnd it is that most manufacturers build products that just about outlast their designated warranties. (For example, it does feel like I buy a new MD player every year).. At the same time, one of the reasons I bought a Apple PB and a pod was their generous warranty provisons. I gather you can totally abuse your hardware and they happily fix/replace it for you while it is in warranty. So if your pod fails after the warranty then you just buy a replacement battery for $50-100. I know this is "shit", but it is not as if people do not know about the disadvantages of li-ion batteries. Yes I agree pods are not the cheapest players, but by most standards they do have very positive aspects with regrads to useability/standard of build/compact form factor. I love my MD player because I can run it for 70-100hours between charges, but the downside is I have to carry 4 - 10 of my fav compliations.. but with the pod I have my complete music library but have to charge it every 2nd day. The choice is yours.... Whatever you buy, you should always read the small print and have realistic expectations, whether you buy a $400 pod or a $40,000 car, you should always do your research and decide if the product is suitable for your needs and expectations.
Anyway, I predict that within 2 years, unless Apple moves into the phone market, the iPod will be dead. It won't be long until Nokia or Sony brings out a phone with gigabyte MP3 storage...
Jesus Christ, let it fucking go. Just because you have a hard-on for the all-in-one uber-gadget doesn't mean the rest of us do. I *like* having my cellphone separate from my PDA, MP3 player, Gameboy Advance SP, etc. Why? Because I can leave it at home and not have the ass-clowns from the office calling me while I'm on the bus home trying to decompress while listening to some Bad Religion and playing Advance Wars 2.
If you want an all-in-one device, buy a fucking laptop. There's no need for a combo-PDA-MP3 player-phone-dildo.
And furthermore, please stop predicting the death of Apple and/or it's products. It's so fucking tired.
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