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iPod Mini Design Flaw?
terradyn writes "Over at iPodlounge they've discovered that the iPod mini's have a major issue with their headphone jacks. It looks like the jacks connection to the main system board is extremely poorly engineered and so normal use will wear it out and cause lots of static after around 35-40 days... If any pressure on your iPod Mini results in crackling and static, you should return your iPod immediately to an Apple store for a free replacement. They're also theorizing over in the forums that the iPod Mini shortage may be a cover for this problem..." Update: 04/12 01:08 GMT by T : billybob writes "Someone in the forum thread originally linked to has posted pictures of the iPod taken apart, demonstrating the problem."
Marketing. The same way that BMW makes products that:
(1) Catch fire - Their engineering design tollerances are sloppy (despite marketing saying otherwise). Such that their engines sometimes overheat - and occasionally catch fire (eg: the X5 launch fiasco that forced a recall).
(2) Have poor performance - the M3 is quite shitty value for the money when compared to non-BMW sport coupes. But it's the pizzaz that they've managed to do so well.
(3) Have poor ergonomics - the switch gear on BMWs has always been built of low-grade plastic - with poor layout and tactile feedback. Their new iDrive system also sucks, containing some classic examples of how not to design an intuitive UI. Not to mention their seriously bland interior and exterior styling.
The more "exclusive" the brand - the worse the product quality. For example, I wouldn't want a Ferrari as a daily driver because they spend half the time broken down in the shop.
But BMW has spun such a mix of "exclusive" and "obtainable" that they are the most profitable car company in the world. Expensive products that are dirt cheap to make = lots of profit.
It's the same thing with Apple. Their products have such a brilliant layer of shine on top that customers are distracted from the fact that their product's functionality could do with some serious improvement. For example, it would take Apple almost nothing to add OGG support to the iPod - and to ship their computers with a 2-button mouse. But their products are then so expensive because they need to fund expensive marketing campaigns.
Eg: "think different", "the ultimate driving machine" - ha! They really mean "think as we tell you" and "the ultimate marketing machine".
It's called apple engineering... Most of their shit is poorly engineered. They just hide it behind marketing, ignorant customers, and pretty cases.
Just some of the poorly engineered pieces I have come across as working as an apple authroized service provider for 4 years:
-Apple 5300 Laptop hinges all broke.
-Apple Laserwriter printers wer re-bagged HP LJ4's with redesigned paperflow pathways. Serious paperflow issues and sensor issues in every single unit shipped. This was never an issue on the HP model.
+ Apple PB G3 Laptops: (Black keyboard) Serious PMU (power management unit) where it looked like a bad C-Mos battery but almost all failed black KB g3's needed a replaced PMU Board.
- the PMU board was also the hardest part to replace, requiring the entire LCD, motherboard, chassis, and cabling to be removed before you get access to the board. This caused other major problems to repaired machines.
- This problem was so bad that many laptops that went in to apple for repair came back with bad LCD backlight inverter cables. Why? Because the cable was ment to be installed once and forgotten about. Apple never sold the inverter cable without the entire LCD pannel so they were virtually impossible to get replaced out of warranty. This inverter cable was a ribbon data cable carrying high voltage DC Current. Very bad design (the next model, bronze kb, fixed it with better gague wiring for this cable).
-Most PB G3 Black KB laptops eventually lost their friction in the clutch so the display hinges went limp. Usually after 1-2 years of use (thank god for apple's 1 year warranty+90 day tech support):
Thus, everyone who got a PB G3 black KB got the shaft.
- Origional iMac motherboards mostly went out after 1 year. Everyone knows it, but apple wouldn't repair them because nobody pressed a class action. Solution: pay an ASP 400$ for them to repair it out of warranty.
- All 14" iBook white G3 laptops had faulty motherboads whereas the video went bad. This issue is still not resolved, but after being served with a class action, apple was forced to honor out of warranty repairs for all white iBook 14" laptops.
- iPod origional. Faulty battery problem and no way to replace the battery without voiding the warranty.
- iPod Mini. Fautly solder joint on the headphone jacks. Blamed for the worldwide shortage of overpriced IBM Microdrives which come in blue, yellow, pink, and green and have apple DRM written all over it.
Those arej ust the ones off the top of my head. ones of which i have seen dozens of come through my shop and apple not fixing a single issue except the 14" ibook and only because they were forced to. And every single issue listed above was a known issue of those models within the first year of shipping the product. Still nothing back from apple. But they sure will have no problem collecting their paycheck every month from unsuspecting consumers.
Conclusion? Fuck apple engineering. And Fuck apple marketing. The mindset for apple users who got burned by the 14" laptop scandal: "Apple is getting a class action! Alright!! Now i can send this sucker in to get replaced and Ebay it, So now I can spend that money on a new PB G4!!!!"
Give me a fucking break. Idiot.
Clue to ebayers looking for laptops: People don't sell laptops or computers they are happy with on ebay. They sell garbage they have been burned on themselves. Unless you are buying them from a surplus warehouse, you are probably buying overpriced trash.
{/RANT}
Your ignorance is infinitely greater than you realize.