iPod mini

[jon]

Loren, this is the reason you will be stuck in Bill rams me from behind PC hell forever. You read something on the internet about a movie some guy made and you believe it to be true. Yes the movie was true at the time it was filmed, but if you look at his website you will find that he comments on the current process and how it is really good. For $100 you send your iPod in, and they either give you a new or refurbished iPod of equivalent or larger size. Pretty shitty deal huh? Also I hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as a infinite-life battery (yes I know you are talking about life of use versus life of charge), I know people with $3k windows computers who's batteries have died in less than a years time, actually it's common place. What's more disgusthing, a super expensive laptop battery dying after a year or the iPod dying after 2 years? Last time I looked on Dell's site those batteries weren't cheap either.

 

WHO ELSE WANTS SOME?

[CascadeClimber]

Yes the movie was true at the time it was filmed, but if you look at his website you will find that he comments on the current process and how it is really good. For $100 you send your iPod in, and they either give you a new or refurbished iPod of equivalent or larger size. Pretty shitty deal huh? Also I hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as a infinite-life battery (yes I know you are talking about life of use versus life of charge), I know people with $3k windows computers who's batteries have died in less than a years time, actually it's common place. What's more disgusthing, a super expensive laptop battery dying after a year or the iPod dying after 2 years? Last time I looked on Dell's site those batteries weren't cheap either.

 

WHO ELSE WANTS SOME?

 

I'll take some of that!

 

You think $100 is a reasonable price to replace the battery in a $220 product??

 

Sure, all batteries wear out. But I don't have to send a $2000 laptop in and pay $1000 for that new battery (1/2 the cost of the laptop). It's just another example of how they take a near perfect product and F it up with one moronic decision.

 

Don't get me wrong: I was a Mac fanatic before you were walking, and lasted longer than even Guy Kawasaki. But they've been doing the same dumb things since 1984.

 

 

-L

[icegirl]

I don't really use my battery "that much" in the first place, It's almost always plugged in to something, computer, wall, cigarette lighter (that's what they are there for right?) The only time I don't use it that way is running. I've gotten 12 hrs of music out of it before it shut me down (not plugged in), this is pretty good in my book. I can see how on a camping trip it could be a bummer, but I guess that is where the belkin auxiliary battery pack that takes regular batteries comes in.

 

it gets in my book. My one recommendation, get the biggest you can affored, you'd be surprised how much music you really have. I've filled up my 10 g easily.

[iain]

the battery thing is a bad setup. It stings when you have to pay apple to get this performed on ipods that they no longer support with the latest software updates. I think the style statement came before practicality in this case. that, and they didn't want to make it too easy to upgrade hard drives I guess.

[cj001f]

You think $100 is a reasonable price to replace the battery in a $220 product??

It may not be reasonable, but it is a common price to pay. Looked at spare batteries for a cellphone?

[jon]

First, the thing starts at $300 so it's 1/3 the price. Yes $100 is expensive for a battery, but like it has been pointed out cell phone batteries are the same way. It's how these companies make money. In that movie that guy even said he used the thing NON STOP for 18 months. If you talked on your cell phone like that, the battery might last a month.

 

Second, battery technology continues to be the limiting technology in ANY moblie electronic technology. In your laptop example, the iPod would be using NiCad batteries and not be able to charge through the firewire cable connected to your computer. How many products do that? For $100 they aren't only giving you a new battery, they are essentially giving you a new iPod. If you also consider the form factor of the iPod it would be very hard to make a user replacable battery and keep the thing water tight.

[JoshK]

The point is not that battery wears out and can't be replaced but the fact that it isn't field replacable. This is just fucking stupid. Myabe i'm the only one that actually likes to use my MP3 player for more than 1 day on a multiday trip, but this is why 98% of the players out there didn't fit my needs. The last thing I want to do is carry around the dead weight after day 1.

[arlen]

The battery will last a lot longer if you don't make a habit of running it empty before recharging it. Like IG said, there's usually fast and easy place to plug it in nearby. And if there's not, there's this:

 

 

link

[jon]

Josh enjoy the silence.

[cj001f]

The battery will last a lot longer if you don't make a habit of running it empty before recharging it.

It shouldn't make a difference for a Li-Ion battery. For NiMh and NiCd you should drain the battery entirely.

[dylan_taylor]

I think that because of the battery issue with the ipod I will be keeping my minidisc player for another year or so. It seems stupid to make something so small and portable, and then require you to return it to its charger daily. My Minidisc runs off of one AA battery, and that lasts for days. So far it's been the ultimate for foreign expedition basecamp entertainment.

[chumpman]

i bought my mini from Best Buy and got their extended 2 year warranty for $36. i figger i can kill the thing off in a bit less than two years and get the newest version for free!

[dylan_taylor]

I've already done that four times!

[arlen]

It shouldn't make a difference for a Li-Ion battery. For NiMh and NiCd you should drain the battery entirely.

 

Everything I've heard is that you shouldn't empty any battery, especially Nicekl based. Controlled discharge "reconditioning" is usually to 1v per cell. I heard this from some nite riding bike wonks, couled be wrong. But it shouldn't matter much with Li Ion because it degrades over time more than due to discharge cycles.

[cj001f]

Everything I've heard is that you shouldn't empty any battery, especially Nicekl based. Controlled discharge "reconditioning" is usually to 1v per cell. I heard this from some nite riding bike wonks, couled be wrong. But it shouldn't matter much with Li Ion because it degrades over time more than due to discharge cycles.

Hmm. Everything I've read about NiCd batteries suggest you should discharge them fully before recharging to avoid the "Memory Effect" - Google seems to agree with me.

 

Most battery technologies have lifetime expectancies of about 300-400 cycles.

 

And Josh, that battery for your Nomad is $50! You can buy the AA pack for an iPod (more useful, IMHO) for less.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Sorry to distract from the thrilling topic of battery life, but, getting back to sound quality, isn't the iPod the only portable that plays back AIFF files, or whatever the format is that's the same as it is on a CD? Which is to say (i.e., i.e.) you get CD quality 'cause it ain't compressed? Also, Mr. Joshguy mentioned that, when plugging a player into the preamp input on his car stereo, he could only turn the iPod up to ca. 75% before clipping. Correct DFA if he's wrong (ha, like that'd happen ), but shouldn't you be using the volume control on the stereo, not the player? Or are we confused here?

[Ursa_Eagle]

I have to adjust the volume on my RioRiot depending on what method I'm using to get the information into my car stereo. If I'm using a cassette adapter, I have it at 50% (where I've been told it's best to have it, and it jives with the radio volume as well). If I use an FM transmitter, I need to bump it up to 80 or 85%. It sounds fine with the FM transmitter (again, same volume as the other radio stations), but when I switch back to my cassette adapter with the RioRiot volume at 80%, it's way distorted. Upping the volume to 100% with the FM transmitter yields the same distortion.

 

I kinda wish my volume went louder on the RioRiot (without the distortion), because I reach a limit with my stereo when I can no longer turn it up, and sometimes you just gotta listen to stuff just a little louder.

[JoshK]

Sorry to distract from the thrilling topic of battery life, but, getting back to sound quality, isn't the iPod the only portable that plays back AIFF files, or whatever the format is that's the same as it is on a CD? Which is to say (i.e., i.e.) you get CD quality 'cause it ain't compressed? Also, Mr. Joshguy mentioned that, when plugging a player into the preamp input on his car stereo, he could only turn the iPod up to ca. 75% before clipping. Correct DFA if he's wrong (ha, like that'd happen ), but shouldn't you be using the volume control on the stereo, not the player? Or are we confused here?

 

Nope, you use the car stereo's volume knob but the lower volume you have coming out of the device, the weaker the signal. It's pretty annoying when volume 10 on the radio is quite loud but barely audible when playing the MP3.

[nonanon]

One of these is essential for iPod use in a car. Line out -> preamp -> stereo jack -> CD line-in on your deck or a tape adaptor. Great sound, thousands of songs and a fully charged player when you get to the trailhead.

[nonanon]

Timmay!!! Has your Mini frozen yet?

[Gary_Yngve]

I just got a Nex IIe by Frontier Labs.

 

Dimensions: 90mm x 60mm x 20mm

Weight (without 2 AA batteries): 65g

 

Playtime with CF card: 20 hours

 

You can buy it barebones ($80) and supply your own CF card.

CF cards are dirt-cheap these days compared to MMCs or SDs.

And CFs work in your camera too.

 

And you don't need to fuck around with any software. You just put mp3s onto the CF card, just as you would take pictures off the CF card, and that's it. Plug the CF card into the player and you're ready to rock. Or use the mp3 player as a USB drive and cut and paste the files to the USB drive.

 

So it's not the lightest, but it has long playtime and is geek-friendly.

[JoshK]

I had one of dem dar Nex IIe players before I lost it. It was a pretty decent simple player. My only complaint was the battery life with 2 AAs was about the same as the newer players with 1 AAA.

[cj001f]

You can buy it barebones ($80) and supply your own CF card. CF cards are dirt-cheap these days compared to MMCs or SDs. And CFs work in your camera too.

 

???? SD's work with a number of camera's. And Palm's. And for 256MB and below CF ~= SD's in price.

[Gary_Yngve]

SDs work with cameras too. But SDs are pricy as hell.

I can get a 512MB CF for $75 and 1G CF for $150 from buy.com. SDs are at least double that price.

 

By CFs work in your camera too, I was referring to other MP3 players that have built-in, non-removable memory (most of them).

[cj001f]

I can get a 512MB CF for $75 and 1G CF for $150 from buy.com. SDs are at least double that price.

Being a picayune - 512MB SD for $109 @ buy.com. Trouble I have with any of the removable memory players is on the trips where I want alot of memory for the camera - I also want it for the player. And player + big memory card ~= price of Hard Drive player (10GB iPod for $249 as an example)