Oh No! Ipod problems

[NewJazz4Mike]

My new Ipod seems screwed up already. Two months old. This is the new model - 40 gigs, with the clickwheel. The clickwheel isn't scrolling. It works to click, but doesn't respond at all when I touch it to scroll or adjust volume. Has anyone else experienced this, or know what may be wrong? Only two months old, I hate to have to try to bring it back. Just getting it filled up with music! Now that it's happened, I sense that the design of the wheel seems too delicate to hold up long term.

[kh1958]

I had that exact problem. There was nothing wrong with my ipod. I don't have it with me, but there's a "hold" button on the ipod which I had accidentally pushed into the on position. Check to see if the button is on and turn it off, if so. That fixed the problem for me.

My new Ipod seems screwed up already. Two months old. This is the new model - 40 gigs, with the clickwheel. The clickwheel isn't scrolling. It works to click, but doesn't respond at all when I touch it to scroll or adjust volume. Has anyone else experienced this, or know what may be wrong? Only two months old, I hate to have to try to bring it back. Just getting it filled up with music! Now that it's happened, I sense that the design of the wheel seems too delicate to hold up long term.

[clave]

I'd check out iPod Lounge (http://www.ipodlounge.com) (including their forums) to see if anyone's developed a fix. (There are also a lot of nifty items in the "Tips and Tricks" section.)

Am using Red Chair Software's Anapod Explorer with my new iPod (same type as yours) and find that it's far better than Apple's bundled stuff. It's very high-power stuff, incredibly simple interface, and terrific features. (No, I don't work for them!)

[clave]

NJ4M,

Take a look here (http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/featlist.php) for more info. on what the software can do.

They had a far better guide to features + a point-by-point comparison of their product vs. Apple's, but for some reason they took it off the site -- not sure why.

[clave]

OK, I found the right page:

http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/ctable.php

[porkribs]

Be VERY CAREFUL with Anapod - it wiped my iPod clean, and though their staff was great about answering questions before I bought their software, they didn't respond when I told them about the wiped-out iPod.

Search around the Web for user reports before you buy. When it works, it works, but you'll find a bunch of reports about big problems that they don't respond to.

And take a look at their site - there's no real address, no phone number, no single person's name associated with the product, and no tech support address (tech support problems must be entered using an on-line form). And their domain name is registered to a fake address.

My take is that they know that their product sort of works, and that they're aware that when it fails, it fails BIG, and that they're trying to avoid responsibility for that.

Caveat emptor.

[clave]

And their domain name is registered to a fake address.

Could you explain in detail? I'd like to check this out.

Also, what do you mean when you say that it "wiped your iPod clean"? Are you referring to music and/or data, or do you mean everything on its hard drive? Also, do you use Mac or Windows?

I've been running searches on the kinds of problems you're talking about, and am not coming up with much of anything. Could you be a bit more specific as to sources?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[clave]

OK, porkribs, do you have some info. to pass on??? I've been looking at various iPod forums and have come up with little or nothing regarding problems with Anapod's software.

It would be helpful to me -- and other users -- if you could add some substance to your complaints about them and their product. i don't doubt that you experienced all the problems that you mentioned above, but I do have trouble believing the "fake domain name" biz, etc.

[tt69]

My other gripe about the Ipod (but I haven't begun to figure out what it's capable of yet) - is the inablity to shuffle play within a specific playlist. Maybe there's a setting to change, but my Ipod seems able to shuffle play either by song, or within an album.... I was hoping to shuffle play by playlist - for example, I have about 200 jazzy Christmas songs in a playlist called "Christmas", from about a dozen different CDs - but I haven't been able to figure out how to shuffle the individual songs within that playlist. Is that possible?
I don't know why you wouldn't be able to shuffle a playlist- I do it all the time. Just set it to Shuffle-Songs and go to your playlist. And Clave was right- ipodlounge.com is the ultimate resource when it comes to the iPod.

[Joel]

I haven't experience the click wheel problems that you have
but you still have a years warranty on your iPod

of which you could avail for a replacement if you think there
is (was) a mechanical defect.

You may also have 6 months free phone tech support.

[oakski]

I Cant reset my ipod any ideas!!!

[clave]

See tutorials and forum on www.ilounge.com for plenty of suggestions on how to deal with this (and much more).

[doc]

I've now been able to recreate the problem that porkribs talks about. I've even gone one step further. Not only does it wipe my iPod, after trying to run the iPod Updater the iPod is dead and unusable. After reseting the iPod I get the infamous folder icon. About 5 seconds later the iPod shuts down with a noticable 'clunk' of the internal hard drive.

This happened two nights ago when I was editing ID3 tags. I took the iPod back to where I bought and exchanged it last night. This morning I just had the same problem so I documented my steps and took screenshots. http://www.datasphereweb.com/sequence.zip. I've now killed my second iPod :angry3: and will be replacing once again. I will not be using Anapod again for obvious reasons until they get this fixed.

I only found this board after destroying my 2nd iPod and searching for problems on The Internet.

[Joel]

Anapod Explorer:

a utility that has windows explorer integration and has be reported to be crash prone from what i've search on other sites is something I wouldn't easily go for.....and even pay for(at 25$ ?!).

windows explorer...thats like letting the Borg assimilate your iPod.

If its just file transfer of songs from the iPod to PC, there are freeware utilities though there is one shareware called iPod2PC (12$) with does the job quite well for me.

Maybe Anapod has lots of points regarding capabilites or features but we shouldn't forget that the iPod is first and foremost a music listening device.
Thats all you need, keep 3rd party applications and or utilities to a minimum.

[clave]

Anapod isn't for those other utilities, it's for flexibility in track tagging (of all kinds), transferring files to and from an iPod and so on.

Take a look at user forums on ilounge.com and other sites - sometimes Apple's software is problematic, too. (Something I've experienced.)

I use iTunes only when I have to, but obviously, I haven't experienced the problems that a couple of people have posted about here. it's wise to check out *any* utility program thoroughly before downloading - I did, and I'm satisified with what I have. There many other options, too.

I do wonder what's causing the problem(s) - my guess is that it could be multiple things - after updating software....

NOTE: 1. this page gives more detail on Anapod features - http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/featlist.php

2. If I have problems with the software, i'll post accordingly. (am hoping that never happens, of course!)

[clave]

I realize that all 3d-part apps need to be carefully screened (etc.), but sometimes the official updates can be buggy, too - here's a story from www.ilounge.com:

Software update fixes iPod shuffle bugs
By Larry Angell

Apple today released iPod Updater 2005-11-17, a new software update that apparently corrects major issues with the iPod shuffle. According to the brief release notes, the update includes iPod Software 1.1.3 for the shuffle, which provides “bug fixes.” Apple said the update does not offer other iPods any additional enhancements.

iPod Updater 2005-11-17 appears to be fixing problems related to widespread complaints of green and orange blinking error lights and iTunes and PCs suddenly no longer recognizing the device. The issues affect both 512MB and 1GB shuffles. Many shuffle owners blame a recent iPod firmware update or even iTunes 6.0.1 for the issues.

there are some links to posts on issues with the previous iPod Updater:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/software-update-fixes-ipod-shuffle-bugs/. here's one from Apple's support/discussion forum:http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=176568&tstart=0

[peter rh]

from BBC
"Apple has been criticised over a new version of its iTunes program that can keep track of a user's listening habits.
The updated software includes a feature that recommends tracks similar to the music being played via iTunes.

Users said Apple had to be more open about data being collected because the recommendations use unique identifiers for a computer and iTunes account."
more on : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4608882.stm

[clave]

A lot of people seem to be pretty upset about the spyware issue - am not crazy about it myself. Maybe someone will develop a program along the lines of Quicktime Alternative.

[Noj]

New iPod issue: I have a 20gb model that I bought in December of '04. It has been very dependable, but suddenly it is cutting random tracks off without playing them all the way through. Anyone else experience this?

[clave]

Only with recent iTunes downloads. Something went wrong after one of their more recent software "updgrades."

[Noj]

Only with recent iTunes downloads. Something went wrong after one of their more recent software "updgrades."

My problem is with tracks that I've bought from emusic, but it does appear to be an mp3 problem and not one involving tracks ripped from cds.

[Noj]

My problem is with tracks that I've bought from emusic, but it does appear to be an mp3 problem and not one involving tracks ripped from cds.

After further investigation, this is not true--the problem is completely random.
:cry:

[clave]

Does it happen when you try to play a given album with the tracks in sequence, or is it confined to other play choices/modes? (I'm trying to not be spooked by this...!)

[Noj]

Does it happen when you try to play a given album with the tracks in sequence, or is it confined to other play choices/modes? (I'm trying to not be spooked by this...!)

I nearly always play my playlists in random mode. I reserve listening to entire albums in their normal sequence for at-home listening.

[jazzfingers19]

Well I hope it pleases all to know that if your Ipod says HP on it....You get a big "not our problem" from both apple and HP. Especially if you are out of warranty...the guys are useless with emial.....I had to wait on hold with both Apple and HP for a REALLY long time before I got any response. Apple says call HP. HP says call Apple. We did this dance until i flipped at the HP guy. Oh and they just tell you " we can't talk to you on the phone e-mail us." I was really upset becuase all these problems with my Ipod started from an update they made me get. I was lucky that I bought like a 3 year insurance from the place I bought it from so I just have to wait for the cash for a new one to arrive from the company.

My expierence with Apple is great in reguards to my Apple G4. But if it is Ipod forget it.

[wordsandsounds]

Apple says call HP. HP says call Apple. We did this dance until i flipped at the HP guy.

Something that works for me in those situations (eg Earthlink/TWC, Toshiba/Miscrosoft) is to tell them the service you are recieving is unacceptable and to help resolve the problem and that a three way call is applicable so the two companies can work towards a solution. Amazingly this has worked more than a couple fo times for me and once both aprties are there, it takes like two minutes. Just don't let the other person disconnect you, and if they do, go to supervisors.

[Tenorman]

Well I hope it pleases all to know that if your Ipod says HP on it....You get a big "not our problem" from both apple and HP. Especially if you are out of warranty...the guys are useless with emial.....I had to wait on hold with both Apple and HP for a REALLY long time before I got any response. Apple says call HP. HP says call Apple. We did this dance until i flipped at the HP guy. Oh and they just tell you " we can't talk to you on the phone e-mail us." I was really upset becuase all these problems with my Ipod started from an update they made me get. I was lucky that I bought like a 3 year insurance from the place I bought it from so I just have to wait for the cash for a new one to arrive from the company.

My expierence with Apple is great in reguards to my Apple G4. But if it is Ipod forget it.

HP -- iPod don't you mean IPAQ. The IPAQ is a COMPAQ/HP computer

Unless I am very much mistaken Apple are not tied up with HP in any way

[clave]

Apple and HP had an exclusive licensing deal on iPods for a while. My iPod was manufactured under the auspices of HP, and says so on the back. ;)

[Tenorman]

Oooh! Don't think there was anything like that over here. I thought it was a mix up that I had run into before.

Sorry ignore Ipaq, youpaq he/she/itpaqs -- A fish of an alternative hue

[clave]

Well, it didn't last long, and as far as I know, it was a US-only deal. (Though I'm not 100% certain of that.) In any case, the HP iPods came formatted for Windows, which was supposed to be a selling point. I think it might have worked against them.

[Tenorman]

Don't think it would have worked here - HP are seen as a manufacturer of printers and very staid business PCs. I have to say I am stunned that it was even tried over there.

I'll leave you all to your iPods, and I'll go back to my Sharp MD portable -- now 7 years old and still going strong

[clave]

They're trying to be hip over here, especialy in their marketing of photo printers and other picture-related items, but I don't think it's working - then again, I doubt the folks at Apple ever dreamed that iPods would turn into such amazingly huge sellers, let alone that a whole industry for iPod accessories would develop. (An incredibly profitable one, at that.)

[clave]

From today's new York Times:

February 4, 2006
Good Luck With That Broken iPod
By JOE NOCERA

MY iPod died.

It happened right after Christmas — a Christmas, I hasten to add, in which I gave my wife the new video iPod, making it the latest of the half-dozen iPods my family has bought since Apple began selling them in October 2001. We also own five Apple computers, and have become pathetically loyal because of our reliance on the iPod. To the extent that Apple is using the iPod to drive sales of other Apple products, the Nocera family is proof that the strategy works; we've probably spent more than $10,000 on Apple hardware since the iPod first came out. Alas, at least three of the iPods were replacements for ones that broke.

This time, though, I decided to get my iPod fixed. After all, it wasn't even two years old and had cost around $300. Like all iPods, it came with a one-year warranty. Although Apple sells an additional year of protection for $59, I declined the extended warranty because the cost struck me as awfully high — a fifth of the purchase price of the device itself.

Anecdotal evidence — like chat boards filled with outraged howls from owners of dead iPods — strongly suggests that you can write the rest of this story yourself. You start by thinking: "I'll just call Apple!" But it's so hard to find the customer support number on Apple's Web site that you suspect the company has purposely hidden it.

Eventually, you find the number and make the call. Although the tech support guy quickly diagnoses your problem — a hard drive gone bad — he really has only one suggestion: buy a new iPod. "Since it is out of warranty," he says, "there's nothing we can do." You're a little stunned. But you're not ready to give up. On the Apple site, there's a form you can fill out to send the iPod back to Apple and get it fixed. But you do a double-take when you see the price. Apple is going to charge you $250, plus tax, to fix your iPod. There is no mistaking the message: Apple has zero interest in fixing a machine it was quite happy to sell you not so long ago.

Now you're reeling. You're furious. But what choice do you have? You can't turn to a competitor's product, not if you want to keep using Apple's proprietary iTunes software, where you've stored all the music you love, including songs purchased directly from the iTunes Music Store, which you'll lose if you leave the iTunes environment. So you grit your teeth and buy a new iPod. Of course since it's a newer machine, it has that cool video capability. But you're still angry.

You've read recently that Apple has sold 42 million iPods in less than four and a half years. Thanks to the iPod, Apple just reported its most profitable quarter ever. But you wonder how many of those 42 million units have gone to people who feel, as you do, that you've just been taken to the cleaners by Apple? You also wonder why do iPods seem to break so frequently? And why is Apple so willing to tick off people who spend thousands of dollars on Apple products by refusing to deal with broken iPods?

Or at least that's what I wondered as I went through the five stages of iPod grief.

CUSTOMER support is the ugly stepchild of the consumer electronics business. Companies like Dell and Palm and Apple have customer support centers not because they want to but because they have to. Computers, personal digital assistants and other digital devices are complicated machines. They break down much more frequently than, say, old analog televisions. And consumers expect the companies to deal with problems when they arise.

But customer support is expensive for gadget makers. "A phone call costs a company 75 cents a minute," said the writer and technology investor Andrew Kessler. "An hour call is $45." As prices have dropped sharply for computers and other digital devices, keeping those phone calls to a minimum has become supremely important to consumer electronics companies that want to maintain their margins and profitability.

That's why all the big tech companies try to force customers to use their Web sites to figure out problems themselves. It's why so many of them bury the customer support phone number. And it's also why, when you do call, companies like Dell teach its support staff to diagnose computer problems over the phone, and then talk you through some fairly complicated repairs. With its machines so inexpensive, Dell simply can't afford to allow too many customers to ship the computer back to the company to be fixed.

Consumers, though, don't really understand this. As much as they like being able to buy computers for less than $1,000, they don't realize that one of the trade-offs is minimal tech support. Nor do the companies spell this out; instead, they pretend that their service is terrific. Thus, there is a gap between what customers expect from companies that sell them complicated digital machines, and what companies feel they need do to ensure that those machines make money.

With the iPod, Apple has turned this gap into a chasm. On the one hand, because the price of an iPod is far lower than the price of a computer, Apple has even more incentive to keep people from calling; one long phone call turns a profitable iPod into an unprofitable one. Nor does it make economic sense to repair even the iPods under warranty. Instead, Apple simply ships you a new one.

On the other hand, an iPod is a very fragile device. The basic iPods are built around a hard drive, a device so sensitive that "if it takes one shot, that will pretty much kill it," according to Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group, a technology consulting firm. Its screen cracks easily. Its battery can't be easily replaced because an iPod can't be opened up by mere mortals. All of these were conscious design choices Apple made, some of them having to do with keeping the cost down, while others were done largely for aesthetic reasons. But given how much wear and tear an iPod takes — the core market is teenagers, for crying out loud — is it any wonder that they break? "If you get two or three years out of a portable device," Mr. Enderle said, "you're probably doing pretty well."

Which Apple doesn't tell you. Indeed, it doesn't say anything about how long you should expect your iPod to last. And so consumers buy it with the expectation that they'll put all their music on it and they'll carry it around for a good long time. And when that doesn't happen, they feel betrayed.

Steven Williams, a lawyer who brought a class-action suit against Apple a few years ago over the failed battery problem, told me that he was amazed to discover, as the litigation began, that Apple seemed to feel, as he put it, "that everyone knew iPods were only good for a year or two." Thanks in part to the lawsuit, the battery issue is one of the few Apple will now deal with: if your iPod dies because of the battery you can send it back and get a new one for a mere $65.95, plus tax. Of course, you then lose all your music.

"Apple has been willing to alienate a certain percentage of its customer base forever," said Chip Gliedman, a vice president with Forrester Research, the technology research firm. Why? Because Apple is an extraordinarily arrogant company. "Apple thinks it is special," is how Mr. Gliedman put it.

At this particular moment, of course, Apple is special, and it can get away with being arrogant. It has a product that everyone wants, and for which there is no serious competition.

But it seems to me that Apple is on a dangerous course. Yes, it has strong incentives to minimize tech support, but to say "Not Our Problem" whenever an iPod dies is to run the serious risk of losing its customers' loyalty. "I believe that the iPod is one of the most brilliant platforms ever devised," said Larry Keeley, who runs Doblin Inc., an innovation strategy firm. But, he added, he has long predicted that the "maintenance issue," as he called it, would be the product's Achilles' heel. "Consumers are just not conditioned to believe that a $300 or $400 device is disposable." Mr. Keeley, whose daughters all have iPods, has come to believe that their natural life "is just a hair longer than the warranty," and that Apple's level of service is "somewhere between sullen and insulting."

And, he warns, the day will come when the iPod has a major competitor. "There will be competing platforms, and they'll get robust, and other companies will figure out how to crack iTunes," he said. At which point, Apple will reap what it is now sowing.

A final note: You may have noticed there is no Apple spokesman defending the iPod or Apple's customer support in this column. When I called Apple, wanting to know, among other things, how long Apple believes an iPod should last, I got a nice young woman from the P.R. department. She said she'd try to find someone at the company to talk to me. That was on Wednesday.

I'm still waiting.

[jazzfingers19]

Man....are u sure it is out of the stores warranty and apple's?
If 250 is the price you are better of getting the 30gb Ipod video it will cost you 40 more bucks.

I think that is all you have left to do if you are all out of warranty. And when you do get it really milk the system for a warranty. I had insurance on my old one and it broke they sent me 400 bucks to get a new one 3 years later. Got the Video one.

Now Circut City sucks because you spend all that money on a long warranty but if u use it before it runs out it is void which seems silly to me. With this Ipod I have 1 year factory warranty where they fix it or replace it. You can get the 2 year Apple Care for IPOD within 1 YEAR of bringing it home. So if you wait almost a year for the factory warranty to run out than a month before it does you go get Apple Care and apply it you get pretty much 3 years coverage. Most people hasten to buy apple care with the ipod so it is dumb because you have 2 warrantys that overlap on one year. With 3 year warranty u are set.

Oh and Apple Care is no BS it breaks they replace it. Circut City or other Store warrantys rely on you keepin all million original recipts and boxes. All Apple Care needs is you to register with ur Serial #.

You know man I would have had to go through the same thing with my Ipod had I not had that. Like you I use a MAc.
It is a shame that Apple has to give such piss poor Customer Support for Ipods. MAcs are the beest machines I have ever used and I feel the Ipod is that link to turn people on to Macs. They need to improve that CS. If there is an issue with my Powerbook I call and get everything resolved nicely. It was 100 percent different with my Ipod.

[jazzfingers19]

Oh and nothing pissed me off more than waiting on hold for an hour for Ipod support....only to hear Him go "sorry your Ipod is out of factroy warranty...I can't even talk to you on the phone. You'll have to email us." HA! and this was after calling twice waiting about 20 mintes than the system kicks in and goes "due to the high volume of calls you are going to have to call back."

[cvargas]

Back to the Anapod thing. I have issues trying to register new Ipods. What I mean is there are 5 ipods in my home and when I try to activate more that 2 with anapod I receive this transaction id has allready been used. So I fire off an email to them and the response time is very slow, I mean real slow and sometime I get no response at all. There is still no contact number to call on there www also.

Other than do not execpt any help form these MO FOS cause it's just there.:sleeping: This product is much more roboust than itunes.

Redchairsoftware; if you read this please fix this issue so other wont have to experience this BS!

[helpless]

Have been without my pod for six days. I updated it but now all i see on the screen is an icon of a disconnected plug (that goes into the bottom of the ipod).
Whats going on here?
How do i get back to my music?

[Saxman]

Have been without my pod for six days. I updated it but now all i see on the screen is an icon of a disconnected plug (that goes into the bottom of the ipod).
Whats going on here?
How do i get back to my music?

If you bought it from a store with a service contract, take it back to them: it's their headache and they have to replace it if they can't fix it.

I've been without my 30 iPod ($300!) for about a month (so much for "two weeks to fix"). I have the extended service contract with Worst Buy and they have to fix it or replace it with a brand new one. I was told the February 2006 mandatory upgrade killed a lot of iPods. It certainly screwed mine up: I had to reboot it often just to get it to work. About a month ago there was no sound and the Worst Buy folks in-store were baffled.

Ive also had the fun of certain CDs not loading to the iPod database. In particular, none of the old Atlantic jazz CDs will load (pre-20 bit remastering). There are lots of older CDs and sometimes certain ornery ones that won't load to the database, so you can't upload them to iPod. Isn't that special? These CDs are NOT scratched and Apple has no solution.

I had an RCA Roxio and that was a piece of garbage that lasted 6 months. I'm 46 years old and do NOT slam my equipment around, so my mp3 experiences have been dismal at best. My daughter (8) has a cheaper one (under $100, not an iPod) she's had NO problems with and she's a LOT rougher than I am on stuff. Had I known......

[clave]

Re. the CDs that won't load, have you tried ripping them with another program (freeware versions), like Winamp, J River Media Center, etc.? Sometimes what works with one program won't work with another.

I don't use iTunes for managing the music on my hard drive, because it's very inflexible, though I do have it installed. I used it every now and then for ripping, but have found that a lot of other programs are more versatile re. settings for ripping, tagging and more.

If you're dealing with copy-protected CDs, try holding down the CTRL key while the disc loads.

You might also want to check at www.ilounge.com to see if these problems have been covered in their Q&A columns, or on their boards.

[Saxman]

Clave,

Thanks for the advice. Will do.

Saxman

[innercircle]

If you bought it from a store with a service contract, take it back to them: it's their headache and they have to replace it if they can't fix it.

I bought my iPod at Best Buy a year ago, it dies and a representative here in Mexico replaced it for free, and without questions, I do not needed to buy any extended warranty, I only needed the original ticket of the purchase and in less of a week my iPod was replaced.

[Saxman]

I just got mine back with a new hard drive. They are a pain when they don't work, but when they do, they rock. Hard.

[calikid1959]

i have a second generation 4gb ipod nano(wifes) and the other day i reformatted it and wiped it out. a few days later tried to reset on itunes updater and it seems to go thru except the very end it tells me "can't mount ipod" any ideas how to fix this problem myself or do i have to send it back to apple?

[Marcello]

Try downloading a ipod update. Save it on your desktop and then plug in your ipod, then drag it into your iTunes file.

That worked for me even after a Apple "genius", at the 5th Ave. NYC store told me I should just buy a new one.

[Saxman]

After having my iPod back for 10 days, it's now dead again. it asked if I wanted to update at this time (the update in February is what killed it round one, the store admitting it killed a bunch). I said no and it froze. I disconnected it, tried to reboot and it told me to take it to the service center!!!!!! :soapbox

I just had the hard drive replaced! I'm wondering how many times Worst Buy will replace the hard drive before they give up and give me a new iPod. This is ridiculous. I know, they'll keep doing this until the service contract expires, right? :duel

[wordsandsounds]

I'm wondering how many times Worst Buy will replace the hard drive before they give up and give me a new iPod. This is ridiculous. I know, they'll keep doing this until the service contract expires, right? :duel

From store to store you will find variations in how they handle things. generally the no lemon policy is three repairs (for the same or differing issues) before they replace it. On the other hand, if it is not cost effective to fix (like many laptop issues) they will replace it with the equivalant technology (usually a good thing as things move forward). The only hiccup is they may have a contract with apple that stipulates they have to fix them, that i am not sure about. I used to be a manager in one of these stores.

[Saxman]

Thanks, Words. I got home that night and turned it on. It was fine! Go figure!

[wordsandsounds]

Great Saxman. I know how everybody hates service plans or whatever, but anything like a laptop or ipod- you have to buy it for these reasons (but know the difference from retailer to retailer because some places are a rip off).

People go running with ipods all the time and when they would come in saying something happened to the hard drive, and I asked them their usage to help them out. If they said running, I would usually ask them if they would take their laptop and run with it down the street (in a polite, educational way) since essentially it is the same prinicipal of a secure hard drive being bounced up and down. This is why solid state drives are really interesting, but the capacity and the price just aren't there yet for the big boys.

Incidentally, mine has a little trick similar to my gas gauge where the indicator dips down and then surges back up later. So I just charge it every night (after five years- I think the cycles have already run out...).

[Saxman]

Now the iPod won't update and is telling me to download the update file from March of 2005! Back it goes to Worst Buy again this weekend. They already replaced the hard drive and it's worse than ever. It's not my computer system: I had an RCA Roxio and had no problems with updating, loading or anything. One of the Roxio buttons simply stuck and couldn't be fixed. I stupidly did not purchase a service plan with that Roxio unit. Never again, as I liked it a lot better than the iPod for many reasons!

I think I'm going to see if they will swap the iPod for a higher end San Disk. My daughter (8) has had no problems with hers and she's tough on it. :mad:

[NewJazz4Mike]

Now the iPod won't update and is telling me to download the update file from March of 2005! Back it goes to Worst Buy again this weekend. They already replaced the hard drive and it's worse than ever. It's not my computer system: I had an RCA Roxio and had no problems with updating, loading or anything. One of the Roxio buttons simply stuck and couldn't be fixed. I stupidly did not purchase a service plan with that Roxio unit. Never again, as I liked it a lot better than the iPod for many reasons!

I think I'm going to see if they will swap the iPod for a higher end San Disk. My daughter (8) has had no problems with hers and she's tough on it. :mad:

Not sure if this will help, but it may be worth a try? I recently had a problem getting my PC to recognize my ipod. In my case, the ipod wasn't even showing up as a drive in the My Computer folder. After a cpl hours of frustration, I simply tried a different usb port on the 'puter - pulled out my scanner and plugged the ipod in there... and voila... read it immediately. If thats what yourre up against, miight give it a try.

[Saxman]

Mike,

I did that about a year ago and it worked. I'll try it again tonight. Thanks for reminding me! :)

When my 3 year policy is up, I'm going to get a different brand of mp3 player.
:thewave

Saxman

Crabby, With Cold

[Saxman]

I tried Mike's solution of switching ports and it updated the iPod one time. It took about an hour for the iPod to kick in and recognize the files, etc., but it worked.

Another iPod update was attemted over the weekend and I now get a message telling me to update to the July 2003 update! I'm taking it back this week and demanding a different player, a non-iPod. Most of my pals have SanDisc and have no problems. Obviously the "new" hard drive was remanufactured/refurbished and is no better than the old one.

Garbage.

[Saxman]

Latest in the saga: took the iPod back AGAIN, won't exchange it, have to send it out for a re-work again. Estimated repair time is two weeks. I'm not holding my breath. I have to go through this one more time after this (3x total) and then I'll get a store credit equal to the value of the unit. The store manager told me he doesn't have an iPod as they sell hundreds per week and hundreds are returned PER WEEK. Nice.

[jkelman]

Latest in the saga: took the iPod back AGAIN, won't exchange it, have to send it out for a re-work again. Estimated repair time is two weeks. I'm not holding my breath. I have to go through this one more time after this (3x total) and then I'll get a store credit equal to the value of the unit. The store manager told me he doesn't have an iPod as they sell hundreds per week and hundreds are returned PER WEEK. Nice.
That's so weird. My iPod has been completely solid...well, almost. I was having a small but irritating problem but I went through the process of completely resetting it and then downloading my iTune library to it from scratch and it's solved the problem totally.

Sorry to hear about your woes though, but my experience has been nothing short of wonderful, start to finish....:shrug:
John

[wordsandsounds]

Sorry to hear about your woes though, but my experience has been nothing short of wonderful, start to finish....:shrug:
John

No issues whatsoever over here, including a first generation that still gives me upwards of eight hours of battery life.

Oh well. As far as the usb port thing, there are two quick points to be made.

One, not all USB ports are 2.0 which may be an issue for some. Especially on laptops.

The other is that sometimes windows will identify a drive or port with a letter that conflicts with another port. Like if you have a shared drive that is "g" and when you plug a flash drive in, it doesn't show up becuase it is "g" as well.

To fix this, click "Start" and right click "My Computer." Select "Manage" and then click on "Disk Management." This brings up all volumes and the associated drive letter. To change something, right click the Ipod, flash drive, what have you and click "Change Drive Letters and Paths."

I usually make things consistent among different computers I work on. eg my Ipod is usually R and my external drives are S, T, and U.

==

Hope everything works out saxman!

[clave]

I've got a G4 40 GB (b&w) - no problems to date.

Regarding USB ports, Apple specifies that you have to use a *powered* USB port. I found out the hard way that not all USB ports are powered - maybe that's the case here? (And/or the stuff wordsandsounds mentioned, too.)

Saxman, I hope things go better from here on in.

[Saxman]

Thanks everyone for your tips and encouragement. You all are the best!

:thewave

[Saxman]

Me again. Got iPod back yesterday, synced half my library and then died again. All they did was reload/update the software to "fix" it. The wife is taking it back today. If it doesn't work after this next fix, I finally get new iPod or store credit from Worst Buy. :shrug:

[wordsandsounds]

Me again. Got iPod back yesterday, synced half my library and then died again. All they did was reload/update the software to "fix" it. The wife is taking it back today. If it doesn't work after this next fix, I finally get new iPod or store credit from Worst Buy. :shrug:

May you have some of our collective Ipod good luck to counteract the obvious mellon you have... Everytime I see this thread and your name at the end, I feel for you. Good luck.

[clave]

Same here re. things going better, Saxman. I went through this with a Creative product that ultimately locked up on me and refused to do anything at all. Their service people told me that there was a minimum charge of 40 bucks just to reflash it, which is insane - with an iPod, you can do your own reflash. at home.

(I ended up sticking said player in a drawer and buying an iPod.)

I'm just sorry this has been such a drag for you - and remember my own frustration over the constant problems with the lemon I had before the iPod as if it was yesterday.

[Saxman]

Thanks everyone. I took the iPod back again last night to Worst Buy. The Geek Squad guy said it was completely locked and couldn't understand why the service folks think simply reloading the software is going to fix the problem. He told me the unit should have been replaced the last time, as they obviously just flushed the software and reloaded it without testing it. He said even he could tell from standard in-store testing it was a bad unit.

This is my 3rd fix. He wrote up the service order recommending they replace the unit with a new one. We'll see what happens next....in about 2-3 weeks. At this point I'm at do or die with the service contract: third fix and if it doesn't work, I DO get a new unit. :(

[jkelman]

Thanks everyone. I took the iPod back again last night to Worst Buy. The Geek Squad guy said it was completely locked and couldn't understand why the service folks think simply reloading the software is going to fix the problem. He told me the unit should have been replaced the last time, as they obviously just flushed the software and reloaded it without testing it. He said even he could tell from standard in-store testing it was a bad unit.

This is my 3rd fix. He wrote up the service order recommending they replace the unit with a new one. We'll see what happens next....in about 2-3 weeks. At this point I'm at do or die with the service contract: third fix and if it doesn't work, I DO get a new unit. :(

Sadly I have to report my first problem - intermittently and not in any way reproducible, when I dial up a tune it doesn't start at the beginning. I've tried all the things I can do up to total reload, no dice.

However, here's where Apple Care comes in, and the answer is great. I called. They sent a box for returning the iPod by courier, return charges prepaid. They'll get the thing and check it out. If it's software (which they doubt) they'll fix and return within 10 business days (again, couriered at their expense). If not, and there's no sign of damage (which there isn't) they'll simply replace it.

Apple doesn't do hardward repairs on iPods, words from the horse's mouth. I have to say that, having sent it off yesterday, I miss it big time. But the fact that the whole thing will not cost me a bean, and if it's not software I'll simply get a new one, tells me I made the right decision buying directly from Apple rather than Best Buy - the prices were comparable and Apple Care was a better plan.

John

[clave]

Saxman, based on what you've said, it sounds like they should have given you a new iPod a long time ago - again, I feel for you. I was stuck with my Creative, since I didn't buy into the service agreement offered by the store, and saved up for an actual iPod instead.

A lemon is a lemon is a lemon!

I do hope things go better from now on, too.

[jkelman]

Sadly I have to report my first problem - intermittently and not in any way reproducible, when I dial up a tune it doesn't start at the beginning. I've tried all the things I can do up to total reload, no dice.

However, here's where Apple Care comes in, and the answer is great. I called. They sent a box for returning the iPod by courier, return charges prepaid. They'll get the thing and check it out. If it's software (which they doubt) they'll fix and return within 10 business days (again, couriered at their expense). If not, and there's no sign of damage (which there isn't) they'll simply replace it.

An update, and another vote of confidence for the Applecare program vs. Best Buy's extended warrantee.

After calling in my problem on Friday, 11/3, they said the prepaid courier box to return the iPod would be at my place within two business days, and that I'd have either the repaired iPod (of it was software, which they didn't think it would be) or a new one, within 10 business days.

You can track the progress of your repair online. I got the box on Tuesday, sent it back out the same day. They logged it as received on Thursday, and as of yesterday 11/10, I received an email notifying me that a new iPod is in transit and I should have it within 2 business days, meaning this coming Tuesday.

So from problem report to received replacement? 7 business days.

Can't complain!
John

[wordsandsounds]

No doubt Apple Care is better than Best Buy / Circuit City / etc plans. In fact an ongoing issue between these retailers is who services the units. For example, best buy does not sell service on power or ibooks. In that case you can buy apple care plans from apple. Ipod is just to big of a seller for these other companies to want a pie and hope that nothing goes wrong with it...

Btw, can anyone else browse the Ipod in any way outside of one long playlist now with the new update to Itunes? I am seriously annoyed with that loss (essentially the view style boxes are grayed out on both my work and laptop computer).

[saqifweck]

i bought an ipod , its aan apple black and it has 8 gb, the problem is that it shows 8 gb when i plug it to the pc but when i load it with songs exceeding one gb it malfunctions and half of the songs disappear and the remaining half copy themselves to fill in the slots of the missing songs, how do i solve this,,,, i also loaded it with videos and pics but they dissappear after 6 hours...ne firmware suggestions would help me!

[jkelman]

Update. My replacement iPod arrived a day early, is charged and currently synching with iTunes on my PC. Another 20 minutes or so and I'll no longer be iPodless.

AppleCare rules!
John

[Saxman]

Here's the update: Worst Buy called today. They want me to pay $198 to fix the iPod because it has DENTS in it! How could it be dented if I never took it out of the leather carrying case? Obviously the tech dropped it or danced on it or something. See, I'm at the point in the "service contract" where if they can't fix it they have to replace it!

Next steps: the tech center will send it back to the store and they will inspect it before making a decision. If they insist I pay, they can keep the thing.

It gets better: the same store sold my wife a defective back-up hard drive. She took it back when it crashed. It was supposed to take a day or so to retrieve the data from the defective unit. The store called two days later, saying it was finished (data transferred to new back up hard drive). I picked it up and when my wife plugged it in, there was nothing on the back up unit. They did NOTHING!

If they tell me I have to pay to have it fixed, I am reporting this to the Better Business Bureau and emailing Best Buy corporate about this store.

Any other suggestions?

[clave]

Suggestions: Don't shop there anymore! I wouldn't.

it might be a good idea to send actual letters (on paper), too. They're harder to ignore than e-mail.

[Saxman]

Clave,

Thanks for the tips. The wife went boo-boo lip when I said we don't shop at the chain period anymore, so I suggested not that particular store. Letters will go out as well as in-person visit to manager and emails if they tell me I have to pony up.

I knew for months this saga would probably end with them not fixing or replacing the thing.

When I was waiting in line last week at their Geek Squad, the fellow in front of me told me he was bringing his brand new computer back for the 4th rework. They told that person he "must have broken it or done something to it." At that point he was due for a replacement. Sound familiar?

Saxman

[jkelman]

Here's the update: Worst Buy called today. They want me to pay $198 to fix the iPod because it has DENTS in it! How could it be dented if I never took it out of the leather carrying case? Obviously the tech dropped it or danced on it or something. See, I'm at the point in the "service contract" where if they can't fix it they have to replace it!

Next steps: the tech center will send it back to the store and they will inspect it before making a decision. If they insist I pay, they can keep the thing.

It gets better: the same store sold my wife a defective back-up hard drive. She took it back when it crashed. It was supposed to take a day or so to retrieve the data from the defective unit. The store called two days later, saying it was finished (data transferred to new back up hard drive). I picked it up and when my wife plugged it in, there was nothing on the back up unit. They did NOTHING!

If they tell me I have to pay to have it fixed, I am reporting this to the Better Business Bureau and emailing Best Buy corporate about this store.

Any other suggestions?

FYI, I was told by Apple that they don't repair iPods. If they're sent in and are not software problems they replace them. As for the dents, not suggesting you put them there of course, but for me the best investment I made was the $29.99 iCase. Hard plastic shell with a belt clip, easy to remove and while I don't make a habit of dropping my iPod, it provides plenty of protection.

Not as stylish (or expensive) as the leather case, but something to consider in terms of better protection, for future ref.

But if Best Buy are talking about repairing the iPod they're either blowing smoke or they're doing something even Apple apparently doesn't.
John

[Midnight Blue]

I'll eat my hat if anyone is repairing anything these days. When I was a kid my dad worked for a TV manufacturer and repair firm (they're obviously long-gone now).

Our society reached the point several years ago when the cost of repair far outweighed the cost of replacement (except for some diagnostics work going on in the world of hard drives, but I suspect this is more about data retrieval than actually 'fixing' anything).

When my Creative mp3 player does finally go belly-up there'll be nothing for it other than to go out, buy a new one and load up the tunes again.

[Saxman]

I'll eat my hat if anyone is repairing anything these days. When I was a kid my dad worked for a TV manufacturer and repair firm (they're obviously long-gone now).

Our society reached the point several years ago when the cost of repair far outweighed the cost of replacement (except for some diagnostics work going on in the world of hard drives, but I suspect this is more about data retrieval than actually 'fixing' anything).

When my Creative mp3 player does finally go belly-up there'll be nothing for it other than to go out, buy a new one and load up the tunes again.

I have the iPod case menitioned above, thanks.

I KNOW Worst Buy didn't repair the thing ever: all they did was hit the reset button, as it kept having exactly the same problems. Same thing like when they "downloaded" the info onto my wife's replacement back up hard drive: they did NOTHING.

Probably going to switch to an inexpensive SanDisk when this is all over.

[jkelman]

Probably going to switch to an inexpensive SanDisk when this is all over.

Saxman,
I'd seriously recommend when the time is right is to buy your iPod directly from Apple. Competitive pricing, free shipping. And get their AppleCare, because it's also no more expensive than what places like Best Buy sell and, as per my experience, it couldn't have been easier to get it sorted out.

I'd not blame Apple for Best Buy's poor behaviour - and, specifically, your branch. I bought a VCR last summer when ours went toast. After a month there was a problem, had bought the 2-year extended warrantee for $9.99 (VCR was only $89.99) and they replaced it on the spot. Took it home, a month later, same problem. They replaced it on the spot. One more month goes by, same problem. Took it back, found out there was a problem (d'uh) with the manufacturer and Best Buy couldn't assure me the problem would go away, so recommended I replace it with another model. Sadly, they don't sell any other stand-alone VCRs, and I didn't want to spend extra on a combo of any kind.

The result? We went for a PVR and Best Buy applied the full purchase price of the VCR and extended warrantee to the PVR purchase.

So for us it's been smooth sailing. But I'm serious about the iPod - After my experience with Apple I don't think I'd buy anywhere but directly from them when it comes to their own products.

Best!
John

[Tenorman]

I'll eat my hat if anyone is repairing anything these days. When I was a kid my dad worked for a TV manufacturer and repair firm (they're obviously long-gone now).


Dualit -- the iconic Toaster and Coffee machine manufacturers. They are actually designed to be repaired by the customer -- no electronics, built like a battleship, and if you like art deco they fit the bill.

You want HP or Worcestershire with that hat:angel

[clave]

Agreed, jkelman, on it being that particular Best buy store that seems to be messing up. I've worked in chain-store retail before, and know that some stores can make an entire chain look bad - and vice versa.

I'm sure the folks at Best Buy's HQ would want to know about the problems you've been having, Saxman.

As for buying directly from Apple, am thinking I'll go that route whenever it's time for another machine, though I'm hoping mine will hold up for a while yet!

[Midnight Blue]

Dualit -- the iconic Toaster and Coffee machine manufacturers. They are actually designed to be repaired by the customer -- no electronics, built like a battleship, and if you like art deco they fit the bill.

You want HP or Worcestershire with that hat:angel

Peas-Pudding please!

[Saxman]

Worst Buy called again Saturday: they wanted to give me the repair estimate again. We have them now: the slip they gave me at last service drop off said unit had one minor scratch. They were claiming it was dented!

[jkelman]

Saxman, with Best Buy being a chain, is there not another one close enough by that it would be worth you putting yourself out of your misery? As clave and I have experienced good service at other locations, perhaps it is just this one location?

Good luck!
John

[Saxman]

Saxman, with Best Buy being a chain, is there not another one close enough by that it would be worth you putting yourself out of your misery? As clave and I have experienced good service at other locations, perhaps it is just this one location?

Good luck!
John

John & Clave,

Thanks for all the help. The store finally admitted I turned it in in mint condition (I have their paperwork attesting to this) and the service center must have bashed it up. They told me when the service center returns the iPod (in about two weeks), they will call and will settle everything then and there. They have cancelled the repair order on the unit ($198) they said I was responsible for. At that point I think it's FINALLY going to be store credit or brand new iPod. We'll see.

Once they have the unit and call me and we take care of it, I am never going back to that store. Letters and emails will be sent.

If they say it's in-house and want to repair it again, I'll insist on store credit or new unit immediately. If they refuse, I'll take the unit to another Best Buy.

[John L]

...and I thought that I had iPod frustrations. Damn!

I wonder how much of the fragility of the iPod is due to the fact that they made the thing so small. I would be happy to pay out for a large and more durable MP3 player (500 + GB) that would hold iTunes and sit next to my stereo. Is there such a thing?

[jkelman]

I don't think iPods (at least the larger capacity ones, can't speak for Nanos or Shuffles) are any more fragile than a discman...just more expensive. I can't think of any piece of electronics that you can drop without some risk of problem.

And, as I've said before, the $30 iCase has handled the occasional drop of my iPod winningly.

Best!
John

[Saxman]

That was a song and dance they gave me on repair #2 - "Do you work out with it? Do you jog with it? Do you use the treadmill or stair stepper with it? iPods aren't made for that!"

So if you clear your throat, the iPod will malfunction. I certainly didn't bash the thing, jiggle it or whatever. When working out, the unit was always in a holder on the exercise equipment where it did not move. At all.

Have you seen the iPod TV commercials? People are jogging, exercising, step arobics, jumping around with them, etc. Uh huh.

[John L]

Probably, you should have gotten new shocks for your car before you drove the iPod home. Live and learn.

[Saxman]

Worst Buy called last night for me to come in. They wound up exchanging it for the new 30GB (mine was a 20GB), but not before they removed the headphones, connecting cable and software, as I didn't return those with the broken iPod! "That's Apple's policy, not ours!" I argued with two "store managers" and they would not budge. They have to return a complete package to Apple, supposedly.

Headphones died after 3 months. I took them back to store in September of 2005 and they said service plan/warranty doesn't cover headphones, throw them out.

So they dinged me for another $60 for the service policy. After all that, they STILL got $ out of me. No, I didn't say thank you. No, I'm never going to that store again.

My mom said the local news (Chicago) had an expose of Best Buy and how they rip customers off with the "service policy." Also went into how most stores operate in a very shady manner similar to what I experienced.

Gee, I guess I should be happy they gave me the box and the warranty info, I'm SO lucky. :soapbox

My wife asked me this morning how it sounded. I told her I only had the heart to charge the thing overnight. That's it. I'm so sick of this iPod stuff I'm AFRAID to try it.

[soshigaya2]

The missus and I were in a large appliance store today which has a bewildering array of the latest gizmos and digital gadgets. She said she'd buy me an Ipod for Xmas but after reading this valuable and enlightening thread I have said no. Life is complicated enough without adding a bunch of Ipod problems. I think I'll stick to the new generation mp3 compatible cd/cdr/cdr-rw players.There's less to go wrong and a much more appealing price.

[kh1958]

The missus and I were in a large appliance store today which has a bewildering array of the latest gizmos and digital gadgets. She said she'd buy me an Ipod for Xmas but after reading this valuable and enlightening thread I have said no. Life is complicated enough without adding a bunch of Ipod problems. I think I'll stick to the new generation mp3 compatible cd/cdr/cdr-rw players.There's less to go wrong and a much more appealing price.

Then this thread led you to the wrong decision.

[jkelman]

The missus and I were in a large appliance store today which has a bewildering array of the latest gizmos and digital gadgets. She said she'd buy me an Ipod for Xmas but after reading this valuable and enlightening thread I have said no. Life is complicated enough without adding a bunch of Ipod problems. I think I'll stick to the new generation mp3 compatible cd/cdr/cdr-rw players.There's less to go wrong and a much more appealing price.
The problem isn't with the iPod. Here's my suggestion.

1. Buy directly from Apple and take their 2-year Applecare Service plan. Heck, even if the thing doesn't break you can send it in a couple of months before the two years is up and get a new battery.
2. Buy a hardshell case. For iPod 30 and 80Gb I'd suggest iCase at a whopping $29.99. A see-through hard plastic case, it protects everything. Only advice: when you recharge your battery, take it out of the case. Apparently any case can cause the iPod to heat up which reduces the battery life
3. If you're thinking big and can't decide between 30 and 80Gb, spend the extra bucks and buy the 80, rather than regretting it (like me).

If you've seen my posts you'll see I've had nothing but good news about this, my first iPod. Even the problem that had me return it turned out not to be a problem, just a misinterpretation of an iTunes feature.

The thing is you'll find the Apple prices competitive, and the Applecare service beats out anything Best Buy or other chains have to offer. The folks on the phone at Apple are greats - they helped me make the right purchasing decisions when it came to case, earphones, external speakers. And the Applecare service absorbs ALL costs, including shipping to and from Apple, as long as it turns out to be a valid warrantee problem (ie. you didn't drop the thing and break it).

I know I sound like an Apple salesman (I'm not), but my experience has been nothing but great.
John

[Saxman]

I'd go with John's suggestions and buy direct from Apple. Unfortunately I'm tied into Best Buy with my the 30GB I got in the exchange (an additonal $60 for the "service policy" was my out of pocket). So far the new one is great. The sound is much better, color readout, more detailed track info, all that good stuff. But if something breaks, I'm still vulnerable to the whims of the Best Buy chain. Everone I've talked to around here (Chicagoland area) says avoid Best Buy at all costs. Maybe the chain is better internationally and in other parts of the U.S, but here it's bad news.

However, this new unit is great, I must admit....for as long as it works.

John, thanks for the charging tip: I'll pull it out of the hardshell case from now on when I charge.

Thanks to everyone for putting up with my venting and all the great tips. You guys/gals are the best!

[Midnight Blue]

I lost my mp3 player for 2 days (you know, you put it down absentmindedly whilst doing something else) - I kid you not it was like being all at sea without a paddle.

I'd never really thought about it, but it goes everywhere with me and gets used at least once a day, mostly 2-3 times a day. These things become a huge part of your life it's a little bit scary, I'm starting to feel a bit like Frodo Baggins with his ring.

So pleased when I found it though...

[Tenorman]

At least you don't have the problem of the guy on the train platform this morning.

Hooked the headphone cable with his sleeve, pulled the iPod (At least that is what it looked like, but could have been an imitator), out of his pocket, which diconnected from the headphone cable and disappeared down between the platform and the train. The doors closed again, so I didn't see him burst into tears. The iPod is not very good at taking a 7 foot plus fall onto a concrete track bed

[DWBass]

You can still get AppleCare (http://www.apple.com/support/products/applecareipod.html) whether you buy directly from Apple or not.

[Saxman]

You can still get AppleCare (http://www.apple.com/support/products/applecareipod.html) whether you buy directly from Apple or not.


Thanks for the tip! Love the avatar!

[Bev Stapleton]

At least you don't have the problem of the guy on the train platform this morning.

Hooked the headphone cable with his sleeve, pulled the iPod (At least that is what it looked like, but could have been an imitator), out of his pocket, which diconnected from the headphone cable and disappeared down between the platform and the train. The doors closed again, so I didn't see him burst into tears. The iPod is not very good at taking a 7 foot plus fall onto a concrete track bed

I can hear it now. "All trains from Luton to St. Pancras have been indefinitely suspended due to iPods on the line."

[DWBass]

Thanks for the tip! Love the avatar!Thanks! :)

Just in case you're wondering, go here (http://www.oentertainment.com/InsaneO/Thumbs/thumbintro.htm)

[soshigaya2]

Many thanks for the advise. We don't have Best Buy in Tokyo but the pointers about purchasing direct from Apple are duly noted.
To clarify my requirements, I want a sturdy MP3 player with large capacity hd that I can take walking.
I'm not interested in buying music on line but want to use it for MP3 files that I already have on cdr and dvd. I'm in the lengthy process on converting all my collection to MP3 files.
What do you suggest as a basic no frills model ?

[Midnight Blue]

I can hear it now. "All trains from Luton to St. Pancras have been indefinitely suspended due to iPods on the line."

Yeah - especially if they're the wrong type of iPod...

[jkelman]

Many thanks for the advise. We don't have Best Buy in Tokyo but the pointers about purchasing direct from Apple are duly noted.
To clarify my requirements, I want a sturdy MP3 player with large capacity hd that I can take walking.
I'm not interested in buying music on line but want to use it for MP3 files that I already have on cdr and dvd. I'm in the lengthy process on converting all my collection to MP3 files.
What do you suggest as a basic no frills model ?

Well, if capacity is the issue then I'd go for broke and get the 80Gb one (I bought the 30 and almost immediately realized my mistake). Plenty of capacity, and while it also has video features you don't need to use them.

There's not a "bare bones" iPod - it's really about capacity. Once you get past the Nanos and Shuffles (which max out around 8Gb I think), you're into the 30 and 80 video models. Just buy that hardshell case (iCase) and you'll be fine (unless you plan on throwing it down into the subway!).

Best!
John

[clave]

I'm going to chime in and agree with John on what he's said about iPods, though i don't have an Apple care plan and wish I did. (My 40 GB was part of a licensing deal that Apple and HP had a few years back, so there are some issues...)

I've had *no* problems with my iPod and wish I had one of the current 80 GB models - just for music, never mind the video stuff! And, as he's said, iPods don't have "frills" - no radio tuners, etc.

[Park8]

I have an ipod video. Does anyone now what the best video converter is?

[Ryan12]

Mine Is A Video Ipod 30G


The Music I have on itunes i cant drag them to my ipod anymore i have to sync them and when i did it was fine i had 1000 songs 18 videos......after a pop up came up that sayed 'You have changed the settings to yor ipod' so i clicked yes and everything erased all my music and videos my pics didnt erase thought!! and now i cant put videos on and i cant drag music i have to sync em I NEED HELP PLEASE How Do Fix The Settings Where I'll Be Able To Put Stuff On Again?

[clave]

Ryan, you might want to check the boards - and tutorials - at www.ilounge.com

Wish I knew what to suggest for the issue you're experiencing, but they're going to be much more reliable than I am. Good luck with it!

[Ryan12]

I tried that and no one seems to have the same problem i dont know what is wrong here i just cant seem to fix the settings for my ipod so i can put music and videos with out sync them i wanna drag them :mad:

[Saxman]

Turns out at least one bit of advice Worst Buy gave me was correct. Apparently you really can't exercise with an iPod at all - at least not anything involving repetitive motion. I stuck the new iPod in the slot for such devices on the treadmill at the health club and when I was finished with my workout, the iPod would not shut off. I reset the thing and all was fine, but I'm either going back to my cassette player or portable CD player for workouts. What a pain. This applies to all the iPods with a circular hard drive.

[Hot Ptah]

My ipod skips over passages which I have downloaded from CDs and synched onto my ipod. This is obvious with audio books, in which parts of sentences are missing. It also happens with music--three or so seconds of music which I know well will be skipped over, at random times. Has anyone experienced this?

[clave]

You might want to check on this at www.ilounge.com

their tutorials, Q&A columns - and boards - can be quite helpful, though their serach function isn't all it could be.

[Bev Stapleton]

I don't have an ipod but I've got something called an Archos Gmini xs 202s (I thought Dr Who wiped them all out about 12 series back!); I've had it for a year and I'm more than happy with it.

Except...

Sometimes when I rename things in Windows Media player using 'Advanced Tag Editor' the changes don't translate onto the MP3 player.

Even more annoying, sometimes I can't even find the album I've downloaded - I can see it when I'm connected to the computer and can view it via WMP but on the MP3 player itself its in none of the obvious places.

A bug? Or me being daft.

[clave]

Sounds buggy to me (the software, not you, Bev!)

[NewJazz4Mike]

:( my ipod has been filled to capacity for about two months now. That means every new CD I buy and want to put on the ipod, every new batch of emusic downloads - I have to first delete a chunk of music.... and it breaks my heart to do so. All the music on my ipod is there because I wanted it there in the first place. Its hard to choose what's going to come off just to make room for something new. Thats the biggest problem with my ipod these days... not big enough.

[John L]

Bite the bullet. I already have 4 iPods. :)

[jkelman]

Turns out at least one bit of advice Worst Buy gave me was correct. Apparently you really can't exercise with an iPod at all - at least not anything involving repetitive motion. I stuck the new iPod in the slot for such devices on the treadmill at the health club and when I was finished with my workout, the iPod would not shut off. I reset the thing and all was fine, but I'm either going back to my cassette player or portable CD player for workouts. What a pain. This applies to all the iPods with a circular hard drive.
That's weird - never encountered this problem and I use it for exercising all the time. I have occasionally had to reset the thing because it would not shut off, as you have, but the situation was not related to any consistent behaviour on my part that I could figure out.

Certainly exercising in repetitive motions ain't one of them.
Hmm.
John

[jlee]

I think I'll stick to the new generation mp3 compatible cd/cdr/cdr-rw players.

If you're talking about the discman-type players which can play mp3 format data discs, I agree these are very nice tools to have. The Philips I have was cheap, but "features" an annoyingly loud beep whenever pause is engaged. I use a little 1GB Zen Nano (25 US bucks on sale) when I need to be stealthy, but the concept of storing mp3s on CD-Rs is, as far as I'm concerned, a good one, especially when one already has large number of such discs lying around and doesn't want to bother copying them to a hard drive. I'd be lost without my low-end Toshiba 3950 DVD player as well, which, like most DVD players now can play mp3 discs through a stereo.

[DWBass]

I don't have an ipod but I've got something called an Archos Gmini xs 202s (I thought Dr Who wiped them all out about 12 series back!); I've had it for a year and I'm more than happy with it.

Except...

Sometimes when I rename things in Windows Media player using 'Advanced Tag Editor' the changes don't translate onto the MP3 player.

Even more annoying, sometimes I can't even find the album I've downloaded - I can see it when I'm connected to the computer and can view it via WMP but on the MP3 player itself its in none of the obvious places.

A bug? Or me being daft.WMP is not a good program for tagging. It will change the tagging in the 'properties' section only. You have to manually change the outer tag.

[Bev Stapleton]

WMP is not a good program for tagging. It will change the tagging in the 'properties' section only. You have to manually change the outer tag.

Thanks.

I think I might have solved the problem (s). I need to 'update the ARC library' when I switch the MP3 on after disconnecting. I thought it all happened automatically.

Leaving spaces at the end of album titles also leads to the thing getting its own folder!

[NewJazz4Mike]

Whirr... whirr... whirr.... CLICK.... whirr.... whirr.... CLICK......, etc.

That's what my ipod's been doing lately - like the hard drive is getting stuck trying to access info. It's on, and in the midst of playing a long playlist, and intermittently it gets "stuck", sometimes right in the middle of a tune. Sometimes I've turned it off for a while, and it's recovered when I turn it back on, but one time I had to restore the entire thing, and it took hours to reload all of my music. Its been doing it more frequently of late, so I'm worried about it. Wondering if this sounds familiar to anyone?

[mingusfingus]

This happened to my 4g, so I tried the "nintendo" fix. Warning - your mileage may vary, proceed at your own risk, etc. etc ad nauseum. I slammed the iPod onto a desk (slightly out of frustration) and it whirred back up and kept going. Didn't mess up again. :)

Whirr... whirr... whirr.... CLICK.... whirr.... whirr.... CLICK......, etc.

That's what my ipod's been doing lately - like the hard drive is getting stuck trying to access info. It's on, and in the midst of playing a long playlist, and intermittently it gets "stuck", sometimes right in the middle of a tune. Sometimes I've turned it off for a while, and it's recovered when I turn it back on, but one time I had to restore the entire thing, and it took hours to reload all of my music. Its been doing it more frequently of late, so I'm worried about it. Wondering if this sounds familiar to anyone?

100 GB iPod hdd upgrades (never have tried this company however):
http://www.pdasmart.com/ipodpartscenter5g.htm

:( my ipod has been filled to capacity for about two months now. That means every new CD I buy and want to put on the ipod, every new batch of emusic downloads - I have to first delete a chunk of music.... and it breaks my heart to do so. All the music on my ipod is there because I wanted it there in the first place. Its hard to choose what's going to come off just to make room for something new. Thats the biggest problem with my ipod these days... not big enough.

[Joel]

NewjazzforMike

the whirr click whirr was the last dying breaths of my 4G iPod, it was under warranty and Apple sent a replacement (which my company's courier lost!)
this was the 2nd replacement i got with the 4G both under warranty and both leaving me an impression that the build quality isnt really top notch.

the 5G's are better, i've had this for over a year now and never had that whirr-click issue.

[NewJazz4Mike]

NewjazzforMike

the whirr click whirr was the last dying breaths of my 4G iPod, it was under warranty and Apple sent a replacement (which my company's courier lost!)
this was the 2nd replacement i got with the 4G both under warranty and both leaving me an impression that the build quality isnt really top notch.

the 5G's are better, i've had this for over a year now and never had that whirr-click issue.


Yeah, I suspect you're right about it being signs of the ipod's imminent demise. When I tried to update its playlist from my PC, I find Itunes isn't able to recognize it - says it's corrupt. I again tried a full restore on it to no avail. Now it's whirring and clicking again and still not able to connect to Itunes. Now I find that since it's an HP ipod (for Windows), Apple doesn't service it, and I have to contact HP?? Not sure at this point what I'll do. HP suggested (via email) that I go through a whole troubleshooting process again, even deleting all of the apple software from my PC and then re-installing it. I never expected so much inconvenience when I started ipoding. I've been thinking of getting a new 80 Gig ipod for more space, and giving this 40G one to my son, but my confidence in them has lessened with this serious trouble after only 2.5 years. I'm looking at the upgrades on the PDAsmart link that Mingusfingus provided, and maybe I'll go that route if I can. Maybe it's time to try the 'nintendo' fix!

[gadgeteer]

Hi, I also had some troubleshooting problems with my Ipod. Luckily I had great success with one of the tech support site which offer live chat support that you can use for free. I highly recommend it!

Here is the page for Ipod Repair (http://www.fixya.com/support/apple/mp3_and_digital_media_players)

Good luck

Gary