Apple's Dirty Secret

[BuddhaTB]

http://www.ipodsdirtysecret.com/

[TheWizard]

At one point I thought, if I ever bought an MP3 player, I would buy an iPod. Although, I don't think this way anymore.

[aviationwiz]

I saw that. It is a bunch of BS. You can tell by the guys voice tone that he only called to insult Apple and the iPod. Probably a M$ fanboy or something. The iPod is by far the best MP3 Player out there, hands down. It has the best quality and build quality around.

[TheWizard]

If he was an MS fan, then why did he make the movie with Apple Movie Maker? Or whatever it's called.

[cfitz]

I saw that. It is a bunch of BS. You can tell by the guys voice tone that he only called to insult Apple and the iPod. Probably a M$ fanboy or something. The iPod is by far the best MP3 Player out there, hands down. It has the best quality and build quality around.

Of course the iPod is by far the best, hands down. It's what aviationwiz had bought for him...

Are you contending that the iPod battery is user-replaceable? Could you document that please? If not, could you document the price that Apple charges to replace it for you? And what if this person did only want to insult Apple? Does that invalidate his claim? (By the way, you do show amazing abilities to comprehend someones inner thoughts just by listening to a 20-second description of a product problem. Are you psychic as well?)

If you had done a little research before spouting off you would have found that, in fact, iPod batteries are not designed to be user-replaceable, and that this has been an a common complaint among iPod users. And, in fact, the replacement price (as of July 2003) is a ridiculous $250:

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answ ... 45,00.html

Aviationwiz, it is fine to have opinions, but please try backing them up with some supportable facts. And, no, "It's the best 'cause it's what my dad bought me" does not qualify as a supportable fact.

cfitz

[Ian]

Nice.. gotta love the NWA.

[Boone]

http://www.ipodbattery.com

iPod Batteries for $50.

[cfitz]

http://www.ipodbattery.com

iPod Batteries for $50.

For the do-it-yourselfer who isn't intimidated by taking apart that which was not meant to be taken apart. Not for the average ham-fisted consumer. Check the instructions.

Vendors like this make up one group of people that is happy with Apple's policy regarding batteries.

cfitz

[Boone]

For the do-it-yourselfer who isn't intimidated by taking apart that which was not meant to be taken apart. Not for the average ham-fisted consumer. Check the instructions.

Vendors like this make up one group of people that is happy with Apple's policy regarding batteries.

cfitz

Hey I'm not trying to support Apple in this... I thought iPods were sexy but expensive right up until I saw that website on another forum this morning and did my own research. There's cheaper alternatives (near-term AND long-term) that I may investigate instead.

[cfitz]

Update:

Apple just this month started offering a $99 battery replacement service for iPods over 1 year old:

http://www.macminute.com/2003/11/14/ipodbattery

Apparently the complaining about $250 replacements had some effect...

cfitz

[cfitz]

Hey I'm not trying to support Apple in this...

I wasn't arguing with you. I was just adding more information like I assumed you were doing with your post.

And for what it is worth, I really don't care what mp3 player people like to buy and use. I've got no interest in mp3 players, but even if I did I wouldn't care. I just don't like to see people saying "Oh that's BS!" for no reason and with no justification.

cfitz

[cfitz]

Here is the direct link to Apple's repair policies and prices:

http://www.info.apple.com/support/apple ... rvice.html

Gotta love the $30 "shipping and handling" fee for repairs during the second half of your "warranty"...

And aviationwiz, notice that even Apple lists the normal repair fee (and the only repair fee for non-warranty service before the new $99 battery replacement program) as $250. I guess you were completely wrong, again.

cfitz

[Dartman]

Well that is typical apple isn't it. Of course many other big companys including microsft pull those sort of things when they think they can get away with it. Thats why I build my own computers and I have been repairing TV's and things for a long time. I could probably replace the battery if I could get something that fits. I guess it was a warranty that wasn't till enough PO'd Ipod users started making noise.

[TheWizard]

Indeed, Dartman, it's a surefire way for companies to stay in business...especially big firms like Apple, who have been around for a long time. It's underhanded, no doubt, but since when is business 100% ethical? In industries where monopolies or oligopolies exist, these sorts of underhanded business practices seem to be more abundant. Case in point, a friend of mine had a second phone line installed in his house for a fax machine. Verizon came and set up the line, plus installed a new wall jack for the fax machine. Well, the technician wired the jack for the second and only the second line. Could he have wired it for both lines? Absolutely! More recently, this same friend got rid of the second line in favor of a distinctive ring feature. The wall jack that was installed for the second line is in an optimal position for the fax machine to be connected to, only problem is, with the second line gone, the jack is dead and it requires an additional service visit from Verizon for them to wire it for the first line. Maybe the technician was lazy and wired it only for the second line, or perhaps he purposely wired it for the second line knowing that if my friend ever got rid of the second line and wanted to use the jack again, it would require another service call, thus generating more money for Verizon. It's odd though since all the other jacks in the house are wired for both lines. Personally, I think the technician knew full-well what he was doing when he wired the jack only for line 2; he purposely did it.

[TheWizard]

Oh, and cfitz, in regards to your response to aviationwiz, my thoughts exactly.

[BuddhaTB]

It's been a really long time since I've seen cfitz get so passionate over something.

Good o' Days.

[UALOneKPlus]

nice to see you around, BuddhaTB!!

[hoxlund]

123

[cfitz]

so size isn't whats going for the ipod, deffently not price, could it be the sound output quality? ...

Well, it may score points on price, size, battery life and sound quality, but it doesn't have the aviationwiz seal of approval, so it can't be any good and I won't buy it... I don't suppose you could put a Plextor label on it, could you?

In all seriousness, aviationwiz, you do seem to be heavily influenced by branding. The marketers love that, but it isn't so good for you. You also seem to take an inordinate amount of pride in your posessions. You're still young, but I think as you get older and wiser you will find that things like what you own, where you're from and what you wear do not make up your worth as a person. History is full of examples of incredibly evil people who owned all the "best" as well as truly wonderful people who owned nothing at all. Try not to let yourself be captured in the American marketing myth that you are defined by your possessions, and realize that someone who disagrees with your buying choices isn't necessarily attacking you as a person.

Anyway, don't let me get you down, not that I could...

cfitz

[cfitz]

It's been a really long time since I've seen cfitz get so passionate over something.

Good o' Days.

I still get curmudgeonly now and then...

nice to see you around, BuddhaTB!!

Seconded, with conviction!

cfitz

[aviationwiz]

OK, I'll try to address all things that were geared towards me.

cfitz,

In no way was I saying that the iPod battery is user replaceable, my point was, is that from that phone call, it was WAY to easy for him to just call up, as a non-iPod user, give them a name, and say his problem, get thier response, and hang up. His tone of voice isn't sounding real either, that in the sence that his iPod battery is indeed dead. Also, I wasn't wrong, because the $99 repair program has been going on for quite some time, and I knew about it prior to this. Also, as far as it being the label on the drive, no, it isn't. If it were, I would go and buy the PX-116, which is a re-badged Pioneer, instead, I keep my LITE-ON LTD-163D, because I think it is a very good drive. I also heard that either the 40x or 48x Plextor CD-RW drive (can't remember which) was utter crap, so, I decided to get an LTR-48125W instead. And, as we all know, the Premium nor the PX-708A is utter crap. And no, it does not bring my seal of approval, and I will address why below.

hoxlund,

By no means was I arguing that the iPod was cheaper. Also, as you can see, the iPod is still smaller, even when comparing the 40GB which is larger than the 10GB and 20GB. And I would say that that is a big enough difference for most people, it certaintly is for me. Battery life. The 3G iPod's have the dock connector on the bottom, which can be hooked up to a add-on battery pack, that uses AA batteries, which as we all know, are quite small. Just put the iPod, the battery pack, and some AA batteries in your pocket, and your covered for a very long time. Also, from real world expirience, I'd say the internal battery lasts roughly 9 hours, 8 hours is too low, and that is from first hand expirience. The Battery Pack with 4 AA batteries lasts about 15 hours, and I do indeed have that, as it helps when you are going to South Africa, which not even your beloved Zen could handle.

could it be the sound output quality?

well lets see, whats creative labs known for? you guessed it, they founded there company on sound cards

OK, now I can't stress this enough. Creative makes the best SOUND CARDS. Everything else I have seen from this is utter crap. I have used thier MP3 Players, and have hated them. Creative is known for Sound Cards, not MP3 Players, just because they are both audio products, it most certaintly does not mean that all thier audio products are good. I have tried both, with the same headphones, and I can say that the iPod sound quality is better when being used in person.

[hoxlund]

man i guess i can't win, taking post down

[pkd7423]

Proud this.......

Proud that......

Proud owner........

Proudly priviledged.......

Why don't you proudly go home where you came from.

[dodecahedron]

just my 2 cents:
if Creative are so good with soundcards, how did they make that utter crap SoundBlaster Live! ???

[CDRecorder]

just my 2 cents:
if Creative are so good with soundcards, how did they make that utter crap SoundBlaster Live! ???

Why do you call the SB Live "utter crap"? I have one of these cards, and it seems pretty good to me!