Article Contributed on: 1/23/2007 8:55:50 AM
Ever since I bought my first IPOD, a pink mini, nearly two years ago, it has been love at first sight. When I received it, I was a bit intimidated, not being a technology-minded person. It took a while to actually get it up and going. But once I did? It took no time at all to have 500 songs. Even after I started paying .99 a song at ITunes, the attraction to this tiny piece of technology remained strong. I took it with me on vacation, I took it with me when I ran, I listened to it while getting ready to go out. It was love.
Until I dropped it the very first time. It seemed a bit shaken up, but then it recovered. Then I dropped it again. And so the problems began. I would try to advance to the next song and it would lock up. Then when I least expected it, the song would come on. The hard drive started making funny noises. Then the battery died. I didn't even realize that an IPOD batterycould die. Like I said, I am no technology buff.
It's funny, though, about a week before the battery went dead I read an article in
Newsweek about one man's frustration with IPODs in general and the battery issue in specific. So I was being prepared for what was to come, though I did not know it at the time. In the article, the writer spoke of how many problems he had had with various IPODs, including the cost of a replacement battery. That's when it dawned on me that my battery was more than likely dying.
So I began to investigate my options. One would be to send my IPOD to Apple and have them put in a new battery, all to the tune of $65.95! My IPOD only cost $150 to begin with. Or I could find an independent store to install the battery. Or I could buy the battery kit and install my own battery; I chose the latter option. Well, that was pretty much a disaster. After installing the battery, my IPOD died altogether and I had to replace it with a video IPOD. Even though it was hard to say good-bye to my old IPOD, my new one holds up to 7,500 songs! Right now it has over 2,600 songs on it - and counting.
The story does not end there, however. My son's year-old IPOD Nano began to lose its battery power as well, so he followed my lead and ordered a battery replacement kit. Also a disaster. It completely ruined his IPOD and he had to purchase a new one as well. The warranty, after all, is only good for a year.
The moral of the story? First, if you plan on purchasing an IPOD, prepare yourself for many trials and challenges. Secondly, when you need your battery replaced, suck it up and pay Apple the $66 to install it for you. If you don't, there is a very good chance that you will be sorry.
And then prepare yourself for one of the greatest love affairs you have ever had, until the problems begin and love turns into hate.