57. About the Care and Feeding of Your iPod
The iPod is arguably the most desirable piece of consumer electronics in the world today; millions of people own one, and millions more pine for one. People who would never otherwise have considered buying an Apple product are discovering that there's simply no arguing with the iPod's ease of use, quality of production, or the ineffable "cool factor" of those white headphone cords and the device's iconic shape. Yet reality sometimes doesn't mirror the fantasy created by the hype. The iPod is a piece of technology that has electronic and mechanical components just like any computer accessory; likewise, it's prone to failures and degradation over time. Apple even engineered the iPod with several assumptions in mind, namely that people's music collections would grow fast enough to obligate them to buy new and larger iPods within a few years. This assumption permitted the Apple engineers to make design decisions that some people find controversial, such as making the battery nonreplaceable and using that great-looking (but scratch-prone) stainless-steel rear cover. The idea is that you'll want a bigger iPod before your battery becomes unusable or your iPod's back cover becomes too scratched up. These observations perhaps betray a cynical outlook toward Apple's motives in designing the iPod, and more recent generations of the iPod show improvements in the technology that indicate that there's no malice aforethought in Apple's design decisions. The iPod is consistently rated very high in consumer reports that rank its initial quality and support. Apple provides service that often goes above and beyond what the basic warranty would seem to guarantee, such as replacing iPods in-store with brand new units with no questions asked. Some original-generation iPods that were sold in the fall of 2001 are still going strong. Yet there's always the possibility of units that degrade faster than you think they ought to do, and it's hard under those circumstances to keep from wondering whatif anythingyou did wrong. If you've spent hundreds of dollars on an iPod, you're going to want to make sure you get your money's worthyou'll still look cool if you carry around an iPod that doesn't work, but obviously looks aren't everything. You want to ensure that your iPod will last as long as your interest in digital music does, even if that means keeping it in action for years and years, outliving Apple's own predictions for how long it should survive. The following set of tips should help ensure that your iPod remains in top working order for a long time.
Key Terms Deep discharge Battery characteristic in which optimum longevity and performance result from discharging the battery completely before recharging it. Shallow discharge Battery characteristic in which optimum longevity and performance result from keeping the battery's charge "topped up" at all times and preventing the charge from running down all the way. Don't allow the iPod's charge to dip below 50% if you can help it. Whenever the iPod is not in use, keep it in its Dock or connected to a power source such as a computer or the external power supply. If you use the iPod in the car, try to use a power adapter that connects the iPod to the car's cigarette lighter or power outlet, thus ensuring that the batteries aren't being drained during normal use. Use additional common-sense precautions such as making sure that the iPod isn't playing music endlessly when you leave it unattended. (Use the Hold switch to ensure that the iPod doesn't wake up and start playing music in response to a jostle while it's in your backpack.) Make sure that the backlight isn't on all the time. (The backlight can use a lot of power.) The same is true of any operations that cause frequent hard drive access, such as skipping songs randomly or playing the Music Quiz game. (See Play iPod Games.) Web Resource http://www.ipodbatteryfaq.com The iPod Battery FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions list) is an excellent source of answers to any questions you might have about how to improve your iPod's battery life. The site also has links to resources that will help you replace a dead battery for a small cost, as well as news on class-action lawsuits that Apple has settled with owners of older iPods with defective batteries.
iPod socks come in a variety of colors. Don't laughthey work! |