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PyroWillGOLD Member
HoP's Barman. Trapped aged 6 months
4,437 posts
Location: Staines, United Kingdom


Posted:
I will try my best not to make this rant about the evil corporation of Apple so lets not make it into one so here goes.

Basically my Ipod is fully screwed after only having it since July last year, I sent it back to Apple adn they decided that the problem with my ipod was caused by 'accidental damage, misuse/ abuse' and therefore it is not covered under their guarantee so they sent it back to me, still broken. I dont really knwo how this is possible, true I've had it for 6 months but its not like it's beend ropped, or at least not anymore than how things accidently drop, and certainly not sufficient to warrant it breaking about 7 months, however there isnt really anything i can do, they say I broke it, I say I didnt, in the end they were the ones who the 'thorough' diagnostic. My word against theirs so I dont really think I have any kind of case for argument, or do I?

But anyway secondly assuming I cannot get them to sort it which is looking the case I need a new MP3 player, do I trust Apple again, this is my second Ipod in the last 3 years, if I got a new one and it broke would they do the same again, I dont think I can trust a new Ipod. But that brings me to my next issue.

The third problem is I have about 2500 songs on my Ipod (and therefore music library on my computer) the majority of which are the format of either MPEG-4 or M4A, I think M4A and MPEG 4 are Apple's own format and so if I went with a different brand I'm assuming I couldnt add my old music library and therefore loosing the majority of my songs which I really really don't want. Or am I wrong?

So my question is does anyone know of ways to either convert the formats or any MP3players out there despite apple that support the format? So I dont have to go back to the evil guys and get another Ipod frown

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind

Give a man a fish and he'll eat 4 a day hit a man with a brick and you can have all his fish and his wife

"Will's to pretty for prison" - Simian


SymBRONZE Member
Geek-enviro-hippy priest
1,858 posts
Location: Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom


Posted:
OFS, You have an 18 year old iBook G4? wow!

Good advice about the batteries. My powerbook gets a good 4 hours when I'm making web sites on the train, and that takes quite a bit of CPU - if I was typeing it would be about 5 I think.

Dunc, a product will sell if it had good marketing, but it will only reach cult status if it's amazing. Apple are good at marketing, but they are far better at making good products. I would never want to pay for a tacky MP3 player when the iPod is on the market.

By the way - I had the first MP3 player that was on sale in the UK - the MPMan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiger_Labs_MPMan_F10

I still have it at home smile

There's too many home fires burning and not enough trees


SymBRONZE Member
Geek-enviro-hippy priest
1,858 posts
Location: Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: OvertlyFlirtatiousSpork


Anyone's thoughts on the iPod HiFi? I think its a waste of money but thats just me.



£250 for a speaker? No thank you!

I'd rather pay for a good amp and speakers and use the iPod dock's line out. Think about it, you could get half a Mac Mini for that price! eek

There's too many home fires burning and not enough trees


Mr ChutneySILVER Member
Tosser
1,712 posts
Location: Bristol,UK


Posted:
Yes yes I know, BUT i is compact, boasts pretty decent hifi credentials (apart from the stereo limitations) and is a lot more convienient than a separate amp and speaker set up. I'd be interested to hear one anyway.
EDITED_BY: Mr Chutney (1142529343)

PyroWillGOLD Member
HoP's Barman. Trapped aged 6 months
4,437 posts
Location: Staines, United Kingdom


Posted:
Just got off the phone to them, the guy said he will contact the repair team int he netherlands who handled the repair and ask for exact documentation inculding pictures (which they supposedly take upon receiving it) to justify their claims, I will make sure I kick up a huge fuss, I'm norammly not very good at complaining but I will make sure I do of this one!!

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind

Give a man a fish and he'll eat 4 a day hit a man with a brick and you can have all his fish and his wife

"Will's to pretty for prison" - Simian


SymBRONZE Member
Geek-enviro-hippy priest
1,858 posts
Location: Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom


Posted:
Nice one will! Apple have a good rep for support normally, so kicking up a fuss should work biggrin

There's too many home fires burning and not enough trees


TheBovrilMonkeySILVER Member
Liquid Cow
2,629 posts
Location: High Wycombe, England


Posted:
 Written by: lots of people


Some stuff about how pretty looking the ipod is




To each his own, I find the creative zen micro (especially the blue glow around the edge) much cooler than any ipod I've seen.

Plus, being able to fit it into an altoids tin is just the kind of almost completely pointless thing I like, thus giving it the edge over the ipod wink

But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.


tartanfairyBRONZE Member
newbie
22 posts
Location: London, United Kingdom


Posted:
Arghh....

I had to comment here because exactly the same thing has happened to me in the last month...my 40GB Ipod which I've had since April 2005 started freezing, then died, so I reset it, then reformatted it, then took it to the Mac 'Genius' Bar at the shop only to be told that because it had 'accidental damage' it wasn't eligible to be repaired under the warranty...

censored

so... I threw a strop and phoned the tech support people and they had me email them a bunch of photos of my poor pod... which they promptly ignored! So now I have what is effectively a shiny pretty paperweight...and after only 10 months... angry angry I'M SO ANGRRRRRRRRYYYY!

(had to rant... it's really bugging me)

so now I face the same problem as Will... do I buy a new one and wait for it to [censored] up too?

decisions decisions.... mad2

**I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.**

Douglas Adams

**There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.**

Mary Wilson Little


PyroWillGOLD Member
HoP's Barman. Trapped aged 6 months
4,437 posts
Location: Staines, United Kingdom


Posted:
why do anything, you got a cool paperweight wink

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind

Give a man a fish and he'll eat 4 a day hit a man with a brick and you can have all his fish and his wife

"Will's to pretty for prison" - Simian


Sporkyaddict
663 posts
Location: Glasgow


Posted:
 Written by: Sym


OFS, You have an 18 year old iBook G4? wow!




I wish wink I have a Mac Classic with a G4 and an LCD screen in it (the guts of a Cube and an in-car LCD). Imagine what the world would be like if the G4 was about 20 years ago... and just how fast processors would be today!!!

If you look after your technology then it'll look after you although my current iBook is the most battered thing ever to be called a computer on the outside but its well loved on the inside ubblove I don't know what I'd do without her.

 Written by: Mr Chutney

Hva you heard one spook? I'm intrigued and, dare I say it, possibly tempted.



Apple store in London had one and it sounded ok but its not really my kind of thing. Personally I prefer plugging my iPods into my dads surround sound system at home as I think it has better quality than anything of the size of the HiFi so I won't really need it.

Does anyone else here name their computers? My iBook is called Snowwhite.

Have faith in what you can do and respect for what you can't


DuncGOLD Member
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: Cole

but the first ipods were all hard disk based and the minimum size was 10gb - can you really compare the markets for those two products?



Yeah I think so cuz it's one market, it's almost like saying you can't compare the cd and tape and md markets. It's one market just with many formats.

Apple took an already established idea and almost certainly kick started the mass frenzy that turned portable personal MP3 into probably the biggest media revolution this millenia, but they do deserve more credit for their marketing than their product. That's not saying it's a bad product by any means. And redesigning and developing is always easier than inventing wink

My mate bought a 40gb mp3 from Argos for £89!! It's huge and has a pants display but is so perfect for the car, and if it gets nicked it's only £90 or less 2nd hand!!


Hey I bet this is really helping will out
 Written by: Weeeeeeeele

So my question is does anyone know of ways to either convert the formats or any MP3players out there despite apple that support the format? So I dont have to go back to the evil guys and get another Ipod



ubblol

Let's relight this forum ubblove


tartanfairyBRONZE Member
newbie
22 posts
Location: London, United Kingdom


Posted:


Does anyone else here name their computers? My iBook is called Snowwhite.



I do! My one year-old Powerbook G4 is called Daisy..... ubblove ubblove

**I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.**

Douglas Adams

**There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.**

Mary Wilson Little


DuncGOLD Member
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom


Posted:
I could tell you the various names my computer has but they're not allowed on a pg board biggrin

Let's relight this forum ubblove


TheBovrilMonkeySILVER Member
Liquid Cow
2,629 posts
Location: High Wycombe, England


Posted:


 Written by: Weeeeeeeele

So my question is does anyone know of ways to either convert the formats or any MP3players out there despite apple that support the format? So I dont have to go back to the evil guys and get another Ipod





I don't very often buy anything from itunes, but when I do, I use JHymn, it seems to work pretty well.



 Written by: OvertlyFlirtatiousSpork



Does anyone else here name their computers? My iBook is called Snowwhite.





Yep, mine's currently named Arthur, named after Arthur Dent smile

But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.


polaritySILVER Member
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom


Posted:
The computers on my network are named after things that live in or on the sea. I did ornamental fish management at college wink

My laptop - shintenou (Japanese for albatross)
My sister's laptop - puffin
Web server - nautilus
File server - devilfish (old name for octopus)
Gaming computer - scorpionfish
My brothers computer - shark
Office computer - starfish
HTPC - manta

At art college all the macs were named after Looney Toons characters. Anything's better than the names Windows gives to computers.


Lithium ion batteries like the ones used used in iPods are a PITA. I never expect Li-ions to last more than a year, as the chemicals in them are so caustic they dissolve the internal electrodes after a while. It's the price you have to pay for really lightweight batteries that store a lot of power.

It's really bad to leave them sat on charge continually, or flat for a long time. If they're not being used it's a good idea to take them to 40% charge and put them in the fridge, as that reduces how caustic the electrolyte is. Apple had a class action lawsuit in the US over their iPod batteries not lasting, so they started a battery replacement service in some countries.

The hard drives they make these days have stickers on them that say something like 'warranty void if any label is removed or the device is subjected to a force in excess of 350G', so I suspect they have an inertial sensor in them hooked up to the S.M.A.R.T. diagnostics built into the drive (how else do they tell if it's reached 350G?). Apple use these sensors to park the heads if a computer is dropped, but they can also tell the sevice people if your iPod has been dropped too hard.

You could always sell it on eBay, someone with the right knowledge might buy it to fit a new drive, or to fix another one. Sometimes broken electronics go for pretty high prices.

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.


Tao StarPooh-Bah
1,662 posts
Location: Bristol


Posted:
 Written by:



Thats simons opinion- he doesn't want one because they are mainstream (amongst other things I'm sure he now go on too list )



There are things that ipods don't do (or don't do very well relative to often imitative competitors) but they still the prettiest and most ergonomically pleasant to use. I'm sad someone stood on mine and broke it





ha ha, and as we all know (now) he only reason monkey doesn't have an ipod is cos i sold him a zen thingy cheap. so there tongue

I had a dream that my friend had a
strong-bad pop up book,
it was the book of my dreams.


colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: Dunc



Yeah I think so cuz it's one market, it's almost like saying you can't compare the cd and tape and md markets. It's one market just with many formats.





that makes sense smile



 Written by: dunc



Apple took an already established idea and almost certainly kick started the mass frenzy that turned portable personal MP3 into probably the biggest media revolution this millenia, but they do deserve more credit for their marketing than their product.





i just disagree with that last bit - i don't believe good marketing alone would have done it.



there are tonnes of examples of a bad product, well marketed and the result is generally a surge of early adopters that quickly spread the word that the product sucks and the product sales fall to almost nothing, usually well within 2 years.



the ipod got great reviews but more than that, it reached cult status in record time (something that can *only* come about through the opinions of early adopters).



the product was outstanding in terms of design but another major factor was that it solved the problems that put people off of using mp3's up until its release i.e. the reliance on being able to use a computer to convert music to a digital format and transfer to the device before you can listen to the music you already own.



apple provided a way for non-techy mac and pc users to take advantage of the mp3 revolution through an easy-to-use product and even easier-to-use bundled software - you don't have to know what an mp3 is or even where the files are on your hard drive to use itunes and an ipod.



yes, apple are very good at marketing.



but marketing alone cannot create and maintain a 75% market share over six years in an market with such fierce competition.





and for will: clikdizhit





cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


Tao StarPooh-Bah
1,662 posts
Location: Bristol


Posted:
well all i can say is that my ipod has been repeatedly dropped (it's pretty battered acutally!), trod on, dunked in wet stuff, carried arund in a bag full of ming and old sweetites redface etc etc, and has always been fine. i have a dent in the side, but the screen, miraculously, it totally unscratched.

i totally abused the mac helpline thingy by phoning up repeatedly and pretending i didn't know you could only call once without subscribing, and they alway helped me out every time.

lots of apple stuff really annoys me, (and to be fair, i had one problm with it which was solved by not using itunes!) but i have to say my ipod rules, and has never let me down, where as ALL the mp3 players i had before died within about a month & a half cause i'm really not nice to them. my ipod is hardcore, and i love it!

I had a dream that my friend had a
strong-bad pop up book,
it was the book of my dreams.


simian110% MONKEY EVERY TIME ALL THE TIME JUST CANT STOP THE MONKEY
3,149 posts
Location: London


Posted:
 Written by: Tao Star

ha ha, and as we all know (now) he only reason monkey doesn't have an ipod is cos i sold him a zen thingy cheap. so there tongue



i'm still very grateful for my lovely zen micro. but i'm surprised you don't remember the numerous conversations we had previous to that about how rubbish and overated the ipod is. Remember? It was before you went and bought an ipod anyway. Which broke. rolleyes

But sure, my opinion is baseless. Market share = quality as any fule kno, and Cole is entirely correct that ipods are a fine mp3 player (if you replace the rubbish software with third party equivalents that actually provide functionality, and buy a new screen and battery for it to replace the rubbish ones).

Or you could just get a good mp3 player in the first place shrug

"Switching between different kinds of chuu chuu sometimes gives this "urgh wtf?" effect because it's giving people the phi phenomenon."


simian110% MONKEY EVERY TIME ALL THE TIME JUST CANT STOP THE MONKEY
3,149 posts
Location: London


Posted:
 Written by: Tao Star



well all i can say is that my ipod has been repeatedly dropped (it's pretty battered acutally!), trod on, dunked in wet stuff, carried arund in a bag full of ming and old sweetites redface etc etc, and has always been fine. i have a dent in the side, but the screen, miraculously, it totally unscratched.





erm... thats a lie isn't it?



you've had it replaced once already...

"Switching between different kinds of chuu chuu sometimes gives this "urgh wtf?" effect because it's giving people the phi phenomenon."


Tao StarPooh-Bah
1,662 posts
Location: Bristol


Posted:
no i haven't. confused i had to reset it once, but only cos i unplugged it without ejecting it.



my ipod is a happy ipod!



AND...i won the zen thingly long after i had an ipod, so there tongue

I had a dream that my friend had a
strong-bad pop up book,
it was the book of my dreams.


SymBRONZE Member
Geek-enviro-hippy priest
1,858 posts
Location: Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom


Posted:
She might be lieing, but thats the same as what i've done to my iPod (I'm totally with you on the "bag full of ming and old sweetites" ubblol ) and it's great.

Col is right, you don't get a high market share for 6 years with a bad product, unless you're Microsoft that it....

There's too many home fires burning and not enough trees


colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
i have to admit, as much as i love my ipod, if i was going to buy a brand new mp3 player, it would have to be the 2gb iriver u10 ubblove

anyone else noticed that iriver have blatently ripped off apple's advertising campaign?
check it out ubblol

the new sony walkmans also have that ridiculously cool 'the casing is the screen' design and they look really comfy to have in your pocket too.

so, anyone wanna buy my 20gb ipod...? wink


cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


DuncGOLD Member
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: cole

i just disagree with that last bit - i don't believe good marketing alone would have done it.



Me to, but thats not what I said

 Written by: moi

they do deserve more credit for their marketing than their product. That's not saying it's a bad product by any means.



They had a good product but awesome marketing and capital availability to develop in such a fast moving market place to stay at the top of the game, but I don't think they lead it in design functionality. What are they now?...5th, 6th gen? Thats very quick adaption and development in five or so years for such a "wonderful" product (upgraded once per year?) Which is why I said

 Written by: moi again

redesigning and developing is always easier than inventing



They're cool, I love how they've stimulated the market so much but I think their overstated reputation belittles the market places competance in it's competition.

{quote:Cole]
the product was outstanding in terms of design but another major factor was that it solved the problems that put people off of using mp3's up until its release i.e. the reliance on being able to use a computer to convert music to a digital format and transfer to the device before you can listen to the music you already own



Am I missing something? I've never encountered anyone having problems with that for any music player. Infact flash based players could alo be deemed easier to use as they work in ANY windows (2k+) and mac (?+) without the need for unique software at all. And if you d/l then who cares about minor techinical problems some people who can't read help faqs have when ripping anyway?

It is ace, but I don't think it's the best or most original or unique or groundbreaking in itself. Apple merely (I say merely with a pinch of salt ubbangel ) took a good idea, improved it, made it pretty as hell and produced/sold it by the thousand. I'm glad it exists, now it has been developed so much the non official accessories make me smile almost every day ( I site ibuzz as the best ubblol) I just think it's overated.

I can't beleive I've written so much about a damn apple.... ubblol

Let's relight this forum ubblove


Mr ChutneySILVER Member
Tosser
1,712 posts
Location: Bristol,UK


Posted:
As this is the ipod/ mp3 woes thread;

I ordered a replacement battery for my ipod on thursday about 4pm, paying the additional next day charge (7.99) to recieve it soon enough to take away with me on Monday.

Of course, the bleeding thing hasn't been delivered, and now its unlikely to arrive on Monday early enough for me to recieve it. Bugger!

Tao StarPooh-Bah
1,662 posts
Location: Bristol


Posted:
you should ask for your money back...act like asking will actually get you somewhere wink

I had a dream that my friend had a
strong-bad pop up book,
it was the book of my dreams.


DomBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,009 posts
Location: Bristol, UK


Posted:
Sounds like what people are saying is there's good and bad things about ipods, which I agree with.

The M4A thing in the original post - did that ever get answered? Basically you can get programs that convert between formats, I use this and if you plug an ipod into a PC and view hidden files and folders you'll find a load of hidden music files with names like GKSIO.m4a which you can copy to your computer. iTunes will then reorganise and rename them for you. Great way to get songs from computer to computer using an iPod, one of the things you're not meant to be able to do.

colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: Dunc


 Written by: Cole


the product was outstanding in terms of design but another major factor was that it solved the problems that put people off of using mp3's up until its release i.e. the reliance on being able to use a computer to convert music to a digital format and transfer to the device before you can listen to the music you already own



Am I missing something? I've never encountered anyone having problems with that for any music player. Infact flash based players could alo be deemed easier to use as they work in ANY windows (2k+) and mac (?+) without the need for unique software at all. And if you d/l then who cares about minor techinical problems some people who can't read help faqs have when ripping anyway?



i was referring to early on in the adoption of mp3 players - i.e. before they became the #1 portable music format, before ipod opened up the market to everyone...

i think it is far from the case that everyone was happy to buy a flash mp3 player, rip a cd or d/l tunes and put them onto their player.

i think that ipods and itunes catered for the very large part of the market that didn't care what an mp3 file was or where those files are kept on their hard drive.

these people were suddenly presented with the option of buying an ipod and installing itunes - then when they put a cd into their computer they know that when they take their ipod out, the music from the cd will be on it.


i'm definitely gonna get one of those u10's though biggrin


cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
 Written by: coleman


so, anyone wanna buy my 20gb ipod...? wink

cole. x



I need an MP3 player actually. ubbangel Plus I don't think I'm cool enough for that iriver.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


DuncGOLD Member
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom


Posted:
Cole, we're just gonna have to agree to disagree mate smile Like I did with Sym in the car back from the train station at about 12:45am Sunday morning ubblol

Let's relight this forum ubblove


colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
ubblol i'll keep using my ipod then and if you just make sure you never accidentally buy one, we'll both be happy wink

hug

i got far too excited about the u10 - it was going to be a present for someone else.
then i saw the new walkman working in real life.
then i realised a two week holiday is better than either of these two gadgets so i'm going to get one of those instead smile


cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


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