iPod Aging Problems
Wed, 05 Mar 2003, 10:30
from the iPod dept.
Spencer Cross
I've been having problems with a 5GB iPod that's approximately 13 months old. It became problematic, and now it no longer boots up or mounts on the desktop (displaying a folder icon with an exclamation point). Researching solutions has led me to the conclusion that the HD is "permanently damaged."
The only solution I can find is to send it to Apple and pay US$250 (plus shipping) to have them repair it. Meaning that they'll ship me a refurbished replacement. In other words, I'm paying approximately US$260 to "repair" a device that costs US$299 new.
I find it hard to believe that a device that's only 13 months old (and cost US$399 to begin with) is already damaged to the point of being, for all intents and purposes, unrepairable (despite me taking careful care of it).
In short, my iPod cost me $30/month! NO THANKS. I don't think I'll be replacing it. The interesting thing is a quick run through of the Apple iPod discussion pages reveals quite a few people with the same problems, and one user who says that Apple repeatedly deletes his posts asking how many other people are experiencing this.
