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ipod's Journal
Basic Account, Created on 10 September 2002 (#701166), Last updated on 5 February 2013 [Gift]
- 11,472 journal entries
- 81,147 comments received
- 0 tags
- Name:
- iPod Community
- Website:
- http://www.apple.com/ipod/
- Membership:
- Open
- Posting Access:
- All Members, Moderated
- Interests: (13)
- aac, apple, digital music player, firewire, ipod, ipod mini, itunes, itunes for windows, macintosh, macos, mp3, osx, portable music
- About
A place for iPod users and those curious of Apple's iPod MP3 player. We also welcome those with questions about the new iPod Mini.
Welcome to the community.
rev_rance is the 
ipod community owner. Contact him if you have any questions or issues.c0nsumer and iscott are community maintianers, you can contact them as well for assistance.
THE RULE TO SUPERSCEDE ALL RULES: Personal attacks in this community will not be tolerated. The penalty will be banning from the community. Play nice.
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Posting of clickthrough links/banners/advertisements will not be tolerated. All posts will be subject to deletion. Spam your own journal if you want to pimp your friends for "free" stuff.
From the LJ Terms of Service (TOS) ( http://www.livejournal.com/legal/tos.bml )
From Section XVI, Sub-section 7:
You agree to NOT use the Service to:
7. Upload, post or otherwise transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation
Any posts of this nature, as stated, will be deleted immediately. Futhermore, depending on my mood (ie. at my discretion), your IP may be banned from this community.
Be the warned.
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Have a simple question? It may be covered in this FAQ provided by iPod Lounge:
http://www.ipodlounge.com/faqs.php
Looking for specific information about the iPod battery?
http://www.ipodbatteryfaq.com/
Need a replacement battery?
http://www.ipodbattery.com/ or http://www.smalldog.com/wag14012/
PLEASE be sure to view the memories for this community. Several repeat questions have already been addressed.
If you're going to post a meme, please do not make seperate posts for the same meme. Respond in the comments, to keep all memes to one post. Seperate posts for the same meme will be subject to deletion.
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Here's our Community provided FAQ:
If you're asking a "troubleshooting" type of question, be sure to include your iPod model (1st gen, 3rd gen, etc), your computer type (Mac, PC), your OS version, and any related software you're using (iTunes, Ephpod, etc). This will help greatly in getting your question answered.- What's the deal with the battery? What are the Neistat Brothers talking about? Will it really die in 18 months? Am I really screwed? Do I really have to pay 1/3 of the cost of the iPod to have Apple replace it?
- But $50 is really expensive for a battery!
- My iPod shows that I have a lot less space available, even though I don't have any songs on it yet! (ie. A 20 gig iPod only showing 18.6 gigs free)
- I have Windows, blah blah Musicmatch blah blah blah Musicmatch, blah blah Musicmatch. Musicmatch?
- My iPod appears to be frozen, there's stuff on the screen, but it doesn't respond. I push buttons, nothing happens. I push them harder, still, nothing happens. What gives?
- Why does my battery gauge show low charge even though the iPod just told me it was fully charged?
- I'm trying to put WMA files on my iPod, but they won't play. Or: What file types does the iPod support?
- But, I have a boatload of WMA files. Whatever am I to do?
- How do I get the songs back off my iPod onto my computer?
- iPod or iPod Mini?
- I'm looking for such and such piece of software to do such and such a thing, any ideas?
- Can I change the font on the iPod's display?
- Are there any other sites I should know about?
- I bought music from the iTunes music store, but my iPod refuses to play it.
- I just unboxed my iPod, but it doesn't come with a cable that works with my computer!
- What's the difference between the Apple iPod, and the HP iPod by Apple?
- My iPod is showing a folder with an exclimation point, what's going on?
Q. What's the deal with the battery? What are the Neistat Brothers talking about? Will it really die in 18 months? Am I really screwed? Do I really have to pay 1/3 of the cost of the iPod to have Apple replace it?
A. Let's just say that the Neistat Brothers are a couple of whiny brats, and vandals to boot.
The short answer is, batteries die. It's a fact of life, they are a lot like people in that respect; there's really no avoiding it. However, it all depends on how you use your battery. There are plenty of first generation iPods in use by people today that are using the original battery, and they are having no problems whatsoever. Other people, however, may use their iPod on the battery much more often, they may completely drain it before recharging it. The fact of the matter is, you mileage will vary. Apple states that the battery is good for 500 full charge cycles (that's a complete discharge and recharge).
If your battery does die, yes, Apple has a replacement plan. Yes, it's $99 for parts and labor. This is of course taking into account that your iPod is out of warranty. The batteries are $50 retail, so Apple is making $50 on an hour of labor (receiving, delegating, replacing, reboxing, shipping), which by todays standards, is a pretty good rate.
Now, if your iPod is out of warranty, you shouldn't have any issues with opening it yourself. Since you're perfectly comfortable with prying open a sophisticated piece of electronic equipment like your iPod (it is out of warranty, after all) you can purchase a replacement battery and a swap kit (read: screwdriver) from http://www.ipodbattery.com/ for $50 retail. Their website even has detailed instructions and pretty pictures on how to pull off the replacement on your own.
Small Dog Electronics has also recently started offering a battery replacement program. http://www.smalldog.com/wag14012/
Q. But $50 is really expensive for a battery!
A. That's not really a question, but look at batteries around you anyway. On a personal note, my cordless phone battery is about the size of an iPod itself, its charge only lasts about an hour, and it's $30 to replace. The iPod battery is wafer thin, powers a hard drive, and does it for 5-10 hours (depending on who you talk to and what their usage patterns are). All things considered, that's one hell of a battery!
Q. My iPod shows that I have a lot less space available, even though I don't have any songs on it yet! (ie. A 20 gig iPod only showing 18.6 gigs free)
A. Your answer was stolen from here: http://www.storagereview.com/guide2000/ref/hdd/geom/formatBinary.html
Computer measurements are expressed in both binary and decimal terms, often using the same notation. Due to a mathematical coincidence, the fact that 2^10 (1024) is almost the same number as 10^3 (1000), there are two similar but different ways to express a megabyte or a gigabyte.
The problems with binary and decimal are probably more noticed in the area of hard disk capacity than anywhere else. Hard disk manufacturers always use binary figures for their products' capacity: a 72 GB hard disk has about 72,000,000,000 bytes of storage. However, hard disk makers also use binary numbers where they are normally used--for example, buffer capacities are expressed in binary kilobytes or megabytes--but the same notation ("kB" or "MB") is used as for decimal figures. Hard disks are large, and larger numbers cause the discrepancy between decimal and binary terms to be exaggerated. For example, a 72 GB hard disk, expressed in binary terms, is "only" 67 GB. Since most software uses binary terms, this difference in numbers is the source of frequent confusion regarding "where the rest of the gigabytes went". In fact, they didn't go anywhere. It's just a different way of expressing the same thing.
Q. I have Windows, blah blah Musicmatch blah blah blah Musicmatch, blah blah Musicmatch. Musicmatch?
A. Well, that's a very good question. Unfortunately the general consensus around here is that Musicmatch is pretty much a piece of garbage and should be put out of its misery. If you installed it because it was the default player/manager that came with your iPod, it's strongly suggested that you sashay on over to http://www.apple.com/itunes and download the Windows version of iTunes. Apple did not have iTunes for Windows out when many iPods were packaged, and Musicmatch was the "next best thing"... *cough*
Note however, iTunes for Windows will only run on newer versions of Windows. Those being Windows 2000 and Windows XP. If you have a different Windows operating system, Ephpod ( http://versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/win/20606 ) is a popular replacement.
You can try asking your Musicmatch related questions in the community, but most people have switched to iTunes and it'll be hit and miss if you get an answer.
Q. My iPod appears to be frozen, there's stuff on the screen, but it doesn't respond. I push buttons, nothing happens. I push them harder, still, nothing happens. What gives?
A. It sounds like it's time for your iPod to get a hard reset. Bad... bad iPod, you like it hard, don't you?! Press and hold both the Menu and Play buttons for over five seconds, but no more than seven. If you make it to eleven, we can't guarantee your safety.
For fourth (4G) generation iPods, press and hold the Menu and Select (center) buttons.
Also, you may want to make sure you haven't inadvertently bumped the "hold" switch.
Q. Why does my battery gauge show low charge even though the iPod just told me it was fully charged?
A. The iPod actively monitors your current battery conditions and it sometimes takes the iPod a few minutes to calculate the current charge level of the battery. Hum a few bars of the song you're listening to, meditate... all should be well soon.
Q. I'm trying to put WMA files on my iPod, but they won't play. Or: What file types does the iPod support?
A. The iPod supports the following file types: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 (32 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible, AIFF (Mac only) and WAV.
The iPod does *not* support WMA or Real Media content. Nor do I really think we want it to. But that's a discussion for a different FAQ.
Q. But, I have a boatload of WMA files. Whatever am I to do?
A.
Marge: Homer we've got someone coming to help!
Homer: Batman?
Marge: No, not batman. A scientist.
Homer: Batman was a scientist.
Marge: It's not batman!
While it may not be Batman, it's Google! And it's here to help. There are several pieces of shareware out there that will convert WMA files to MP3 format. While I was unable to find something completely free, if you have a ton of files, spending a few dollars might be worth your trouble. Happy converting: http://www.google.com/search?q=convert+wma+mp3&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Q. How do I get the songs back off my iPod onto my computer?
A. There are several utilities for doing this. Go to http://www.versiontracker.com, select your operating system and search for "ipod" and you'll find quite a few applications designed to moves songs back and forth. Please note that some do not handle iTMS Purchased music.
Q. iPod or iPod Mini?
A. Well, that's kind of a tricky question, and it's really up to you. You'll hear a lot of people say "but for only $50 more you get 15 gigs of space!" But it's not all about getting the most bang for your hard earned buck.
If you only have one or two gigs of music (or less for that matter) and you're not one to purchase a lot of music, why waste the $50 on space you may never use? If you have a large collection of music, or you plan to buy a lot of music and you want to carry it all with you, then more is better. Some people go for an hour long jog, and don't want to spend most of their time shuffling through 5000 songs looking for the right thing to listen to.
The iPod Mini is also considerably smaller than the iPod. If mobility is a factor to you, such as the jogging example above, you might be more inclined to go with the Mini.
You'll hear a lot of people complain that the Mini is priced way too high, but if you look at other flash-based players with only 512 megs of RAM (or 1 gig in some cases) they cost the same as, if not more than the Mini. Keep in mind as well, this is a new product that needs to recoup develpment costs, with an even smaller hard drive than what's in the standard iPod's which means a higer price for the newer technology.
The iPod Mini's New 1.8" hard drive.
Buy what's right for you and what you plan to use it for. As long as you keep that in mind, you'll make the best decision.
Q. I'm looking for such and such piece of software to do such and such a thing, any ideas?
A. Mac users try here. Windows users try here.
Q. Can I change the font on the iPod's display?
A. The short answer is... No. The long answer is... Nope. We're all just out of luck on this one. You can always feel free to submit it as a feature request, though: http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html
Q. Are there any other sites I should know about?
A. I'd like to say nope, this is the only site on the Interweb, but we all know that's just not true, so here are some sites that might interest you.
http://www.info.apple.com/usen/ipod/
http://www.ipodlounge.com/
http://www.ipoding.com/
Q. I bought music from the iTunes music store, but my iPod refuses to play it.
A. Make sure your iPod is running the latest version of the iPod software, you can download it at: http://www.apple.com/ipod/download/
Q. I just unboxed my iPod, but it doesn't come with a cable that works with my computer!
A. If you do not have a Firewire connector on your PC, you will either have to purchase a Firewire expansion card ($20-$30 at your local computer store) or purchase the following cable: http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9126G/A Firewire is the recommended connection of choice for numerous reasons. Here are some details on USB vs Firewire: http://www.usb-ware.com/firewire-vs-usb.htm
What's the difference between the Apple iPod, and the HP iPod by Apple?
A. There really is no difference, with the exception of some HP packaging and an HP logo engraved on the back of the iPod itself. This is more of a marketing/distribution deal for Apple, since it will get iPods more exposure overall, and in to more bricks and mortar stores that might not usually carry Apple products. Functionally, they are identical devices.
Note however that the HP iPod (by Apple) is not eligible for Apple Care or support from Apple directly, you will have to contact HP with all support inquiries. If you wish to purchase an extended warranty, you'll have to do it through the retailer where you purchase the device, or through HP, if they offer such a thing.
My iPod is showing a folder with an exclimation point, what's going on?
A. Start here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61003
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This community FAQ was contributed to by (in no particular order):gigiss, awkwardlove, 2amcoffee, decryption, ibrett, fallingforward, reverend_dave, rev_rance.