Yet another dumb iPod article

carson o'genic

I'm used to mistakes by the press regarding Apple products and I just generally ignore them. If you have ever been involved in an interview or know about a subject intimately that is being written about by the press, then you know how much things can get twisted and distorted-often wiith the best intentions. Well, today's little tidibt I found through MacSurfer and comes from a newspaper downunder:



http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/...939858195.html



Quotes:



"Problems with the life of the rechargeable battery that comes with the Apple device are growing here and overseas, with critics saying it eventually runs out and cannot be replaced. Apple says it may be that iPod fans are simply using their new toy too much...Fazal Zaman, a sales representative at the electronics store Digital City, says one in 15 iPod buyers complains about the life its rechargeable battery. In the US lawsuits have been launched claiming the batteries last only 18 months and cannot be replaced."



Its the last bit about quoting this Zaman guy saying that you can't replace the battery-argh! No where in the article does it state that yes you can get a new battery and that battery technology has its limits. If you read it you come away thinking that the iPod is a very expensive disposable toy. You'd think that the person writing this stuff would at least check out Apple's website to get their info straight. </rant>

ryukyu

Unfortunately, "responsible" and "journalism" don't always go hand-in-hand.

a_greer

Quote:

Originally posted by ryukyu

Unfortunately, "responsible" and "journalism" don't always go hand-in-hand.

just ask the NY Times...Im thinking...blair, and where there is somke,fire is there too

rok

i'm not defending the article, but couldn't it be possible for apple to make a replaceable rechargeable battery for the ipod, just like my cell phone? you'd think it would save apple a lot of headache managing the warranty extended coverage and claims for poor battery life.



okay, it might add a bit of size and weight to the ipod, but would that be so terrible?

hom

Quote:

Originally posted by rok

i'm not defending the article, but couldn't it be possible for apple to make a replaceable rechargeable battery for the ipod, just like my cell phone? you'd think it would save apple a lot of headache managing the warranty extended coverage and claims for poor battery life.



okay, it might add a bit of size and weight to the ipod, but would that be so terrible?

I can guarantee that if Apple did follow the mobile phone model of selling batteries you would hear cries of bloody murder at the prices that people have to pay for them.

crazychester

Quote:

Originally posted by Carson O'Genic

Well, today's little tidibt I found through MacSurfer and comes from a newspaper downunder:



http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/...939858195.html

I can assure you about 75% of what is written about Apple and Apple products in Australian newspapers is partially or totally inaccurate (guess you didn't know the eMac uses a G3 processor - nah me neither).



But then again, Apple does sweet FA to redress the situation so what can you expect really. I hope there's enough Americans to keep the company afloat because god knows their efforts in the rest of the world sure as hell aren't going to do it.

carson o'genic

Weel, there was the one guy quoted in the article from the Apple Centre and i have to say his quoate about using the ipods too much came off as real dumb. Then again, knowing that this guy probably talked for at least 15 minutes and had a couple of sentances lifted from the conversation, its intirely possible he said something worthy about battery life etc afterwords. Thats were the quality of the journalist comes in. I guess the question is if the journalist is clueless or if she was trying to get some attention by writing a misleading article.

crazychester

Quote:

Originally posted by Carson O'Genic

Weel, there was the one guy quoted in the article from the Apple Centre and i have to say his quoate about using the ipods too much came off as real dumb. Then again, knowing that this guy probably talked for at least 15 minutes and had a couple of sentances lifted from the conversation, its intirely possible he said something worthy about battery life etc afterwords. Thats were the quality of the journalist comes in. I guess the question is if the journalist is clueless or if she was trying to get some attention by writing a misleading article.

In the SMH's defense, as far as news and analysis goes, it is a very respectable newspaper. And their Saturday IT lift-out often has more positive and accurate information about Apple products than many others.



In my experience, most people who work at Apple Centres (all resellers) are idiots. So the person in question may have been misquoted but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they actually did say something that dumb.

flounder

Quote:

Originally posted by rok

okay, it might add a bit of size and weight to the ipod, but would that be so terrible?

Yes!

idunno

My girlfriend laughed at me because I got all angry after reading the SMH article on the weekend. but, the article read like it was written by The Daily Telegraph (The Daily telegraph is Sydneys trashy tabloid paper, whereas the SMH is a respected broadsheet). There was actually two articles in the paper, one in Icon, which the link above is to, and a second that was on page 3 telling you a little and instructing you to read Icon for more info. The article on page 3 was so inaccurate and so one sided (anti-apple) that I was already drafting my "Letter To The Ed" by the time I finished it. And now I am going to have to deal with people all day quoting the article and telling me I was a fool for buying an iPod.



Les.

carson o'genic

I'm in San Francisco reading and discussing about a newspaper read in Sydney. Sometimes I just have to sit back and marvel at our little interconnected world of ours.