Apple's devious iPod blackmail
Anyone else aware of Apple's sneaky iPod blackmail, which only effects Mac OS X users but not Windows users? For example: my iPod's battery recently died (after 2 yrs). Replacement cost: £69. How much?! At that price, I might as well get a new iPod... However, my Apple iMac G5 (less than 3 yrs old) runs OS X 10.3, but new iPods are ONLY compatible with OS X 10.4 or higher. Ergo, if I want a new iPod Classic, I must fork out an extra £85 for new OS, which I don't need or want. (My 10.3 never crashes, is fast, bug-free & repels viruses, spyware etc - so why should I want to change?) However, if I was running a 6-yr-old PC with Windows XP - a new iPod would be compatible! Yer what?! Hmm, is Windows XP, after all, a more adaptable & powerful o.s. compared to OS X? Or do Apple simply want to make new iPods avlbl to the many millions of Windows users worldwide, while screwing Mac OS X users in order to recoup OS X 10.5 Leopard's development costs? I don't know the name of that smug bloke with a beard who struts about the stage during Apple events, but this is not 'real neat'!!
Sorry to appear dumb, but how/where do you start a thread on Apple's iPod forum - I can't see a link.
Ta.
As a non-Apple user it doesn't surprise me. That's Apple for you. "Treat 'em mean and keep 'em keen" seems to be their customer service motto.
One of the reasons I stick with Windows (and Linux) is that on those platforms a state of
affairs like this would be tolerated for about five minutes and someone
would write a patch or application which circumvented this silly
restriction.
However, now that Leopard is out you should be able to pick up a second-hand version of Tiger/10.4 fairly cheaply on eBay so it's not quite as depressing as you might have first thought.
HTH
Only if you get Apple to replace it. Do a search on google.co.uk and you will discover that there are plenty of cheaper options.
The long way around starting a tread on the Apple site is
"www.apple.com"
"Support" (top of page)
"Discussions" (About half way down. this is as far as the earlier link got you)
You will need to register (like any forum I guess - go to "log in" on the right hand side, and create a user id.)
Return to the index and select the most appropriate forum.
Here is the quirk, you have to enter a thread (any thread) in order to start a new one.
It is worth doing. I use the discussions quite a lot for the desktop and there are some very helpful people out there. You will get a lot of help and advice with any iPod issues you may have. You just have to wait for America to wake up before expecting any replies.
Cheers,
David.
Mr.H & davidg, thanks for advice.
Mr.H, I'm advised - by a pal who cocked-up bigtime when he tried - that DIY iPod battery replacement can go pear-shaped if you don't have a watchmaker's quota of intricate 'tools'. Also, that the levers supplied with battery kits are somewhat lacking(?).
Added to which, unfortunately, my dexterity/patience when dismantling/reassembling delicate stuff rates as highly as Fernando Alonso's diplomacy skills.
LOL!
Somewhere amongst those "DIY" battery replacements, you should be able to find third-parties who will do the replacement for you for less than Apple charge.
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You should post this on Apple's own iPod forum, if you haven't already...
http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
As a Mac advocate, (although I am running OSX 10.4 anyway) I do find that quite disturbing.
Cheers,
David.