1G and 2G iPods: The End of an Era

by Gregory Ng Sep 24, 2004

A generation is dying and there’s nothing I can do about it. There comes a time when one must face the inevitable: the passing on of someone near and dear to their heart. A generation that set the standard for all that would follow. A generation that changed the world. A generation that is slowly dying off. I’m talking of course about the 1st and 2nd generation iPods.

One by one, 1G and 2G iPods are biting the dust only to fade away into a distant memory, replaced by slimmer, shinier replacements. Some of the unlucky ones died early: through accidental falls and unintentional coffee spills. But for those who are left, who are hitting their golden years of 2 and 3 years old, natural causes will take their toll. Those natural causes of course will be a dead battery damaging what little life our loved ones still have and presenting us with the dreaded decision: replace the battery or

replace our friends all together.

For my trusty companion, the decline has already started. It has been 2 glorious years since I first laid eyes on my 2G iPod and it has been by my side ever since. I have started to notice the shortened battery life, the quirky skipping of songs, and the rattling of the track pad. At first I thought it was just my imagination. Surely my iPod was still in it’s prime. It is too soon. There are still many things I still want to do. I’m no fool, I knew it wouldn’t last forever. But I didn’t think it would be so soon. But Apple knew. Apple gave my iPod no more than a few years to live from the very beginning. They fed me the line of “by the time the battery dies, you will want to get a new iPod.” In actuality, according to ipodbatteryfaq.com, “Lithium ion batteries are good for 300-500 charge/discharge cycles. A “charge/discharge” cycle generally consists of an extended charging period, and an extended discharging period. A quick charge, listening for 30 minutes, and charging again, for example, does not constitute a full “charge/discharge cycle”, but could rather be considered a portion of one.”

I found myself researching battery replacement services. I need to be prepared for that fateful day when it arrives. I will not be blindsided and unprepared. Then I started comparing the price of replacing batteries to new iPod prices. Boy, it has been a long time since I have been in the"game”. These new iPods have a lot of great stuff and are a lot less than the $500 I shelled out in 2002. And if I expand my pool of potential mates to iPod Minis, there’s now a plethora of colors to choose from. This dock is pretty cool and look at all the accessories I could get. Digital camera components? Voice recorders? Personal stereos? Boy my iPod IS old.

Apple offers a battery replacement program but it costs $99 and $99 goes a long way towards one of those nice new slick 4Gs! Besides, through Apple’s plan you really do not get the battery replaced in your iPod. Apple rather sends you a refurbished iPod with a good battery in it. Sort of eliminates the appeal for people who have custom engraving on their iPods doesn’t it? Imagine taking your car into the shop for a new battery and instead of replacing the battery with one of those Die Hards from Sears, they give you a used car that looks the same.

Other places like Small Dog and ipodbattery.com offer new batteries, tools to install it and handy instructions. Much better, the battery from ipodbattery.com costs only $29! [Please Note: my iPod is still hanging on so I did not test these battery services. I will only take a screwdriver to my Ipod if I have to.]  Now $29 bucks is a whole lot more tempting than $99. And you get to keep your original iPod. My 2G packs a Sony UP325385 A4H 3.7V 1230mAh lithium ion polymer battery. (Minis use Sanyo branded ones.) These services are selling this exact battery.

That seems like a good option. But for me the appeal and the accessories are too much to pass up. I have decided to enjoy the remaining time I have with my original iPod. I remember how that chip broke off the top plastic. How we got through the crisis of my broken headphone jack. And not to mention the close call of dropping my iPod down the stairs (Thanks to my iPod Armor it survived unscathed). When it finally bites it, I will replace it with a newer, smaller, sexier model. But nothing can take away the memories of my original iPod.

Comments

  • I was sorry to read this post because I’ve been in denial about the slow death of my pod for months now. When I need more than two hours of music play I “borrow” my son’s mini—green, sleek and competent. Sigh. It’s come to that…

    Bobscape had this to say on Sep 24, 2004 Posts: 1
  • it sounds so sad! “Replace the battery, or replace your friend”

    Almost pulled a tear from my eye *sniff*

    I am a relatively recent iPod mini owner, I never did get the full iPod… I’ve always been the “size matters” type of person. But I know the day I have to retire my iPod will come, and I don’t want it to.

    Nathan had this to say on Sep 24, 2004 Posts: 219
  • I got a mini with the intention of selling my loyal 3rd gen companion - couldn’t part with it tho’. It means too much to me.

    I can’t actually believe I am saying that - this is a little white machine for goodness sakes.

    ginalee had this to say on Sep 24, 2004 Posts: 9
  • Perhaps you should consider the 2100mAh replacement offered by Other World Computing.  It is priced at $39.95 and even includes no-scratch tools for opening up your iPod as well as full instructions for replacing the battery.  Information can be found here: http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Item.cfm?ID=7157&Item=NWTIPOD210012  Some results of tests of the new battery are mentioned here:  http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=3803

    WindozeBloze had this to say on Sep 25, 2004 Posts: 1
  • I replaced the battery in my Gen 1 about 4 months ago and have not looked back.  Bought the upgraded 2000MAh battery from PDA smart (http://www.PDAsmart.com) and myGgen 1 is now getting 20+ hours or up to 5 days of regular use on a single charge.  It was worth the $$$$....

    baggs had this to say on Sep 25, 2004 Posts: 2
  • Gregory I’m glad you mentioned the broken headphone jack I had my first g2 replaced after 5 months because of the battery but before this after only 2weeks the plastic around the headphone jack broke . The plastic also broke on the replacement as well (is this a design fault or what?)has anyone else had this problem…..

    peter jan had this to say on Oct 11, 2004 Posts: 1
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