Yes Virginia, The iPod is Good Design

Virginia Postrel, who is actually the first link in the chain of events that lead to me starting a blog of my own, is questioning the quality of design in the Apple iPod and coming up with the wrong answer. From what she has written, it seems she likes a lot about the iPod. In fact she seems to like everything about it except then battery.

I no longer think the iPod qualifies as good design. It's gorgeous and tactile, and the software interface is excellent--aesthetic and functional qualities lacking in most electronic products--but Apple has never been much good at the physical side of design. If only they didn't have to actually make things. In this case, the batteries are the problem. They're beyond terrible, and Apple won't replace them. My original iPod lasted about a year before the battery died and I had to throw it out. Worse, my iPod Mini has never really held a charge, except for the day it spent in the Apple Store.

While I agree that batteries have been an issue in iPods, particularly in early generations, Apple pretty early on changed its policy of not replacing batteries. They would do it for a price - but a price that was better than buying a new iPod.

And Apple is not the only option for battery replacement. The first source I would go to is Other World Computing. They have batteries for every generation and configuration if iPod. The most expensive replacement battery they sell is $39.95. It is pretty easy to find detailed instructions for how to open any iPod and change the battery yourself. I've opened and iPod or two from different generations and it is not that difficult.

I know, if you open the case you have voided the warranty. Here's a couple of thoughts on that. First if your battery is dead, chance are your past or pretty close to past your warranty anyway. Virginias died after about a year - coincidentally so did her warranty. Second, if you have a warranty but Apple is unwilling to do anything for your battery problem - what have you got to loose?

Yeah, a perfect design would include a perpetual power source that never needed charging or replacement, but perfect isn't real. Throwing away your iPod because the battery failed is the epitome of that old saying “throwing the baby out with the bath water.” For everything Virginia seems to love about the iPod one would think she would be willing to put a little effort into keeping it going.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at 04:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment