Peter Griffin: iPod battery claims are settled

Here's a good reason why you should keep your receipts. You pay for your gadget of choice, get it home, and the sound and visuals seduce you into a false sense of security - it can't break down, it's made by Nokia or Microsoft, Sony or Apple. But, 18 months later, you're looking at a dead pile of plastic and metal.

All of the above companies have had their product recalls and lawsuit settlements. Just because they're big names doesn't mean the standard doesn't slip from time to time.

Apple is the latest to make up for a design fault. It was sued by customers in the US who complained that earlier generations of the iPod, the world's most popular music player, started to lose their battery staying power over time. In the case of the iPod generations one, two, and three, some of the devices started to offer up much less than the claimed eight-hour battery life. Try one or two hours. There's no point lugging around 10,000 songs if you can only get through 30 before your MP3 player dies.

Enough of a case was made for Apple to settle, and now owners of early iPods can receive a replacement iPod if the device failed in its second year, or can claim a US$50 credit for Apple products and a one-year extension to their warranty.

Full details of the offer are at www.appleipodsettlement.com

I have to admit, I've never found anything bad to say about the iPod. Over the years I've heard grumbles from several iPodders about diminishing battery life.

Take the case of a friend who picked up an iPod in New York because it was on sale. The battery life has gradually declined but he lost his receipt for the device so will not be able to claim reimbursement.

Apple has kept quiet so far on whether iPod owners outside the US can claim. I'd suggest they'll have a fight on their hands if they exclude their international customers.

Locally, Apple has its hands full just trying to get enough iPods to meet demand. The head of distributor Renaissances Apple division, Steve Ford, said Apple's recent supply issues were the catch-22 of flogging one of the most popular consumer electronics devices of the last decade - there just aren't enough to go around.

There's no problem with procuring an iPod Shuffle, the slim-lined iPod with smaller capacity (512MB, 1GB). And supply has loosened up for the 30GB full-sized iPod, which is capable of displaying colour pictures.

But websites such as that of Dick Smith Electronics (www.dse.co.nz) were last week showing the iPod Mini as being sold out.

But Ford is expecting an imminent shipment to cover back-orders for the 4GB iPod Mini. It's demand for the 6GB iPod Mini that's proving challenging to meet.

Batteries are funny things. Lithium ion batteries are used in a huge range of laptops, mobile phones and MP3 players. Ironically, Apple had just put out a recall on batteries for certain models of iBook and Powerbook computers sold between October 2004 and May 2005 when the iPod battery lawsuit was settled.

Details on that recall and how to exchange your battery are available at www.apple.co.nz