Poll: Are iPods, iPhones etc... as bad as people make them out to be?

[TheLaofKazi]

I have an iPod Nano and it works well. Although I really hate Apple and iTunes, and I would have preferred a different mp3 player, but I got it Christmas and I wouldn't get a full refund if I took it back and used the money for a different mp3 player, so I just stuck with using it.

 

[Sougo]

Had a first gen ipod which worked perfectly for 2 years, after which it was stolen.

An ipod nano thats working normally for the past 3 years.

An iphone thats a little over a year old and still working perfectly.

None of Apple's products have ever broken down on me.
*casts a dark look at Microsoft* Can't say the same for this though.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

snipy.

The failure rate of there products in no different to any other product, it's just that they sell so many more of them that it seems high. If you sell 1000 items with a 1% fail rate you get 10 sent back. When you sell 10,000 you get 100 that die.

That's what I was wondering about (I suggested it in the OP, although probably badly/vaguely phrased). That, and I wanted to hear some amusing stories of technology dying in unusual and creative ways.

 

[JetFire62]

Nope, they're pretty resilient. I dropped my ipod video easily thousands of times and ive had that for about 4 years and it works great. and i actually managed to leave my macbook outside by mistake and it survived a 20 minute nonstop torrential downpour, it freaked me out how it still worked after o.o

 

[Enigmers]

My iPod freezes occastionally. I can't use it to transfer songs between computers (one computer must be synced to the iPod), but it works for what I need it for, which is listening to audiobooks and stand-up comedy before I go to sleep.

 

[what.twitch]

I've had my Ipod for almost eight years...and it's still working just fine. It hasn't needed so much as a system restore since I learned how to properly sync it, let alone needing to be repaired or replaced.

 

[Lucifer dern]

i had one for a while, i actualy found it really reliabel but i sold it, the sound quality on them things just cant compare with other portabel media players that are the same price, but then again ive said this to friends and they say im wrong, and i did find that the more features something has. the more it will break.

 

[Mcupobob]

My iPod still works perfectly. It has occasional bugs, but none of them are that bad.

This, I've had mine for years and its never broke on me. Has some trouble turning off every now and then but other than that it works great.

 

[LightOfDarkness]

Apple products are among the most durable I've owned, although I can't speak for the iPhone or anything. My iPod nano has lasted so many dents, bumps, droppings, it's insane. Same with my macbook.

No problems whatsoever, I'm pleased to report.

Ever own a Nintendo console?

Yeah. Those are made with motherfucking kevlar or something.

 

[-Samurai-]

I've had the same iPod for years now and never had a problem with it.

Most of the problems come from launch versions of electronics. Everyone should know by now that you shouldn't be the sucker that buys launch models. You wait for the others to find the bugs, wait for it to get fixed, then you buy.

Save yourself the grief and wait for the products to be tested by real people.

 

[Mazar_Nomoid]

Well I had a first generation Ipod. It was one of those big ones so it was fine until one day I come back from school. It was a regular day nothing exciting happened. I turned on the Ipod and it was frozen. Couldn't use it for days. After that it would randomly decide to freeze on me for no reason. I know it's not fair to judge Apple and their Ipod stuff by one measly bad experience but that really pissed me off.

 

[The Procrastinated End]

Both me and my brother have ipods, neither of them are broken and my brothers is about 8 years old.

 

[Red Albatross]

I still have a 2nd gen iPod that's been around for forever, still works just fine, but the only reason I have it is because it was a gift and I couldn't say no. I'm not too fond of Apple and their closed architecture for everything. I think that if they could brick all the jailbroken iPhones, they would.

 

[fer1wi]

the only iphone I've had break was one I dropped on hard pavement at a full run. It hit hard, and slid about 10 feet.

Otherwise, I've found the tech to be impressively hardy.

-m

So, that scene in CommodoreHustle Episode 2, where you Ryan skip and drop your iPhone, was based on this incident?

OT: I don't own an Apple product, aside from the iMac, so I can't really vouch for this. I'm typing on my Windows 7 laptop, but that is unrelated.

 

[GotMalkAvian]

Okay, here's the deal with Apple products without any real bias either way...
Apple products aren't bad. They made a name for themselves years ago by offering reliable, accessible technology at an affordable price. Most of this battle was fought on the PC vs. Mac front, but it's carried over to the MP3 player and cell phone fronts, as well.
Apple used their fame to push the iPod (which was a good product, and had features that were revolutionary at the time) to become the most recognizeable- and, therefore, most purchased- MP3 player on the market. Soon, the iPod became synonymous with the digital music revolution, and Apple's unrelenting marketing campaign made sure that it stayed on top. Meanwhile, similar MP3 players from brands like Creative- who had their own level of credibility with technophiles for making quality hardware, but nothing that could match the mainstream appeal of the iPod- couldn't get shelf space at a store like Best Buy, and still languish on the shelves at Staples.
Now, Apple has reached the point where they are famous for being Apple. They are so deeply entrenched in their own fame that if they release something, the public automatically lauds it as a great product. Sadly, Apple has realized this, and are charging increasingly high prices for increasing unwieldy and ridiculous products. It also seems that, in a rush to stay ahead of competitors and imitators, Apple feels a need to rush out new generations of products as well as making products that the competition won't see coming.
Long story short, Apple was a great company that made a reputation for themselves based on quality. Now, they release products that are still decent, but flawed. However, their popularity and mainstream cred help keep them at the top.
As for the technical issues, think of it this way: How many people you know own an iPod/iPhone vs. another brand MP3player or smartphone? With that many people- millions, I'm sure- using these products, you're bound to hear stories of issues and glitches, especially on the internet. Even if the products are 99.5% reliable, that still means that one person out of every two-hundred will have an issue, and those people will complain.

 

[Jake the Snake]

It's not they break easily, its just that their lifespan is rather questionable. My iPod is 3 years old and is starting to show tell tale battery signs that its on the decline.

 

[Vault boy Eddie]

I got my ipod video when it came out and it goes with me to the gym everytime and it's still going strong. And i've had no problems with my 3GS, if anything, the iOS4 software made it as awesome as the iphone 4 without all the problems.

 

[rees263]

Every time I've gone to update the software on my iPod Touch it has had a problem and I've had to reset the whole thing. Very annoying but I've always got it working again with minimal fuss so I'm still happy with it.

 

[Instinct Blues]

My first Ipod worked incredibly well and if I hadn't cracked the screen (it was my own dumb fault) I'd still be using it today. And it still worked after I cracked the screen but I couldn't read any of the song names so i had to get a new one.