If Your iPod Could Talk, The 10 Things It Wouldn’t Say

Smart Money Magazine runs a regular column called 10 Things. The title of the column in the June 2006 issue is 10 Things Your iPod Won’t Tell You.

I want to touch briefly on each “thing” author Noah Rothbaum discussed. I will be paraphrasing his headings.

1. The day may come when iPod isn’t king. The author bases his opinion on Apple’s proprietary format. He quoted the Senior Analyst for Consumer Electronics at iSuppli as saying that closed systems tend to either become more compatible or eventually lose their market share to the competition.

I’m not so sure this is something that Apple needs to disclose, even if it is true. It’s an opinion, not a startling new fact. Anyway, I doubt that many customers choose an iPod just because the company is #1.

It’s difficult to stay on top forever. Sooner or later the competition will be more competitive. While other companies improve their offerings, either Apple will adapt it or it won’t. In any case, the word may in the author’s statement means he gets it right either way.

2. When you need help with your iPod, don’t count on Apple. Rothbaum explains that customers get only one free phone call, and that has to be used in the first 90 days. After that you pay or you’re on your own.

He also tells readers of sites where they can get plenty of free help. These sites include Apple’s website, which he states offers “tons” of advice. He also suggests logging onto iLounge.com or iPoding.com for more free help.

Rothbaum would be more convincing if he showed evidence that other MP3 manufacturers offered better customer service than Apple. One major source does compare Apple to other companies. An article in Consumer Reports indicates that Apple rated best (by quite a bit) in customer support of desktops and laptops. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the support is as good for iPods, but it does give an indication that the company is more customer oriented than most.

3. Rothbaum contends that an iPod is more fragile than other MP3 players. This is another comment that was only backed up by the opinion of one person, somebody described as an industry analyst. Rothbaum doesn’t quote any industry testing or use other means to back up his claim. He does suggest, though, protecting your iPod with a nice shell.

I agree with his last conclusion. Protection is a good idea for any MP3 player.

4. Apple doesn’t make it easy to move your songs from your iPod to any other device. According to the author, Apple made it difficult because music companies were concerned about copyright infringement. Rothbaum then goes on to tell users just how to go about moving your songs.

5. Your iPod apparently won’t tell you about it’s battery life. To some degree, Rothbaum makes a valid point here. I have known people who choose other MP3 players just because they don’t want to have to deal with iPod’s battery issue.

The only really misleading thing here is making it sound like a secret that Apple won’t tell you. Check it out on the Apple website. This site gives all the information you need about battery life and the replacement program, though it can be a bit cumbersome to find it all. If you don’t understand it, Hadley Stern will point you to a page that will clarify the policy.

6. iPods can harm your hearing. AppleMatters has discussed this issue here and here. Rothbaum never points out that studies have been done showing the same risk with portable CD players. It’s just a wild guess, but I suspect other MP3 players with the volume up pose the same threat to hearing.

7. iPods are updated too frequently. This can be a problem for people who always want the latest technology. Apple has made things better recently by standardizing iPod docks. This means that future iPods should fit into today’s docks.

8. iPod won’t tell you that it is so popular that you need to watch for thieves. While it’s true that iPods are stolen much more often than other MP3 players, I’m not sure why Apple needs to disclose this. Any popular item that is easily stolen and easily fenced is a target for thieves.

9. iPod now charges for items that used to come with the player. (The article doesn’t tell you that they’ve reduced prices on some players.) Rothbaum states that wall chargers and docks used to be standard but now cost extra.

My guess is that Apple, like any other for-profit company, is charging what the market will bear. As long as it can keep selling things separately, it will. I suspect that it’s no secret to consumers. They seem to manage to purchase what they need to go with their iPods.

10. Once you buy an iPod, you’re stuck for life. (The author actually uses the words “locked in for life.”

This is quite an interesting point. Rothbaum suggests that owners have no options because of iPod’s proprietary format. He doesn’t suggest that it’s possible to own several iPods of different manufacturers, or that you can use the directions he gave earlier to transfer your music elsewhere.

It gets even more interesting. Rothbaum states earlier (remember point #1?) that this same proprietary format will cause iPod to lose it’s place as #1. Even in his final comments, he says that this format “could lead to its downfall.” Somehow it seems that if iPod users are unable to change, iPod use should remain high.

This article could have been more useful if some of it’s points were backed up better. I’m sure the writer doesn’t get much space to do that. This is really the problem with columns like this. They give the consumer something interesting to read, but no real analysis.

Would an article like this make a difference in your iPod purchase? I’d be interested in hearing what you think.