Apple iPod mini 2nd Generation Silver (4 GB) MP3 Player
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- Number of Songs: 1000
- Usage: Music
- Interface: Firewire USB 2.0
- Screen Size: 1.67 inch
- Main Storage Type: Hard Drive
- Storage Capacity: 4 GB
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Design flaw with all iPod minis!
Pros
Ergonomic, small, slick, big storage compared to size
Cons
the internal stiff connector can render mini useless in a matter of weeks or months.
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
iPod mini is a great player, but redesigned one will be much more reliable. Does Apple work on it now?
The CRUCIAL mistake in iPod MINI design already brought trouble to many iPod mini users around the world. At the end you may find some suggestions that can prolong the use of the first generation Minis.
THE PROBLEM:
After as little as two weeks of use some iPod minis produce HEAVILY distorted sound and extreme sensitivity to touch.
What happened and the REASON behind the problem:
My silver iPod mini after two weeks of casual use started to make horrible static noises. Any pressure, as small as thumb pressure anywhere on iPod mini, would throw my MINI in acoustic convulsions. Resetting iPod did not help and the problem would happen for any music file format and all volume levels.
Guided by the detailed "iPod mini Autopsy" posted on iPODLounge.com, I carefully disassembled by iPOD. Then I started to play the iPOD and disconnected the wheel, then the hard drive, but my iPOD was still playing (out of 25 min flash memory) and still cursing.
Eventually, I narrowed the problem to a small little part that contains the headphone jack and the hold switch.
This small part attaches to the main iPOD board ONLY via small INFLEXIBLE black connector. WHAT AN OVERSIGHT on Apple Engineers' part!!!
Any pressure on iPOD case, dock connector, or simply plugging in and out headphones, creates TENSION between the small part and the MAIN board.
Since only the black connector is INFLEXIBLE, it quickly wears out.
What makes matters even worse is that the black connector is attached to the main board via ten very fragile copper pins that stick out of the main board. With regular use, contacts get loose and slightest pressure on IPOD creates nasty squeaky static type noises killing all the joy iPOD brings.
I have no doubt this problem will surge in time and a fare share of iPOD mini users will encounter it. Future iPOD minis need to have the part with headphone jack attached to the main board via FLEXIBLE cable. To rely on ten tiny fragile pins is just plain silly. What is puzzling is that in the current design the battery, hard drive, wheal, and screen all use flexible cables. Why, why the engineers chose to use INFLEXIBLE connection for the part with the headphone jack is not clear to me. What is absolutely clear is that with the current design, MINIs will eventually get sick and start to scream with unbelievable distortion.
CONCLUSION:
Apple needs to change iPOD mini's design ASAP and attach "the headphone jack/hold switch part" to the Main Board via FLEXIBLE cable.
My advise to current iPOD mini users: minimize the number of times you plug in/out headphones, gently plug in/out dock connector, do not put big pressure on the soft aluminum case such as by putting it in tight jeans pockets.
Yes, this is sadly ironic. The mistake in the design forces users of mini to MINImize using mini.
May be APPLE, pretending about extreme shortages, is already fixing the problem, which could be the real reason behind huge delays in iPOD mini shipments in Spring 04 and postponing of its sales internationally until July. If so, I am glad, because with the current flaw, many iPod minis will inevitably fail.
Many users report on forums the problem described above. Let others know about the problem, may be the awareness of it will help to speed up the birth of a new improved mini!
If you care to see pictures of a dissected mini, here they are inside of a mock story:
http://www.math.unl.edu/~iloladze/iPod.htm
Irakli Loladze
THE PROBLEM:
After as little as two weeks of use some iPod minis produce HEAVILY distorted sound and extreme sensitivity to touch.
What happened and the REASON behind the problem:
My silver iPod mini after two weeks of casual use started to make horrible static noises. Any pressure, as small as thumb pressure anywhere on iPod mini, would throw my MINI in acoustic convulsions. Resetting iPod did not help and the problem would happen for any music file format and all volume levels.
Guided by the detailed "iPod mini Autopsy" posted on iPODLounge.com, I carefully disassembled by iPOD. Then I started to play the iPOD and disconnected the wheel, then the hard drive, but my iPOD was still playing (out of 25 min flash memory) and still cursing.
Eventually, I narrowed the problem to a small little part that contains the headphone jack and the hold switch.
This small part attaches to the main iPOD board ONLY via small INFLEXIBLE black connector. WHAT AN OVERSIGHT on Apple Engineers' part!!!
Any pressure on iPOD case, dock connector, or simply plugging in and out headphones, creates TENSION between the small part and the MAIN board.
Since only the black connector is INFLEXIBLE, it quickly wears out.
What makes matters even worse is that the black connector is attached to the main board via ten very fragile copper pins that stick out of the main board. With regular use, contacts get loose and slightest pressure on IPOD creates nasty squeaky static type noises killing all the joy iPOD brings.
I have no doubt this problem will surge in time and a fare share of iPOD mini users will encounter it. Future iPOD minis need to have the part with headphone jack attached to the main board via FLEXIBLE cable. To rely on ten tiny fragile pins is just plain silly. What is puzzling is that in the current design the battery, hard drive, wheal, and screen all use flexible cables. Why, why the engineers chose to use INFLEXIBLE connection for the part with the headphone jack is not clear to me. What is absolutely clear is that with the current design, MINIs will eventually get sick and start to scream with unbelievable distortion.
CONCLUSION:
Apple needs to change iPOD mini's design ASAP and attach "the headphone jack/hold switch part" to the Main Board via FLEXIBLE cable.
My advise to current iPOD mini users: minimize the number of times you plug in/out headphones, gently plug in/out dock connector, do not put big pressure on the soft aluminum case such as by putting it in tight jeans pockets.
Yes, this is sadly ironic. The mistake in the design forces users of mini to MINImize using mini.
May be APPLE, pretending about extreme shortages, is already fixing the problem, which could be the real reason behind huge delays in iPOD mini shipments in Spring 04 and postponing of its sales internationally until July. If so, I am glad, because with the current flaw, many iPod minis will inevitably fail.
Many users report on forums the problem described above. Let others know about the problem, may be the awareness of it will help to speed up the birth of a new improved mini!
If you care to see pictures of a dissected mini, here they are inside of a mock story:
http://www.math.unl.edu/~iloladze/iPod.htm
Irakli Loladze
