Return of the dead &$%!-ing iPod

To make an awful Monday even worse, my iPod bit the dust. Again.

It had been working terrifically since February, when it died for the first time and I resurrected it by beating the everloving hell out of it (a documented repair theory for this product).

Then, last week, in the parking lot of the local KFC, it froze on a Dolly Parton song. (The fact that I can put “KFC” and “Dolly Parton song” in the same sentence — and have it be true — gives me the shivers, but facts is facts, and I must report it.)

So anyway, parking lot, frozen ‘pod. I gave it a slam and reset it before Iain even got back with our Original Recipe.

But yesterday it cried the Click Of Death, whirring and clicking like a cicada dying of tuberculosis. It was sad. So I slapped it around as much as I could in my quiet office, feeling the tough love coursing through me, knowing I was going to be the digital Florence Nightingale this little piece of machinery required.

But guess what? NO FUCKING DICE. It’s still dead. And I’m afraid it’s dead for good.

Tonight, after Owen goes to sleep, I’m going to go all Josh Highland on it and do a little iPod surgery, see if that doesn’t do the trick.

If it doesn’t … then I suppose I’ll be selling it on eBay for parts. And maybe I’ll buy a new one. Like, a Nano? I heard those solid-state little buggers are hardier; do suppose that’s true?

I mean, yeah, maybe my son will have to go without shoes again but goddamn, Mama needs her country music during the long, depressing weeks of late summer.

August 22, 2006 | Filed Under geek

Comments

14 Responses to “Return of the dead &$%!-ing iPod”

TW on August 22nd, 2006 10:47 am

You really ought to go with an iRiver, no death here with it despite doing evil things with it like leaving it in the car in the summer in Florida, for days. Or spilling coffee, coke and stickiness on it. Dropping and of course dangling by cords also happens.
maryann on August 22nd, 2006 11:36 am

i had the same problem with my old ipod; it broke, i fixed it; it broke, i sent it to apple (who then gave me a new one) ; and then it broke, weeks after my 1-year warranty expired, causing me to buy a new one that cost as much as it would to get the oldie fixed.

since the oldie still works in some capacity (you just can’t listen to it ), the oldie sits as storage, and the young, colorful one gets carted around. haven’t had any problems with this one (knock on wood).

so, long story short, i feel your pain! get a new one!
Lori on August 22nd, 2006 12:21 pm

Ipods are overrated! Try a Zen Creative!
Maliavale on August 22nd, 2006 8:21 pm

Dolly would be proud of your werewithal in dealing with the sitchyation, I’m sure.
victoria on August 23rd, 2006 9:10 am

Rebecca swears that my iPod is suicidal due to the amounts of depressing music on it. It dies on a regular basis, complete with whirring and the iPod face of death, but so far it comes back to life with your patented whacking method. There are days when it has to take a nap for a few hours before it decides to revive and I have had a new iPod in a shopping cart on-line on more than one occassion, but it always comes back. I say give it another good whack on a stack of papers before throwing in the towel. The new iPods are so cute and shiny though…

P.S. How much do I love that you were listening to Dolly Parton?
Ty on August 23rd, 2006 9:37 am

WAIT! Stop! try this. Plug it in to your wall charger and leave it there for 4 hours or so.

I thought my iPod was toast a few weeks ago, but it turns out, it just needed a full charge to 100% on the wall charger. charging it with the car charger and USB cable wouldn’t work. It would take a charge but then shortly after (like a day later) it wouldn’t work. It would give me ugly pictures of half a black and white battery with a lightening bolt, and would warm up to the apple icon and the I would hear the click of the hard drive shutting down, and it would start all over. And that was only when it was on the charger. it would keep cycling like that for a while. Scary. Off the charger, it was completely dead.

Turns out, not having charged it on the wall charger for a month or so (while my wall charger was inconveniently at my friend’s house) was the problem.

ALSO, if it is the battery, you can send it into Apple (even out of warranty) and get a new one for $59 I believe.

Don’t despair JUST yet.
Paige on August 23rd, 2006 10:10 am

Man, everyone is having issues with their iPods this week.
candace on August 23rd, 2006 10:26 am

I second the wall charger thingie. That worked for mine when I thought it was beyond hope.
supa on August 24th, 2006 11:22 pm

Thank you for the tips, guys!

I did try the wall charger technique, but so far no luck. And I haven’t taken it apart yet because … well, because I feel like crap and I’m more obsessed with working on my quilt and feeling not like crap than I am in digging around in busted electronics.

I’m starting to get concerned.

On a couple of levels, actually, but I suppose that merits a new blog post, eh? Buh. Maybe this weekend. ‘Course, the length of this comment itself could be a post. STOP TALKING, self. Put the blog down and have some more Ovaltine.

…

Seriously. Why am I still typing?
Izzy on August 25th, 2006 3:28 am

Wish i could help you but I don’t know anything about iPods. I think I’m the only person in America that doesn’t own one…lol
Ada on August 25th, 2006 4:43 am

Dolly Parten?

I think I love you, Supa.
Ty on August 25th, 2006 10:45 am

Man. I totally thought the charger would work. Damn.
Mona on August 25th, 2006 3:29 pm

iPod troubles deserve their own circle in hell, especially when they crap out on you during some sweet Dolly Parton tune.

Last year, my iPod sad mac’d me. Luckily, it was still under warranty so all I did was bring it to the Apple store and they gave me a brand-new one. I was too cheap to buy the extra warranty, so if it does it again, I’m SOL.

Did you have any Kenney Rogers? Because that would be so cool if you did.
Xio on August 28th, 2006 8:42 am

Yikes! You have me worried. Mine started doing this click..whir..click thing and then skipping songs or replaying songs. I have had it more than a yera and half now with no problems. The husband’s was one of the first ipods ever and while the screen is pretty much gone, it’s still going. Maybe I’ll try the kicking and punching thing.