As most of you are aware, if you have an Ipod, you can get a boombox with an Ipod dock, which charges the Ipod and plays the music through it's speakers. Many of these units can run on batteries. However, the battery-operated Ipod boomboxes I've seen can't charge the Ipod when running on batteries!

I know it's possible to charge Ipods off of traditional batteries because I have seen "extended battery packs" which are nothing more than an AA battery holder with an Ipod cable. These things charge the Ipod from 4 AA batteries, so I don't understand why these boomboxes that take 8 D batteries (!!!) can't power the Ipod!

How about a boombox that can charge the Ipod batteries WHEN IT"S ON BATTERY POWER-If you want to save the battery life of the actual boombox itself, there could be an Ipod charge on/off switch, so that it only charges the Ipod if you want it to. This way, you could get some extra battery life when the boombox batteries begin to run low by turning off the Ipod charging function manually. Or, instead of switching the charging off, you could connect the Ipod via cable to the line-in jack to just play the music through the speakers without charging to save the battery life of the boombox when it starts to run low

Now you may ask "Won't the boombox drain before the Ipod batteries run out anyway???" Well, yes-if your Ipod's batteries are relatively new. You see, the Ipod's rechargeable batteries are not really user replaceable-it requires opening the Ipod, because there is no cover (which is a retarded design). Apple's service to replace the rechargeable batteries costs about $60!!!! It's a F***ing rip off! Not to mention that you're sans Ipod for about 3 weeks while it's being "repaired"

The idea here is to allow you to continue to use your boombox on batteries reguardless of the condition/age of the Ipod batteries
-- Dickcheney6, Jan 24 2009

I replaced the batteries in my iPod myself...I have a 20GB, 1/2"-thick, B&W screen model. I bought a battery replacement kit online for about $25 I think. It included plastic prising tools to get the case off. It is definitely a pain and voids your warranty, but it can be done.
-- sninctown, Jan 24 2009


I know you can do it yourself-but as you said, it's a pain and voids the warranty, and it also risks breaking the ipod if you screw up. I really wish they had made it easier. If it weren't for the stupid copyright protection on the Itunes music store, I'd just buy a different MP3 player altogether-one that takes AAA batteries, coz I can just get rechargeable AAA batteries.
-- Dickcheney6, Jan 24 2009


The more i know about the Ipod the less inclined I am to own one. Best MP3 player I have ever seen cost less than $20us used one AA battery and will likely still work long after it is obsolete.
-- WcW, Jan 24 2009


Always with the batteries.
-- Texticle, Jan 24 2009


Well you can still get replacement batteries even for discontinued models of most devices, but the cost is often prohibitive ($40+) if it's not user replaceable-or even if it is, on some devices the batteries themselves are expensive to buy. Since people's needs for battery life vary, some people, depending on how they use the device,may still have plenty of capacity left after owning the device for several years, but rechargeable batteries quit sooner or later, so eventually even those who rarely use the device are found staring at a blank screen immediatly after disconnecting the charger, and end up tethered to the wall with the device until they can get replacement batteries for it. Thus, it would be bad business not to offer replacement batteries for long- discontinued devices-and that company would no doubt lose customers if the customers were basically thrown out in the snow after their device was discontinued.

//Best MP3 player I have ever seen cost less than $20us used one AA battery and will likely still work long after it is obsolete.// I've actually seen MP3 players in the $50 to $120 range that use AAA batteries-they probably have more memory, and some actually have a color screen (for below $120!!!).
-- Dickcheney6, Jan 25 2009



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