New York Times - Protecting Your MP3 Player
Many of you have dropped, scratched, or sat on their MP3 players before. We are all at some point clumsy or careless when it comes to protecting our own MP3 players. So what is the best way we can help prevent damage to out MP3 players and what to do when we do when we break it? Seán Captain wrote a nice article in the New York Times about just this, “Protecting Your MP3, and What to Do When You Don't”.
I like how they used the Zen Micro for the article illustration instead of an illustration of one of those iconic rectangular white players with two concentric circles in the in the middle. Nice Job. (illustration credits: Bruce MacPherson)
I was asked for my input for this article and not all of it made it to press. Here is some more info and commentary on MP3 player damage and care.
Typical Damage and How to Protect Your MP3 Player
The most sensitive part of an MP3 player is the hard drive, if it has one. It is usually the first part of the player to go when it is dropped. However, technologies are starting to make hard drive based MP3 players more durable. Some manufacturers are building shock-resisting features into their hard drive based players. Take the Sony HD5 for example; its hard drive uses an accelerometer to sense when the player is being dropped. When it senses the player is falling, the hard drive quickly parks the hard drive’s heads so that they won’t knock against the platter.
No one brand is typically more durable than another, but memory type will affect the durability. If you are rough on your MP3 players, it is best to go with a flash based MP3 player. There are no moving parts to get damaged and they are very shock resistant.
Protective cases increase your chances of an MP3 player surviving a fall. Extreme heat and cold are never good for MP3 players. But, extreme heat is considered leaving it on your dashboard in the summer time- it would be fine in a glove box or under the seat. What happens in this case is the LCD screen and the touch pad gets damaged. It can, however, be temporary. Let it sit at room temperature for a few days without turning it on, and it may go back to normal. But again, hard drive based players are more sensitive to extreme temperatures.
Another way that an MP3 player can get damaged is from a very dusty environment. In that instance, I would suggest a water proof case. They can be pricey but they will definitely protect your $300 investment.
If a player breaks, is it worth fixing?
No. And this holds true for almost any electronic gadget. Think about the $300 cell phone you carry. More than likely you are going to throw it away if it breaks. You may be able to get these devices fixed but it will usually cost a good majority of the original purchase price. After a few months of use, the value of the device is probably only worth 2/3rds of the original purchase price. Now, if there was important data or music on the hard drive which you did not back up, it may be worth it to the individual to get that MP3 player working again.
If you are adventurous, then you may try fixing it yourself. If there is already no hope for the player, then you have nothing to loose by opening it up and having a look around. I once opened up a hard drive that was inside of an MP3 player, pushed the hard drive head back in place, and by dumb luck it worked again. There are some guides on the internet showing you how take various players apart. I recently wrote a guide on how to take the MobiBLU Cube apart. One reader wrote in the comments that the article gave them enough courage to open theirs up to fix a button that was sticking and it was a success.
Typical Lifetime of an MP3 Player Battery
Lifetime on an MP3 player battery (removable or non-removable) is typically 18-24 months under normal use, and that is for any rechargeable lithium-ion battery. But after that time frame it may not be worth replacing the battery. In two years your player may be ancient compared to the new technologies. You may not want to spend $100 on getting a non user replaceable battery when another hundred dollars will get you the latest and greatest player.
Typical Lifetime of an MP3 Player
The lifetime of the MP3 player if taken care of is dependant on the life of the battery, but even then the battery can be replaced. The life of an MP3 player is not a matter of durability but a matter of life style. Consumers want the latest technology and they don’t want to be left behind. They will not buy a new MP3 player simply because their old one is no longer working, but they will buy a new one because it doesn’t have all the newest features. It is a typical “keeping up with the Jones” scenario. Take for example cell phones- how may people do you see carrying around a phone older than a year or two?
Third Party Accessories for Non-iPods
Unfortunately, you do not see the same third party support for non-ipod players due to simple economics. Non-iPods lack an economy of scale. Your best bet for accessories is directly from the manufacturer’s web site. However, this is starting to change. I am starting to see some third parties making cases for some of the Creative Zen line at Best Buy. One of the best places to find accessories for the other MP3 players is eBay. It is only a matter of time before third parties start to realize the value in the non-ipod sector; this is mainly due to Apple’s gradual decline in market share as well as the growing size of the overall MP3 player market. In 2005 the mp3 player market was $3 billion and it is projected to be a $4.5 billion business in 2006.
Comments
WesFX on February 10, 2006 4:57 PM
An interesting and informative read; I really did learn quite a bit.
You've got an awesome website here, EnzoTen.
russianGeekChik on February 14, 2006 12:07 AM
I just read your review of the ZVM and I'm really close to buying it(I'm trying to hold out for the white one but I dunno how much I can wait) and I saw this. The last paragraph struck me most because I was looking for available accesories for the ZVM and noticed how little is out there. I really hope companies branch out and go to making accesories for other players.
crunch on May 26, 2006 1:56 PM
great article
i intentionally stay away from any white mp3 players or accessories as that is sooooo apple and soooo last year...
:O)
another one on June 24, 2006 11:32 PM
very helpful
i really hope the battery last longer because these things are costly, and you really feel like your money is wasted if it doesnt survive until its first birthday.......................................
so that being said, i bout the creative zen sleek photo a day ago, but absolutly CANNOT find a good enough skin for it, which proves your point. I hope that will soon change though
Thanx again dude, helpful stuff............
idea on July 20, 2006 2:46 AM
the best thing to do is when buing an mp3 player buuy a 3xbattery pack with it for few years
SansaBoi on December 17, 2006 2:54 AM
It's a nice article, but the earphones resemble the iPod...
l on January 21, 2007 12:36 AM
do you think that jogging with a zvm30gb would hurt the harddrive bouncening around in my pocket hope not
Zerita on February 2, 2007 8:10 PM
Not welcome here:
[url=So many spammers here :(
][/url]
Psycodj on March 31, 2007 4:31 PM
Got a zen vision m 30GB. The screen' s scratched so bad it 's clearly visible while watchin bright videos, any advice on how to resolve the problem?And don't feel comfortable in the earphones any recommendations?
thnxs