Why pick on Apple?
First off, we're Apple fans and have relied on Macs since the day this writer's electric typewriter broke (not quite two decades ago) —that's why we want them to last!
Is the iPod lifespan any worse than other mp3 players?
We don't pretend to know the answer to this question; reliable data simply isn't available. However, according to critic Giles Slade, an "mp3 player that relies on flash memory does not have the breakable hard-disk problem that the iPod has. Many are built to last longer. Zune is rubberized." And other companies perform impact testing.
This question, however, is largely beside the point. The lifespan of consumer
electronics is lousy across the board. We've chosen the market leader in
mp3 players in an effort to hold someone accountable. The sheer volume of
iPods that Apples sells means it has a much greater impact on consumers and
on the environment than similar players. As a market leader—one heralded
for its design—Apple sets the bar for other companies to follow.
I resent the implication that the iPod is made to break. Any portable electronic good is going to fail if people drop it or mishandle it.
Sure, no one's arguing that we should be able to drop an iPod in a pool
of water or kick it downstairs. But Apple's design genius is clearly directed
toward designing new features that obviate the old ones rather than building
a device that lasts. Apple purposely created a player with a battery than
users can't replace. In fact, for a couple of years after the iPod hit the
market, Apple had a policy of telling owners of iPods whose batteries had
failed that—with a replacement costing about $250 —their best bet was
to buy a new iPod.
Broken iPods can often be repaired. So what's the big deal?
We're delighted that companies such as iPod
ResQ and methodshop.com have
sprung up to help people repair their iPods affordably. But this third-party
solution has arisen precisely because Apple has made a short-lived product
and failed to properly service it!
Consumers should buy what they want. Let the market decide.
The free-market credo requires informed consumers. That's what this campaign is about: educating buyers—and educating Apple that the life and afterlife of its products is something we care about. How is Apple ever going to change or improve if people don't offer criticism? After all, it was only after environmental groups started criticizing Apple that the company implemented a recycling program (though, to this day, it has failed to promote it). And it was only after iPod customers—including the Neistat Brothers—complained that Apple started offering to replace dead batteries and began selling extended warranties.
"Good
Luck with that Broken iPod"
New York Times - February 4, 2006
"Pain
in the Pod"
Denver Post, July 18, 2006
"When
iPods Die: Gripes Over Breakdowns Grow as Players Become Ubiquitous"
Wall Street Journal, December 6, 2006
(Non-subscribers can read the article here. )
WHAT IS PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE?
The iPod Is Bad Garbage: An interview with Giles Slade
ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE
Greenpeace's "Green My Apple" campaign
idud.campaign (at) gmail.com