I know flash players have a finite number of read-write cycles before they start going bad -- and if you're moving entire playlists on and off your player on a regular basis, those cycles add up. So does buying a used or refurb players mean less of a lifespan for what you get? (Assuming "refurbishing" doesn't include swapping out the old flash drive for a new one.)
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iPod Refurb flash players -- bad idea?
- Thread starter GanChan
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Hi Gan - I'm a big fan of refurbs and haven't had any problems. I've bought only Apple refurbs, however, since they have high reputation. Who knows who is doing the refurb on another brand or on something bought from another source.
It could be the answer depends on how you use an iPod. I love my refurbs but I don't load music on and off constantly - I change playlists every month or so when I want to update my podcasts or load a new album. If you plan to keep a device connected to your iTunes to get daily podcasts then perhaps a refurb isn't the best choice for that use.
Either way, best of luck!
It could be the answer depends on how you use an iPod. I love my refurbs but I don't load music on and off constantly - I change playlists every month or so when I want to update my podcasts or load a new album. If you plan to keep a device connected to your iTunes to get daily podcasts then perhaps a refurb isn't the best choice for that use.
Either way, best of luck!
It will last longer than the device itself will. By the time it "goes bad", you would already buy a new iPod.
Hard disks also have limited use before the hard drive dies. I think flash is more reliable because of the lack of moving parts, but I also think some early SSD's got bad press because they used crappy parts. I think today's SSD's use better parts, which makes them last much longer.
EVERYTHING in the computing world has a limited life. But most of it dies long after it's useful.
EVERYTHING in the computing world has a limited life. But most of it dies long after it's useful.
i've only ever bought hard-drive refurbished ipods and to be honest they don't last me that long, but then again it all depends on the usage.
i bought an ipod mini and it broke in less than a year (apple sent me a new replacement, then i sold it to make way for my refurbished ipod 5.5G). that one broke in less than a year as well, and again, apple sent me a replacement. it's still working at the moment but a couple of months ago the hard drive failed, and using the copy and paste method to transfer the songs to the computer, most songs failed to do so, rendering the hard drive useless until the next time i plugged it in.
god knows how long this one will last me. playing games used to load in 20-30 seconds, now it takes 1-1.5 minute(s).
i bought an ipod mini and it broke in less than a year (apple sent me a new replacement, then i sold it to make way for my refurbished ipod 5.5G). that one broke in less than a year as well, and again, apple sent me a replacement. it's still working at the moment but a couple of months ago the hard drive failed, and using the copy and paste method to transfer the songs to the computer, most songs failed to do so, rendering the hard drive useless until the next time i plugged it in.
god knows how long this one will last me. playing games used to load in 20-30 seconds, now it takes 1-1.5 minute(s).
I just wanted to add my refurbished iPod experience. I had an iPod touch first generation refurbished from the Apple Store and it was fine. I used it for about a year and nothing was wrong with it. I sold it to one of my friends and she still continues to use it every day. No problems whatsoever.
There's no limit on the read cycles, only the write cycles. And on most consumer devices its around 100,000. So if you were to re-write your playlist daily, your ipod would last 273 years. If you were to change your playlist 3 times a day, then you are down to 91 years. If you change it every hour continously (24 times each day), it would take you 11 years or so. So the last thing you need to worry about flash players are the write cycles.