I'm done with mp3 players...

[theone]

I was laying down listening to my iRiver H320 when all of a sudden it sounded like a motor was trapped inside of it...of course it was the disk drive. Reset it and now tells me 'check hdd connection'. This sucks....first an iPod, then a rio karma, then an iAudio x5, now this iRiver h320....all broken (in some form or another). (hard-disk-based) MP3 players are just not where they need to be...I'm waiting for high-capacity solid-state. That will be the next one I buy.

Sorry, just need to rant for a bit. I'm not rough on them but I don't 'baby' them either. Like I said, I was just laying down, it was on my bed (a flat surface) and all of a sudden just starts making noises...hasn't even fallen or suffered any sudden shock since I had it!

[bk]

Yeah, MP3 players are basically disposable devices. With regular use I don't expect them to last more than 18-24 months, especially HDD-based ones. Between the battery, hard drive and very tiny and fragile control mechanisms they are not built to be durable, they're built to be flashy expensive toys to be upgraded or discarded regularly (like cellphones).

[Llorean]

My H120 is past the 3 year mark (nearing the 4, I think) and has seen a lot of use and hasn't even developed any minor failings in reliability (other than the 3 LCD remotes I've broken by catching their cables on things, or having them fall at the wrong time and be crushed by something). So I wouldn't call them "disposable".

And many Rockbox devs still regularly use truly ancient (in the scheme of MP3 players) Archos devices. I think a lot of it depends on the conditions you use them in.

[bk]

...and MY H120 died (more precisely, the HD died) almost exactly two years after I got it. Chance has something to do with it too.

[Llorean]

Chance is surely a major factor.

[scorche]

Also, don't forget the huge bumpers on the Archos devices

[theone]

After opening it up...not all hope is lost! It comes on and works (the hard drive) without the cover on, so my guess is that there's too much pressure on the drive - maybe from the new battery I installed a while ago...

Funny thing is, this new battery was the exact same dimensions as the stock so it's not like I got an oversized battery....suggestions?

[tdtooke]

I've had my ipodmini1g for around 3 years and I've dropped it a few times and it hasn't had the first mechanical/hardware problem.  Granted I've killed it a few times software-wise what with all the experimentation I'vd done with iPodLinux/ipodWizard/Rockbox but that's all on me.

[theone]

Seems my battery was the problem...it was very swollen...almost like a balloon.

[Sambolina3]

My 5th gen 30 gb iPod hasn't brocken yet but I've only had it for a couple of months.  I even run and work out with that thing on and I have dropped it many times but it has always held up.

[jamesshuang]

A swollen battery is very dangerous - something is wrong with the battery, or the charging circuit/protection circuit is broken. Do not use the battery anymore! It might explode...

In any case, I'm only on my second player. My h120 is actually still mostly working, but the hard drive conked out on me. I regularly drop the thing by accident though, so I'm not too surprised. My current gigabeat is pretty good, and I'm much more careful with it. I got it for cheap on ebay, about the same price as a replacement hard disk for the h120 in fact. Except with double the space, and a much nicer screen

[theone]

lol...I took the (kind of swollen) battery out of the H320...only to lay it on my desktop and forget about it (I have a Rio Karma as backup). Almost a month later, it's still on my desktop looking like it will burst any second...air pressure is pretty tight. Where the heck do I get rid of this battery before it explodes??!

[soap]

My county does a hazardous waste drop-off once a quarter.  Where my folks live they allow household drop off of hazardous material at the landfill.  Some battery retailers will recycle for you.
Call your local (government - most private ones won't touch it) landfill / solid-waste-authority.  They should know.