A friend of ours convinced us that we possessed the technical know-how to replace the dying battery in our five-year-old iPod. Foolishly, we believed him.
On his advice we purchased a new battery for $20 from MacSales.com. The battery arrived within two days from the Woodstock, Ill.-based e-tailer. We eagerly removed the battery from its packaging, smiling with self satisfaction as we contemplated extending the life of our beloved 15GB handheld jukebox by another two to three years. We’d grown quite fond of our iPod. It traveled with us to work, to the gym, to far-flung vacations. It was part of our family.
The battery came with a small plastic tool that, according to the included instructions, we should use to “pry open the case.” We spent 15 frustrating minutes attempting to wedge the tool into the seam where the face of the iPod meets its case. We got nowhere.
We sighed. Then grunted. Then cursed.
Fueled by anger and desperation, we tracked down a heavy-duty Sears Craftsman screwdriver, which we positioned along the seam and drove forward with a forceful palm slap. The case cracked, the screwdriver’s head penetrated the seam, and — argh! — a blue, ink-like circle of death spread out over the iPod’s display screen (see photo below).
We fried our iPod.
And now we’re stuck with a new battery for a third-generation model. If you want it, send an e-mail to cc@chicagocubed.com stating as much. We’ll mail the battery to you at our expense, assuming you live in the Continental U.S.
So long, dear iPod. We’re sorry we killed you. May you rock in peace.
