MX7515 fried my iPod TWICE.

I don't advise anyone trying this to see if it happens to you, but it's happened to me twice. I hope it's just a freak accident.

Starting from the beginning. I bought the 60Gb Photo iPod from BestBuy (same for the MX7515, which I love.. FEAR Demo works pretty good). Took it home, noticed a few things were off as I opened the package. (After getting the second iPod, they were apparent now) The USB and Earphones were is the wrong sides, and the earbud covers package was open. The iPod had a couple scratches on the LCD also (figured it was normal from all the scratching hoopla). Charged it and hooked it up to my MX7515. BONUS!! 18Gb of free music still on the iPod. Lots of good stuff and lots of crap too. Turns out, I paid ful price for a used iPod. I transfered my stuff over, and made all my playlists and such. Next day I was using it throughout my travels in the car with FM Transmitter with no prob. I got home and set the iPod ontop of my closed MX7515 and laid on the couch for a nap.

I picked it up later that afternoon to listen to some music before starting dinner. But it wouldn't turn on. I held the Play button for a few seconds, no screen. Nada. Plugged it into the wall. Nothing. Dead. I was pissed. Not only for losing the free music which I didn't transfer, but mostly for something so expensive turning into a brick in a day. Fuming, I packed it all up and headed for Bestbuy. Explained the situation, and thankfully the same lady from the night prior was working. She vouched that I was there for the skeptic GeekSquad guys. They didn't have anymore 60gb in stock, and I didn't want to wait nor deal with BestBuy's business after paying for a Used one.

I got a full refund, my reciept, and headed straight to Circuit City. They had 2 or 3 60gb, so I got one. Opened it at home and immediately noticed the differences between a NEW and USED one. I've been using it for almost a week with no problems, I loved it, UNTIL...
Last night. I'm listening to music just before Prison Break. I paused it, set it down ontop of my closed MX7515 in Standby. I picked up later around midnight to listen to a little music before bed. Nothing. Wouldn't turn on, or charge. I couldn't sleep for how pissed I was and still am now.

I don't know what happened, but the only thing that was consistent was that I left it ontop of my laptop. The first time it didn't have a protective case on it, this time I had a leather Belkin case. So I think metal on metal is scratched out. I don't know what I'm expecting to hear from any of you, unless you have ideas as to how this happened, or suggestions of any sort. I'm just so mad right now... even more so since I've looked at the Circuit City website and they aren't selling the 60gb anymore.

 

That's really weird. Setting it on a sleeping or off notebook won't do anything, it must be a freak manufacturing issue.

 

God I hope so. I love my MX7515, but considering the nearly identical circumstances, it's hard not to think that it was the fault. Maybe some serious Electro-magnetic Interference wiped the hard drive and doesn't have it's OS to boot up. I don't know.

 

Then how is it your notebook hard drive wasn't wiped?

 

That's a good arguement, but what if maybe cause it's grounded by the laptop case. Gosh, I don't know. Wish it didn't happen in the first place, I was really liking that iPod too. I've been looking into the Creative Zen Sleek. I like the features in comparison.

 

If anything it is your laptop not putting the correct voltage through to the iPod, or inconsistant voltage to the iPod. The USB drives in a notebook are not always the best for charging devices because of the way that notebooks try to cut corners to save on power.

 

No, it's not plugged into his machine, just sitting on top of it, or at least that's how I read it. If it's connected, then it could easily be a voltage problem.

 

Brian beat me to it. On the first occasion, it was not in protective case and just sitting ontop of the cover. The second time with a leather case, face down, with earbuds plugged in.
Had it been plugged in on one or both occasions, then the laptop theory would have never been conceived. My only reason for this strange theory is the identical time and position that this happened. Otherwise it was freakishly coincidental.

I returned the iPod for a Zen Sleek. I'm warming up to it. Last night was hell though. The device continued to lock up the machine during file transfers, no reason that I could tell of, not to mention the device locked up and wouldn't turn off. THANKFULLY it had a reset pin, but now my MX7515 decides to stop recognizing the device. Soooo, after a couple reinstalls, and after a couple resets it would connect and work fine.. for a while. I'm near breakdown. 3 devices completely shot? Then I started to notice the pattern. I charged it fully before all of this, and the USB charges the Zen as well. It seemed that once the battery charge was finished the Zen would stop all transfers at once. I plugged the charger into the connector (it's a proprietary USB/DC connector) and problem solved. Transfers are quick and painless. Of course after a few hours of kicking myself and my luck.

It's these kinda things that would make a normal person freak out and throw this tech junk against the wall.

Well with paranoia governing, I'll do my best to keep this one off the laptop.

 

Well I'd say you return the Zen too. Apple made new iPod now. It play video and it's about the same price as that iPod Photo you own i think. So why don't you try it out and see if it freeze up like your previous iPods. On a better note you can order the new iPod from apple.com. Use the student discount thing and get 10% off. I don't think they verify these thing. Bit of a warning though. If it happen again as your previous. You might have to shell out for shipping back to apple.com

 

I just got an iPOD video and synched it against my 7515 with about 20GB of music, it seemed pretty fast and didn't kill my iPOD. I will more than likely not keep it on top of the laptop as you did for fear of a Gateway/iPOD disk erase curse!!