(Unless you’re fully charging every day, the battery likely will last for you 3-5 years plus. Although I understand your concern, significantly enhanced players should be around by that point …)
Average lifespan if used regularly is probably 2-3 years. With very heavy usage, average lifespan might only be
a year or so. There is a good chance that something else on player will break before the battery becomes completely dead. It is annoying though when the battery can hold only around 50% of its original capacity. This is when auxilary battery packs become especially useful.
The Clip+ should be able to charge while it is playing, except when connected to a pc. The noise that you hear may be due to noise from the car’s electronics. Have you tried using a power only cable to connect the car USb adapter to the player?
Higher amperage won’t cause bad effects, it might enable the player to charge faster though. Does the cable being used have a ferrite bead? Perhaps that might help?
“But that’s still within the 1-3 year lifespan mentioned above. To clarify, when I asked if this lifespan was indicative of these micro-players, I meant in general, not specifically the Clip/Clip+.”
What do you expect for around $50? Even much more expensive players, those $150-300 probably don’t last much longer. Players are designed for features and performance, not longevity. Here’s a question. Assuming it is possible to build a player with double the average lifespan, and a two year warranty instead of just one year, how many people would be willing to pay 50% extra to buy it? Since technology is advancing so fast, most probably wouldn’t want to pay the higher price.
The issue of a built in battery is a bit different, as its capacity is decaying over time, so it isn’t just a matter of the player working or not working, but of dealing with decreased battery life over time.
Twenty years ago, Walkman tape players with radio built in and Dolby noise reduction were at least $65. Adjusting for inflation, that is equivalent to $113 in today’s dollars. Now compare the difference in sound quality and functionality of the two. Walkman tape players probably lasted on average something like just one year.
Ten years ago, a good portable CD player with radio was at least $80. That is equivalent to $104 in today’s dollars. While portable CD players did typically last much longer than tape players, they were bulky and not so convenient to carry around. An mp3 player with 4 GB of storage and good sound quality for under $50 today is
a great deal in comparison. Of course the CD player used AA batteries, and many early flash memory based mp3 players used a AAA or AA battery.
For the price, I would be more than happy with a year of use (although I do have a 2 year warranty :smiley: ). I think I upgraded the original clip every 6 months (when the higher capacities came out). The idea of not buying another player for 2-3 years is something I find disturbing… but I am a compulsive shopper.
“The idea of not buying another player for 2-3 years is something I find disturbing… but I am a compulsive shopper.”
You don’t marry a player, so you can have more than one.I have a few mp3 players. I like the idea of giving away a player when I grow tired of it. I gave away a portable CD player last year(I still have 2 left) and my Slotmusic player. A friend offered to buy my 4 GB Clip after i bought my Clip+(I guess he might have paid $20-25 for it, but I didn’t want to sell it). I still have some old one GB players. Perhaps when I buy another player I might soon give away one of the one GB players?
