I used an original iPod Nano in 2026, and it worked surprisingly well
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Breaking news: A journalist just discovered that the thing he stopped using while still functioning normally still functions after a lng time left in a drawer.
Actually not that common for battery powered devices
People tend to exaggerate how much batteries degrade. Low power devices tend to work reasonably well even on degraded batteries.
Well, my PSP had its battery inflate. I had replaced that battery a few years ago, used it a bit, then forgot about it. Recently found that the new battery is in oopsie state too.
It's not just degradation.
And PSP is still a fine device. Actually amazingly useful, it's the missing branch of evolution that should have been chosen instead of smartphones. No touchscreen, but convenient controls. If it only had a SIM port. There even was a Skype client.
A general purpose device and not a gaming one, like PSP, would be very good. Instead of that proprietary optical drive - additional ports and memory card slots, perhaps even a section with an interface for some extension chips. A similar set of buttons - except perhaps a retractable (or attachable via some interface) QWERTY keyboard would be useful.
The UI and UX of the OS were very cool. OK, I was using it for listening to music and reading books.
That's sad :(
Did you store it in a too hot place or leave it with zero charge for too long? I only had a few devices with inflated battery so far, and I scrape a lot of. My stuff and the stuff I get from people tend to be in a relatively good shape even after staying unused for some years. E-readers are the champions of battery preservation. I got one from a friend that was forgotten for more than 10 years, and it works well. He said that the battery originally lasted more than a week. Now it's lasting only about 3 days, which is a huge difference, but not enough to make it unusable.
That.
Ouch, that's really a battery killer
Or modern vendor-locked in devices
So Apple doesn’t do planned obsolescence now?
Honestly: "Journalist discovers Apple product still functions properly after 10 years" sounds like a headline to me.
Tbf, Apple recently released a security update to a severely OoS model.
I can only applaude that.
And the battery didn't bulge a few hours after a full charge?
Doubt it.
And the battery is an absolute nightmare to replace on any of the Nanos...
I find the nano to be the easiest. The itouch is the hardest
The regular iPods (non-classic) are the easiest IMO. No glue, no flipping over mainboards and no soldering. The iPod mini is actually the first modell I ever did a battery swap on and it would be just as easy, if it wasn't for the trim pieces that break way too easily.
I did the ipod classic first and that was very scary just because it was my first. But yea soldering is intimidating if you.dont know what you're doing and don't have the right equipment.
Apple products are great. The Apple ecosystem, not so much. If you're into FOSS computing and FOSS media formats, you're not going to have a good time.
Rockbox runs on apple ipods. Best thing to do is always buying a device compatible with open source software if you plan to use it fir years on end.
Is all your music in opus?
mine is in flac
Not to brag, but this is my mp3 in 2026:
It plays wonderfully. But only works with Windows XP for transfers...
My wife still blames me for advising her to buy this instead of an ipod. It wasn't as easy to use inho. It was drag and drop in file management and didn't require software, but.... ok?
I've used both, and highly prefer this over any of the ipods of the generation. This is partly because of the drag and drop, but mostly because it didn't gaf whether the mp3 came from itunes or ripped with Audio Grabber. Ipods all cared, and I had to trick them into playing Audio Grabber files by encoding them to m4a. Absolutely bonkers.
Here's what I use. With the hard drive replaced with an SD card and a bigger battery it plays music for 75 hours straight. And with the FOSS RockBox firmware I can just drag my music on it.
I had a red Sony Walkman E395 when i was in middle school. Not the most high-end player but it was good and I'm still mad it got stolen.
I still have a functioning iTouch but Apple sucks and the older iTouch isn't able to do the neat tricks.
https://gnomad2.sourceforge.net/
Amarok or Rhythmbox will also work if you just setup the device as an mtp device.
Thanks. But I've tried it. Doesn't work. It requires a firmware version that is one version higher than what's on mine. With no way to connect to it, there's no way to update the firmware.
I was so sad when mine died. It only lasted 5 or so years.
CONGRATULATIONS YOU JUST WON A FREE IPOD NANO!
Works exactly as intended
I am John's complete lack of surprise
Recently resurrected a nano; it’s 20 years old. Works fine, but I haven’t done the music transfer yet.
My full size iPod though won’t boot. Just clicks and reboots constantly. I think the hard drive is toast.
Replace it with flash, bonus battery life too.
Just gonna leave this here: https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-digital-m500
Neat!
https://www.fiio.com/m7
Trade you for one that's from a renowned audio company (nothing against hatsune miku but that thing looks like it's 80% gimmick)
Fiio is excellent, 100% agree. Everything I've ever owned from them has had superb build quality. I don't like their headphones or desk amps much, but all their portable stuff is, in my opinion, the best available.
As a long term audiophile who has spent way too much money on all kinds of headphones and amplifiers, I can only say that I no longer trust audiophile gear. I've also had fiio amps, but my point is that they're all overpriced for the marginal or non-existing improvement you're getting. I even returned the monolith amp that went for nearly thousand dollars and kept using a "Gamer" amp Sound Blaster G6 due to flexibility. Just use what you find good for you, not what the specification says.
This reminded me about the article I saw few days ago: https://www.headphonesty.com/2026/01/audiophiles-fail-copper-banana-mud-blind-test/
Oh aye I saw that one as well, funny as anything to see, and I definitely don't disagree with the 'find what you like and run with it' attitude when it comes to luxury gear
I'm running on the most basic of basic usb headphone amp and dac units, can safely say it's enough for my ears.
Fiio's just one of those companies that make decent gear and isn't just some clone of a clone in a fancy case with an unknown OS. In all honesty the bonus of having every headphone port type and the output to run them off one device is my main draw to it.
I charged up my gen 2 shuffle very recently as well, but got the spicy pillow treatment instead. RIP to a real one!
Eh, I’m over it. It was cool to see it again, but it really did not play nice with modern Macs.
Apple does not, but you can still get them for cheap: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPod+Classic+Battery+Replacement/561
might i suggest a website that has replacement batteries and up to fully making your ipod your own woth vibrant colors
please select the menu dropdown
https://eoe.works/collections/
I still use my iPod mini plugged into a music centre of the same vintage. I don't update it though, its lovely having my 2004-5 music capsule.
They're great devices.
Recently, my partner's 18yo nephew asked her if she had any iPods (she doesn't). I took a photo of the eight or so different models that I still have in storage and sent it to him just to gloat. I'm a monster.
"Hey nephew, look, I know you really wanted an iPod and I gloated about all my iPods and I realise that was childish and honestly I think it's great that you're interested in actually owning your media so, look here, I got you a Zune fuck you."
As an iPod owner, I wish I got a zune
In fairness I got a Zune and they were so much better than iPods. Not just in comparing specs, but the user interface: it felt like I was actually browsing a music library, while the iPod was like paging through a phone book. That extended to the desktop software as well.
The Zune is perfect.
The iPod is probably the single greatest thing Apple has ever made. I have an old iPod that still works great. The battery needs to be replaced. It's the best music player I have.
I miss my Zune. Best music player ever.
My wife's still works to this day. Amazing UI
Your wife do any squirting? Runs away
EDIT: for context, "squirting" is what Microsoft called the Zune's unique music sharing feature. Yes, really
I still have both my Zune and Zune HD. Such great devices
Same
I just bought an Innioasia Y1, which is an iPod classic clone for $50.
Put an unofficial Rockbox port on it and installed a 512gb micro SD card. Ignoring the mediocre DAC and comparatively unresponsive click wheel it's pretty good. I finally have my entire music library with me again and look at my phone less often (both of which were goals of getting an mp3 player again).
I was big into mp3 players 15-20 years ago and used Rockbox on all of them so this is really nice especially at the price point.
PS: They are working on a Y2 that improves upon a lot of things. The Y1 was marketed as a kids device but is awesome with Rockbox on it and went viral the past few months.
The clickwheel ribbon cable on my iPod mini broke a couple of weeks ago, so at the weekend a friend of me very kindly donated his own mini to me, so I'm back on my iPod bullshit.
iPod gang rise up.
Oh, and if you're using Linux, or don't want the hassle of installing iTunes, TunesReloaded seems to be a genuinely great tool.
I really should get around to refurbing the 5th and 7th gen Classics I have too. They're more versatile than the mini. But the mini is by far and away the easiest to flashmod.
Jealous yours works. The battery on my 1st gen 2gb bloated and killed the screen. But apparently there was a recall on them years before, so I sent it in to apple and they sent me a 7th gen 16gb, which I still use. At the time it just felt like an upgrade, but now I kind of wish I just fixed the 1st gen
I bought one of those used for my daughter a couple of years ago. It was quite the hassle to replace the apple firmware win with rockbox, but it's been working well since then. It's copy and paste mp3s now instead of using apples spying bloatware just to get a few files onto the device. The battery is not great but still lasts a couple of hours after 15(?) years.
Surprise surprise
Creative MuVo TX FM gang
Cowon D2 brigade
Fuck yeah, Cowon. I still use my D3.
I have a 3rd gen nano, it's used everyday. Battery is still fine. Now to charge up my Zune HD.
Rockbox supports modern codecs including Opus, so you can fit nearly 4 days of decent quality music on a 4GB iPod.
Weirdly I picked 2 up yesterday. 1st gen I think battery isn’t to bad, I’d almost forgotten the swish around the wheel.
Also go a gen5 but the battery was shagged! Plugged it in and it went pop.
I have a U2 branded iPod... Whatever generation those were that I found lying in the gutter years ago, cleaned up and still works (screen's scratched to shit but it's still readable). I just use it to store pictures.
Cries in Sansa Fuse that I dropped several times until it shattered, still worked, and then the pastic got all gooie
Amazing little devices. I stuck rockbox on mine, made it even better! I should dig that thing out and see if it still works.
Some time ago I was thinking getting one, but the price and audio quality, was 2 corners.
I still have an ipod 60gb, the first one with color screen. You know, the one one where they forced U2 down your throat. It still works, so does it's original charging cable. And my ears still bleed when I hear U2.
If anyone like getting their hands dirty with tinkering, then you can get inspiration from Zac's YouTube video about modernising an iPod.
I was thinking about doing this, getting a storage constrained, apple constrained, obsolete piece of hardware, to do what the phone I already carry does better.
Oh, wait!
Some people aren't you and might enjoy different things.
True. That's why I started the comment with "I".
Its probably where your comment should have ended too. Your use of "I" doesnt take away from the tone and sarcasm of your comment.
Some people dont wnt a phone.
"better" is definitely subjective. I use an iPod touch that I leave plugged in my car that I have 17k songs on. It's so nice to just have something that always resumes where I left off and just works. No subscriptions, no data. I can go on long road trips and not worry about spotty coverage. And best of all, I actually own all the media that's on it. And my phone texts don't keep interrupting my music all the tiime
I installed in my(old but very good) car a surprisingly nice sounding stereo unit, very inexpensive, like 30€.
The unit has no cassette or CD. It does have a micro Sd slot, two USB, one is charge only, for phones, and the other for storage. It has a remote. Physical buttons and a multi modal knob.
My phone has 512Gb of storage, and I almost never use streaming services.
I imagine your phone notifies you of texts, anyway, no?
my ipod will never stop playing music to give me a grindr notification
also, these devices can be jailbroken
My phone is jailbroken (rooted, Android).
Unless I discover a deeply hidden part of me, it's highly unlikely that I'd get a grinder notification.
Anyway, you won't get that notification I the ipod, but you will in your phone.
I'm actually restoring a Motorola Startac phone for my son, but there is no pretense of usability there, (except battery life), it's simply for the cool factor.
Still don't understand why people don't just use your "phone"?
IDK why you feel that way. But I don't know you inside and out, like Google or Apple does.
Oh, they don't. And even if they did, carrying a second device wouldn't stop them.
Exactly. How are we supposed to track him?
Track whom?
because we're in an era where iPad kids have grown up and now they're all on a binge to either use old tech or get rid of it completely (dumb phones, etc)
also I'm not sure why you've been downvoted so heavily for just asking a question. I would assume most people listen to music on their phone.
maybe they downvoted you cause they wish they had an iPod nano?
To give a serious answer to this; I love using an iPod because it's not a multipurpose device. I can put music on and not get distracted by notifications, or tempted to open any socials apps. It's a far more zen experience.
Have you not heard of "Do Not Disturb" mode? Or airplane mode?
But...you want to be carrying a music device? What's the difference?
I barely feel the weight of my phone when running but alternatively my watch (Garmin) has an offline music player.