iPod classic gets slammed with some injuries
- The situation: First of all, we have to give credit to the New Orleans woman who sent her iPod classic in for an iPod repair because, let's face it, who's held on to their classic? Sure, Apple products are praised for their endurance, but that doesn't account for human error – and who among us hasn't gone through an iPod or two before learning the value of good care? So at any rate, Ms. iPod Classic from New Orleans: We praise your ability to tend to your device.
- What caused it: Even in the most delicate hands, no iPod will last forever, a lesson the New Orleans woman learned when she accidentally slammed her car trunk on all 160 GB of vintage Apple, shattering the screen.
- The solution: Fortunately, the issue appears to be only a screen problem, and will therefore necessitate an iPod screen repair, which we'll carry out in-house and ship back to her. Keep it classic!
Once again, we recommend against an ill-prepared DIY
- The situation: It seems like every day we receive a device from a customer who decided to undertake a do-it-yourself repair, to the further detriment of their device. The problem is that with Apple products, repairs require work on such a minute scale that one wrong move can actually create a new problem instead of fixing one. This issue is only exacerbated the smaller a device gets. A Wyoming customer sent his fourth generation iPod in for a repair after attempting his own battery replacement. The DIY repair evidently resulted in further damage.
- What caused it: The initial problem with the man's device was that his battery wouldn't hold a charge. This would indicate that only an iPod battery replacement was needed. However, the man's effort to fix the problem himself resulted in him ripping an area near the logic board, which could have created a far more serious problem.
- The solution: At this point we're thinking the repair will involve a bit more than a battery swap given the damage caused by the customer. If you decide to do a similar repair in your home – not that we're advising you too – you'd benefit from following a detailed, step-by-step guide like the ones offered by iFixit. Here, for instance, is a guide that dictates how to replace a battery on a 4th generation iPod
Computer and water should not be in the same bag
- The situation: A woman from the Big Apple reached out to us because her computer sustained water damage that not resulted both in a crack and in the screen displaying a cloudy appearance.
- What caused it: If not sheathed in a protective case, a laptop sitting in a bag with a water bottle is almost always a recipe for disaster. It doesn't matter if you think the water bottle is closed – it's still an accident waiting to happen. In the New York woman's case, life in the big city was disrupted when she discovered that a water bottle in her bag had leaked, creating the problem with her computer.
- The solution: We understand that living in a city like NYC means packing things into as tight a space as possible. That's the case for people, so why can't it be the case for laptops, too? Well, we're here to tell you it can – as long as your laptop is still properly guarded. Simply put, there is no situation where you should be transporting your computer without a durable, waterproof case. Doing so will only put you in the same boat as the New York woman, who's going to need a screen repair.
Don't throw your phone
- The situation: A South Carolina man reached out to us because his phone's screen had become separated from its body.
- What caused it: We've heard of store employees demonstrating the efficacy of certain iPhone cases by hurling them against the wall, but in general this isn't a good practice. And if you don't have such a case, then it is guaranteed to do major damage, as the man discovered when the thrown phone ended up in two pieces.
- The solution: This is a Humpty Dumpty operation, and we're happy to be the ones to put the phone back together.