I purchased an unopened, unused 30GB iPod the last week of September. The very day I received it, I registered the unit and purchased AppleCare protection. It became immediately apparent that my iPod wasn't holding a charge for anywhere near the 15 hours that Apple promises for this model. Before I contacted Apple, I did the requisite battery test and determined that I was getting between 8 3/4 and 9 hours on a charge. However, because it was getting more than 50% of spec, Apple refuses to fix the problem. Foolishly, I assumed that the AppleCare policy on battery life wouldn't apply to a brand new iPod.

So, my iPod was returned with no fix and a bunch of new scratches on the screen. Last night, after I had FULLY charged the battery, I plugged it into my iBook for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to make some new playlists, remove old podcasts and add a few new. When I disconnected it, I found that it had lost approximately 25% of it's charge; while it was plugged in! I called AppleCare today and told them about this new issue. Their response can be summed up as " tough cheese " and they refused to take another look at my iPod.

This is the worst, most disappointing experience I have ever had with AppleCare. I have been an Apple owner since 1988 and during that time have purchased well over $10,000 of Apple equipment and software. This is no way to repay that kind of loyalty.

I would like to know if there are other folks who have had similar problems with their 30GB Photo iPods. If Apple advertises a product as having a 15 hour battery life, it should have a 15 hour battery life. Anything else smacks of false advertising.