I want to go to bed, but the news just keeps on breaking....

Macworld UK reported that Apple Computer has acknowledged that some "new-generation" iPods are experiencing problems with the power level reported by the battery status indicator. They did this in a revised tech note, iPod: The Battery Status Indicator Is Approximate, that offers suggestions about what to do if the battery status indicator reports low battery unexpectedly, or does not show a full charge after charging for four hours.

It is reasonable to conclude that this technote was revised in light of complaints from some users who have experienced this problem and concluded that their battery was "dead". This is not necessarily the case.

The complaints became more apparent with the disclosure of an anti-advertising campaign where one angry iPod owner spray painted "iPod's unreplaceable battery lasts only 18 months" over a few of Apple's outdoor ads. The 18-month battery life allegation is not generally true.

People who are considering buying an iPod have to remember that there are probably over 600,000 iPods in use today. With that many units in the field, there are probably going to be more than a few problems and glitches. If the battery status indicator discrepancy was a chronic problem with iPods, we all would have heard a lot more about this than we have.