Ipod returning to beginning of Audible book

[dleslie]

I find that no matter how careful I try to be, at least once, and often more, the Ipod will lose my place and I will hear the dreaded words, "Welcome to Audible." Then begins the task of trying to regain my place.

A reason for this is that the Ipod treats an Audible book as a single song. When a Playlist skips forward to the next song, that is not very troubling. But when it does so with an Audible book, it is awful.

Unlike others have reported, my Ipod does not go the end of the book when it is recharging, nor in the first several minutes of a book. But it will do so, for no obvious reason somewhere in the book. I wish I could disable the > button. I put it on "Hold" but still it nails me. Also, the hold button makes pausing the beast to talk to my wife a 2-step operation.

The Audible Otis is MUCH better for Audible books than the Ipod, for this reason. The best reason to use the Ipod is its ability to store other books than the one you are reading and to store music as well.

I don't expect anyone to have a cure, but I thought I might rant a little.

[arsolot]

This same thing will happen to me at least once each book. Very frustrating. I've taken to noting down my place in the book each time I stop listening so that I have a record of it. Have you reviewed the "Lost Bookmarks" thread at ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16091 (http://)?

[Podunk]

Yes, this is an annoying "feature".

Two tips to avoid accidentally hitting RW during Audible playback.

1. Always use the hold switch.
2) I strongly recommend using one of the rubber type iPod jackets such as iSkin or DLJ Jam Jacket. By making the buttons recessed, you have to purposely touch the RW button.

By using the two above, I have becoming adept at avoiding accidentally sending the file back to the beginning.

Nevertheless, it is a feature that Apple should be able to improve
in a firmware update.

Lets be productive! Send your suggestion to Apple and tell them you'd like to see this changed! Here is the link...DO IT NOW!!!

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html

Squeaky wheel gets the oil!:eek:

[brickster]

i am not at all sure that it is software or brushed buttons. as i have mentioned in many posts, with my old ipod this happened repeatedly--i was fed up with apple. with my new ipod it has never happened. i believe that it is a hardware problem. i realize that you will see many posts that will recommend software versions or cases, but in my experience of one--that was not the problem.

[dleslie]

The thought that it is a hardware problem strikes a chord with me. I could not believe that as careful as I was, the Ipod would go to the beginning or to the next book. This happens even when there is only one book, and no music, on the Ipod.

I think the thread on losing bookmarks may have been taken down. Clicking on the url gives me a page not found, and a search came up with no hits.

You were brave to buy a new Ipod after your experience. To do that, I would need to sell the one that I have. Where do people sell used Ipods?

[Podunk]

There are definately two different issues here.

From following Brickster's travails, I believe he had an isolated hardware problem that kept his iPod from keeping the bookmarks. I haven't heard of any one other verified occurence of a problem such as his.

The design interface issue is a seperate issue, and its the one most of us experience. (the accidentally RW tap sends back to begiinning). I would experiment to rule that out 100% before assumimng there is any other problem. I know that on mine, if I don't have it in the rubber case, I will brush the RW every time and get zapped back to the begging.

I hope everyone will send feedback to Apple at the link above so we can get them to improve it in the future.

[brickster]

I didn't buy a new ipod at the time. i worked with apple for several weeks and did everything that they asked. tried all combinations until they had no other solution to suggest--no other levels to talk with and no other solutions to suggest. a lot of persistence thereeafter. during the time, i heard everyting from of course it doesn't remember bookmarks to user errors to wrong file format to wrong firmware to wrong software. i challenged them to take the ipod back and solve the problem and return it to me. the whole thing was compounded by wait times on hold to talk to tech support. finally i got to a level with a direct number. even there, i would ask that the tech email a response after he researched it (i do have a day job and email is the easiest way to keep in touch)---he said he was not permitted to use email to contact customers for legal liability reasons. hmmmmmm----imagine that, apple tech support not being permitted to use email to corresond with customers--too dangerous i guess. at that point i lost it and only dealt with customer service. customer service agreed to an exchange (how long it took to get the exchange is another story). that seemed to me to be fair since in my view the ipod did not perform as advertised---one of the techs challenged me to show where apple had ever said in writing that it would hold audible bookmarks. all that is now behind me. the new one is great. so happy i just bought my wife and nephew ipods lending credence to the belief that if you have a satisfied customer and a good product, the rest takes care of itself. to paraphrase an old saw, when ipods are good, they are very good, when they are bad---arrrrggghhhh!!! if you shake your ipod gently, do you hear something a bit loose inside? that seemed to be the case with my prior ipod from the beginning but not with the new. the new seems more solid--new one is a 40gig and the old was a 30gig. i am wondering whether certain ipods can be jostled and that is the cause of the problem. or whether there is a difference between the 30 and the 40

[dleslie]

Brickster,

Thanks for the thoughtful post.

It seems that the problem discussed in this thread -- sudden, unwanted move to the beginning of the book -- has been experienced by many people. We could advance our understanding if people who own a new model Ipod would post a note saying whether they have seen the problem on their new Ipod.

[SouthsideIrish]

Hmm...this has never happened to me. Wonder if it is a hardware problem on some iPod's or the fact that I am still using the 2.0.1 firmware.

Bill McNair