Ironically, a week after I declared my fourth generation 40 GB iPod dead after two years of use, the WSJ Personal Journal Section published a piece titled, "When iPods Die." This very relevant (at least to me) article described many of the problems I experienced with my iPod, and only added to my angst concerning the life expectancy of the ubiquitous media player.

Since I really only use the $250 device for running three days a week, I want it to last or at least give me a reason for flashing its "frowny iPod face" when I turn it on. To be honest, I don't need all the glitz and glamor that comes along with an iPod. I just want a reliable player that wont freeze (which it did after a year) whenever I ran, or die after two years.

Eventually I returned to the radio on my old Sony Walkman because I was so fed up with my 4G iPod. People have suggested I try the Shuffle, but don't even get me started. I've owned two so far, and both have gone belly up after 8 months.

Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., says the rates which iPods fail is less than 5% are "extremely low" compared with other electronic devices. I would like to see the data that backs up this assertion knowing that my college dorm suite mate is having the same problem with his fourth generation iPod. This morning, after he read the WSJ article, he exclaimed to me, "people are taking notice!" I replied, yes, people are taking notice, but what is Apple going to do?

Probably nothing, seeing as "iPod shortcomings haven't impacted their sales any that I can tell," says Stephen Baker, an analyst at retail sales tracker NPD Group Inc.

Maybe this piece is overly harsh on Apple, but maybe it also will help open the company's eyes that loyalty will only go so far. With that said, I remain loyal having just purchased a new 30 GB video iPod just yesterday ($250 later). Now let's hope that it last more than two years (or maybe that's Apple's business plan: force customers to re-up every two years).