I'm thinking of upgrading to a hard drive MP3 player with a rechargeable battery. Do these eventually wear out and have to be replaced? Mike Pigott
Most drive-based players now use Li-ion batteries that can be recharged roughly 500 times, and their performance degrades gradually even when not being used. Their useful life can vary dramatically according to treatment and use, but batteries may well need replacing after three years - and there was a furore over Apple's iPod when some users' batteries failed after 18 months or so.
It would therefore be wise to check whether the battery can be replaced at a reasonable cost, and whether the machine has to be returned to the manufacturer to do this.
The Battery University has advice on prolonging Li-ion battery life. Also bear in mind that small MP3 hard drives are about as likely to fail as batteries, not necessarily from wearing out, but from being dropped.
