Many people now carry some form of electronic device, such as a cell phone, or the ever popular iPod and these devices use rechargeable lithium based batteries that are extremely expensive to replace.

When iPods were first introduced by Apple, they featured battery packs that were very difficult to remove and replace. It was their opinion that once the battery was no longer useable, a new iPod should be purchased as opposed to just replacing the battery pack. Less expensive, third party battery replacement kits hit the market and Apple tried to compete with them by initiating a program to replace the worn out batteries. Since the replacement kits offered by third party manufacturers were cheaper and had more capacity than those offered by Apple, naturally the third party kits were much more popular. There are ways to extend the life of your battery, so that they won't have to be replaced as often.

Be Aware of What Drains Your Battery

Exposing your iPod to extreme temperatures is a sure way to drain the life from your battery. Never leave it where it is exposed to direct sunlight or in a hot car. If it is exposed to extreme cold, make sure that before you turn it back on, it has been warmed to room temperature.

Avoid using the backlighting and equalizer features, since these are another power drain. By going into the settings option, you can change the settings to "off" for both them.

Using the next/fast forward and the previous/rewind buttons are other features that contribute to power usage. Minimal use of these options will help save battery life

Tips to Maximize Battery Life

Ipods are often carried in pockets and purses and if it is accidentally bumped, it could turn on without your notice. Make it a habit to use the hold switch to keep that from happening.

Many people get interrupted while listening to their iPod. Be sure to use the pause feature, so that the unit will not continue to play if you have to stop listening to do something else. This will help avoid a useless drain of your battery.

Lithium batteries are rechargeable and new batteries will hold a charge longer than older ones. Charging your battery to full capacity is very important. Charging it for a short period, such as an hour, will only bring its capacity to 80%. It takes a full four hours to get a full charge. A fully charged battery will last anywhere from two weeks to almost a full month.

Keep the file sizes smaller by using compressed files. When importing to iTunes, consider using MP3s or AAC