Well, I finally bit the bullet and bought a new battery for my 3rd gen iPod for $30 shipped. This one's supposed to have a better capacity than the original, plus the one I had in it wouldn't hold a charge at all.

So, I hit up this website:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ipod/...stall-service/

and bought the right battery for my model. It showed up 4 days later because I ordered over the weekend, so I thought that was pretty quick.

One thing I liked about the site was that they include installation videos:
http://eshop.macsales.com/tech_cente...d/3g/high.html

That, plus the really good instructions made the swap foolproof. I had it done in 20 mins, and that was mainly because I took my time to make sure I didn't break anything. Now I could probably do it in about 5.

Now that all is said and done, the 'Pod is charging up overnight as the instructions recommend.

I know a few members here have their own iPod, so check out this site to get the most out of your battery: http://www.ipodbatteryfaq.com/

 

One thing to consider is that battery life is also dependent on the programs running on the Ipod. One of the main reasons that new Ipods have much longer life is the application that controls the Ipod is much more efficient. Just a thought as I don't know how these guys will squeeze more battery life out of this battery at the same size.

 

A battery's size has nothing to do with how well it holds a charge. That battery is a bit larger than the one that came in the iPod, with slightly bigger wires to handle the extra juice or make it more efficient. All batteries deteriorate with age, and being able to replace it yourself for cheap is good insurance to have.

Apple releases software updates for all models which are designed to get the most out of your battery. The best thing you can do is keep your iPod up to date.