A number of first-generation iPod shuffle owners have been plagued by a problem where their shuffles refuse to play music, instead merely batting their orange and green-colored lights cryptically. On Windows, this can manifest as a “Unknown Error (1418)” but the problem seems to be no less odd on OS X machines. Restoring the iPod is, in many cases, impossible, as the iPod updater does not recognize the iPod as “ready.”
The problem of blinking amber and green lights dates back at least a year, but many users have experienced problems that seem to be related to the recent iTunes 7 upgrade, claiming that the included iPod Firmware Update has rendered their iPod unusuable. In some cases, the shuffle will not mount in iTunes or on the desktop, though a look at OS X’s System Profiler application will confirm that it is plugged into a USB port.
Disgruntled shuffle owners have started a blog and an online petition in the hopes that Apple will hear their pleas. There have also been a couple of posts on Apple’s discussion forums, but no fix seems to have been reported yet.
Readers? Any shuffle problems among you?
[via iPodNN]
I doubt anyone who reads this blog would be dumb enough to be a 1st gen shuffle...
I think people who bought the shuffle, especially those who rushed out to get the first batch, deserve these problems as punshiment for being such air-heads.
Let's see. Would it be great if no one ever bought first generation stuff? There would be no air-heads of this particular kind, that's a plus. But there would be no second generation stuff for all the smart people to buy, maybe that's a minus. Hmm...
I guess I'm an airhead for buying a "first generation" Macbook...
Buying a first generation design AT THE TIME IT'S RELEASED can be risky, but by now the first generation shuffles have had plenty of time to have any issues corrected with firmware updates. And you should not be "blaming the victim" for design flaws in any case.
Hey I got this thing as a gift and I use it a LOT. I use the storage aspect of it as much as I listen to the mp3 player aspect of it. I'm really bummed that it's having the problem. Glad to see it's not just me that's having the problem though.
I got my new (clearance!) 1st gen nano today (the new ones require USB 2 ports and I ain't got any). Within an hour I was at this 1418 problem too. :( Unfreakinbelievable.
ok this happened to my 60gb 5g video ipod also so BEWARE!!!
i really hope they cure this soon :-(
I have a 2nd generation 40g and I'm getting this error as well.