Since launching the iPod in 2001, Apple has been the undisputed leader in digital music players, owning 70 percent of the market. What has set the iPod apart is not only its hip, user-friendly design but also its companion iTunes music store, the first online audio megamart, offering an ever-expanding catalog of songs for purchase at the click of a mouse. This two-pronged approach has given Apple a huge lead over competitors; so far the company has sold over 120 million iPods and more than 4 billion songs on iTunes. But the iPod s days at the top may be numbered.

At issue is Apple s proprietary format, which up until recently has made iTunespurchased music incompatible with other non-iPod MP3 players. According to Chris Crotty, former senior analyst for consumer electronics at iSuppli, such closed systems either move toward compatibility or get surpassed by the competition. Apple has seen the writing on the wall in January 2009, it unveiled its plan to make it easier for consumers to recode music into the more standard MP3 format. Good idea, according to the experts. Over time the market prefers open systems, Crotty says.

Customer service isn t what it used to be. According to Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at the NPD Group, companies across the board are pushing more self-service to cut costs. But even so, he says, Apple is pretty aggressive in terms of the consumer electronics industry. IPod buyers, for example, get just one call to customer service during the first 90 days of ownership; each one after that will cost you. (If you want more phone time, the AppleCare Protection Plan offers unlimited calls for two years and doubles the one-year warranty.)

So where to turn for free help with your sputtering iPod? You can always visit an Apple Store if you happen to live near one and don t mind the wait. But the Web is the real mother lode of information. For starters, Apple s site offers tons of troubleshooting advice and some quick-and-dirty DIYs. But for more-complex problems, the company has, in effect, outsourced customer service to its own customers. Sites like iLounge.com and iPoding.com offer tutorials and bulletin boards where users answer one another s questions and explain tricky repairs. And you get to come back as many times as you want.

You ve seen the ads hip, young people exuberantly dancing with iPod in hand. But the reality is that the device is delicate. Apple s edgy designs tend to be more attractive, but also more fragile than other players, says industry analyst Rob Enderle.

At the heart of the iPod Classic, for example, is a tiny hard drive that can stop working if it s dropped or even knocked around. (Fortunately, the Touch, Nano, and Shuffle all use flash drives, which are more resilient.) But it s not only the hard drive that needs careful handling the screens on these players have been a source of trouble as well. Apple admits some of its Nano iPod screens were faulty, causing them to crack and scratch too easily, but claims the problem affected less than 1 percent. Patrick Destvet, a New York City psychologist, says it isn t just a Nano problem; the color screen on his new 30- gigabyte iPod Video was scratched up after a month, making it hard to see anything on the device. Coming from Apple, I didn t expect this, Destvet says.

To protect your iPod, invest in a padded case. Apple sells many, including a leather shell; other good covers include the iSkin Claro and Speck Products ArmorSkin sleeves. Visit store.apple.com for the best selection.

Apple makes it very easy to load your iPod with music iTunes software is free to anybody who wants it. But once you ve filled your player with 40,000 songs, it s not so easy to get them off again. Despite loosening copyright restrictions, Apple doesn t let you move music from your iPod to another computer or other electronic devices, even though it would be legal to do so.

Fortunately, there are ways to circumvent Apple s roadblock through third-party software that allows you to move music from your iPod back to any computer. Among the options, both Mac and PC users can download the affordable Music Rescue from www.kennettnet.co.uk; PC users can save a few bucks with iGadget, (www.ipodsoft.com). After downloading the software, you ll be asked to plug in your iPod so the software can pull the music from your player and save it in your iTunes folder.

The new iPod boasts a robust battery life of more than 20 hours. But if you look at the fine print, Apple admits on its website that battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. The company also warns consumers that you can recharge a battery only so many times before it must be replaced. According to The Rough Guide to iPods, the magic number is 500, depending on use. But according to Enderle, the typical iPod lasts an average of only 300 charges and it doesn t matter whether the battery is empty or not when it s charged. A cycle is a cycle, he says.

For a few years Apple simply refused to recognize the problem and recommended that users buy a new player if the battery died. Only after a public outcry and a class-action lawsuit did the company develop a battery-replacement program. Now you can send back your ailing iPod and get another for roughly $60, plus shipping. Most likely, you ll receive a comparable used or refurbished unit.

Better to extend the life of the battery you have. Do this by regularly updating your iPod s software. Check Apple s website for the latest version; you can download a free upgrade there. Minimize charging to when the battery is almost drained. And don t charge your iPod in its protective case, where it can overheat and diminish the battery s capacity.

A major selling point of digital music players is that you can tune out the world around you for hours at a time. But as you crank up your iPod to drown out ambient noise, you could be damaging your ears. According to a study by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, at full volume an iPod can generate up to 120 decibels, equal to the sound of a jet plane taking off. At that level you ll begin sustaining permanent hearing loss or tinnitus after just 5 to 10 minutes. The issue is serious enough that a maximum volume setting now comes standard on all new iPods.

Noise-induced hearing loss is easy to ignore until it s too late, says Pam Mason, an audiologist at the ASLHA. Extended listening at 80 to 85 decibels is safe, according to Mason. Roughly speaking, that means you should turn it down if you can t hear someone talking normally three feet away from you or if the people around you can hear your music. It also helps to invest in a good pair of noisecanceling or noise-isolating earphones. Both types block out ambient sound so you needn t jack up the volume as high.

In the fall of 2005, small-business owner Peter Quinones wanted to replace his iPod but kept hearing Apple was about to come out with an improved model. I was in a holding pattern, the Miami resident says. You don t want to buy something and find out a week later there s a new product. So Quinones waited six months, then bought a video iPod instead of the Nano he d been considering. His new player worked with the charging cradle in his Mercedes; the Nano wouldn t have.

All consumer tech companies have shortened their product cycles, adding innovative new features to maintain their competitive edge. But with the iPod, Apple seems to be churning out new versions at an unprecedented rate.

It can be a nuisance for some consumers, says Susan Kevorkian, an analyst at IDC, since some of the older accessories, such as speakers or docks, aren t necessarily compatible with the newer models. Fortunately, Apple has now standardized the docks for the iPod, meaning future models should still work with the one you buy today.

You know a product is popular when it becomes a favorite target of thieves. In New York City, an increase in crime on the subways has been blamed on the iPod, as folks sporting the telltale white earphones are being ripped off in record numbers. But iPod crime isn t isolated to urban areas. A number of college and high school campuses have experienced a rash of thefts, leading some schools to ban the device. A spokesperson for the Broward County school board in Florida says that district recently restricted the use of iPods and other electronic devices, citing theft and peer pressure to own these items as distractions to learning.

A spokesperson for the Law Enforcement Alliance of America says the iPod is a favorite among thieves because it s easy to conceal, it has turnover value on the street, and people are willing to buy one on the black market. Not to mention, they re easy to spot: The white headphones are a giveaway, he says, just like flashing a fancy watch. He recommends other earphones and not using your iPod in dicey areas.

Apple s first fiscal quarter of 2008 was a record-breaker: The company reported new highs for both revenue ($9.6 billion) and earnings ($1.6 billion). Yet even with these impressive financial stats, the company continues to pile on extra fees for owning and maintaining an iPod.

We re not talking about the burgeoning iPod accessories market, such as stylish cases and portable speaker systems. No, Apple has begun charging for standard equipment it once included with the cost of the player. Why? It keeps retail prices down and drives sales volume, Kevorkian says. Early iPod models shipped with a wall charger and a dock. These extras are no longer free. Want to connect your video iPod to a TV? You ll have to buy a cord separately.

Adding insult to injury, should your iPod conk out after the warranty expires, you could end up paying as much to get it fixed as it would cost you to buy a new one for example, the standard fee for repairs on a Nano is roughly $20 less than the cost of a new one and that doesn t include shipping.

One of the reasons Apple has been able to dominate the digital music player market until now is that while the iPod can play songs from a variety of sources, music bought online at the iTunes store can be used only on an iPod. That s because the company developed its own format for songs, called Protected AAC, instead of using the widely compatible MP3. Crotty points out that while basic AAC is an open format, the digital rights management software Apple lays over it called, ahem, Fair Play renders it incompatible with other players. No other company is legally allowed to make a device that can play songs in Apple s format.

The company claims AAC has many advantages over MP3, but the format also serves as the lock on the iPod s closed door which could lead to its downfall. They ve set themselves up as Apple and the iPod versus the rest of the MP3 market, Crotty says. Customers may get upset that they can t move their purchased music. The tide is already turning in Europe, which, he adds, doesn t accept a closed system as a business practice : The French government passed a law in 2006 forcing Apple to allow music on the iTunes store to work on competitors players.