Official Battery Thread

[xenidus]

Hi all! I currently am a prospective buyer for the x5. Because portability is the most important aspect of mp3 players the battery life is key.
I know that lithium batteries over time lose their ability to retain charge (a chemical process can't go forever!), but replacing the battery solves this problem.

All that I've been able to discover is that Cowon will replace the batter for "under 70 dollars" but I am interested to see if the company will take a stand on the battery replacement issue, or get clobbered by fans like Apple did with the Ipod. Also as time has passed many online sites have released user replaceable batteries for cheap, including instructions and tools. I'm just wondering if anyone has found a site, or has even opened up the X5 to see if battery replacement is possible.....

So in summary, here is a list of question which, if answered, will inform owners of the future of the X5, and also remove all doubt (from prospective buyers) that the x5 is the greatest mp3 player on the market... (i allready think so)

1. How much officially would battery replacement by Cowon cost? (including shipping fees)

2. Is the battery "user replaceable"? In other words, could someone safely replace the battery on their own, without damaging the X5?

3. Who manufactures the X5 battery? And where could it be purchased?

4. Are there any online companies offering a battery replacement kit for the X5?

And as a side note...would there be a higher capacity battery offering battery life similar to the X5L? that would be SWEEET!

Haha, well i hope that at least the first three of these will be answered to quench the nagging questions about battery replacement for the X5, and hopefully, this will lead to more sales for Cowon, because if battery replacement is cheaper through cowon, why the heck would ANYONE by an ipod anymore?

-Xenidus


P.S. i think i will be getting an x5 no matter what is happening with the battery. it's just so COOL!