[macgyvr64]

Has anyone done this yet..out of necessity? Send it back to Apple to get the battery replaced.. I remember reading somewhere that they said you should do it every year, though I could be wrong

[icruise]

You should replace a battery if and when it fails to hold a charge. Why one earth would you have to do it every year, regardless of its condition?

If your warranty is up, I would probably suggest getting the replacement battery that is being sold for $49 somewhere (a search should turn up a link) rather than going through Apple.

[macgyvr64]

I thought I read you had to do it once a year. What's the estimated lifetime of an iPod (20 GB) battery lifetime?

[icruise]

I've had my 5GB since November or December of 2001 (so more than 18 months?) and it still holds a pretty good charge. Of course, your mileage may vary -- I've heard of other people having their batteries die sooner. I do use mine quite a lot, though.