Odd, my first generation iPod held a charge for my entire 5-hour rail journey from Watford to Glasgow, plus more than enough music for the journey, without any problems at all. It's now 2 years old and still going strong.
These guys must've had a duff model.
The iPod is a beautiful piece of kit and I'd recommend one to anyone. It's even been handy as a temporary external HDD for me, clearing space off my regular disk while I was editing a video project.
EDIT
Very funny movie tho'
