Anyone experience iPod nano problems?

bbloke

Registered
I've been curious about the iPod nano but have been hearing an increasing amount about scratches. Some users are alleging that cotton shirts, fingers, and empty pockets are enough to scratch the iPod nano within hours or days of purchase. When they talk of scratches, they seem to mean that the iPod nano suffers from scratches more than any other iPod and sometimes to the extent of it (the screen) becoming virtually unusable. Also, some have complained about the screen cracking easily. I did a quick search of the macosx.com site and found some threads in the usenet section. The posts elsewhere on the internet seem to be quite polar, either slagging Apple heavily or else attacking those who are complaining! Do any macosx.com members have more reliable first hand experience with the iPod nano and/or know much about these issues?

http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@142.TwIoa5m5VdG.2@.68b94d61
(thread on the Apple site about the scratching issue... over 500 posts so far)

http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20050926071853475
(MacFixit's take on things)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4286294.stm
(BBC's coverage of the issue)

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/23/ipod_nano_scratching/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/27/ipod_nano_more_scratching/

http://ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/ipod-nano-screen-complaints-abound/

http://homepage.mac.com/matthewdotcom/flaw/
(screen cracking)
 
It pretty much seems like there are some iPod nanos that come from a different place or at least a different batch. The problems some are writing about sound like they didn't take some adhesive cover off that is _supposed_ to be taken off, but others talk about real damage to the screen...
 
All of the iPods scratch easily but my new Nano is already ruined from scratches. Looks like it is a year old. FYI, only placed in jeans/tracksuit/running shorts pockets. Always alone ie no keys, coins etc. Rubbing it with a t-shirt/football jersey scratched mine, it is unbelievably prone to scratching.
 
Thats one thing I enjoyed about the Mini so much. It had a metal like casing. Not only did it feel real strong when you held it, but scratches didn't show up on it as easily as the glossy/crone iPods. My 15gb iPod was getting scratches from just sitting on my desk.
 
I got the Nano, charged it, put it into jeans pocket, walked to my local bookshop, got back and it was covered in lots of small but noticeable scratches. Like someone had rubbed it with steel wool. No deep gashes but for f%^k sake it was only 5 hours old!!
 
Wall Street Journal just reported that Apple plans to replace Nano screens

Tue 7:11pm AAPL [$$] Apple Will Replace Damaged iPod Nano Screens - at The Wall Street Journal Online
 
That's only for the nanos that had faulty screens, ie cracked/broken. Nothing about the scratching issue
 
To protect any iPod screen get some PDA screen protectors and cut them to the right size and cover the screen. I have that on my 40 and my Girlfriends Mini 4GB too...told everyone i know that has an iPod to do that as well.
 
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