iPod nano Owners In Screen Scratch Trauma 671
wellington map writes "TheRegister reports iPod nano users have discovered that it is unbelievably easy to scratch the screen, which quickly makes the colour screen all but useless for viewing album art and photos stored on the machine. Apple's discussion forums are already host to hundreds of threads on this topic."
Designer's Response (Score:4, Interesting)
And let's not forget Apple is making these for a $100 profit, can they really not afford that extra 50c?
Testing? QA? (Score:4, Interesting)
Show us! (Score:3, Interesting)
Spray on fix? (Score:4, Interesting)
I seem to recall a few months ago that TDK (I think) developed a new ultra-hard coating to protect either Blu Ray or HD-DVD discs (can't remember which). Sounds like a suitable coating, since it obviously has to be optically clear. While it's probably best applied at the factory, I wonder if they could turn it into an after-market spray for iPods?
Itchy about the Scratchy... (Score:4, Interesting)
How rotter, considering the depth of the market out there, Apple should understand that people buy iPods for the looks more than just about any other reason, and they ought to have made the screen out of something damn-near bulletproof-- now a scratch-resistant screen would be a really nice selling feature.
...And has anyone tried getting out their CD repair kit and burnishing in the scratch removal stuff onto the screen by hand? You know, that scratch remover supposed to be good enough not to interfere with CD optics, it must be good enough for your Nano screens.
Seriously! What a mistake. (Score:5, Interesting)
"When the point was put to the head of Apple's iPod division, Jon Rubenstein - who in the past oversaw the development of the Titanium PowerBook - the one that killed off Wi-Fi reception, because metal cages do that - he replied: 'Nah, you don't really think that? It's made of the hardest polycarbonate... You keep it in a pocket with your keys?'"
I thought it had to be a joke. Apparently this is made of polycarbonate which scratches easily and this has been known for a long time. Apple probably just asked the supplier for their hardest material without taking scratching into account (basically they asked the wrong questions of their supplier). Admittedly an excellent supplier would have pointed out that a polycarb cover would scratch easily, but it's Apple's responsibility to do the research. I find it difficult to believe that no one noticed this in their tests of the device.
They'll have to do something to fix this I'd imagine. What a blunder.
Unprovoked cracking (Score:1, Interesting)
See more here: http://flawedmusicplayer.com/ [flawedmusicplayer.com]
Re:Testing (Score:5, Interesting)
Use what Rado watches use (Score:3, Interesting)
Friend just bought an iPod (Score:4, Interesting)
I think what makes this design flaw so bad is that it really should have been picked up during the testing phase. If you get a group of test subjects to use it for a month, how could they not get feedback when the screens start to scratch and break.
I've read some post talking about nice cases you can get for your iPod such as this one:
http://www.theinvisibleshield.com/ipod_screen_pro
It's a nice case, transparent and looked like a good solution, however its something that should have come with the unit itself.
I have a feeling this device was rushed into the market on its coolness factor and not enough time was spent testing and developing it for real world use. It reminds me of those Apple cubes that came out years ago with a touch sensetitive power button that had the tendency to turn of if you waved something warm across them.
I love Apples. I wish I could affoard an iBook, however they do seem to place a lot in style and looks over actual preformance and cost in many cases, which I think has been one of the short falls of many of their designs.
Sumdog
Re:What mini? (Score:2, Interesting)
I have a second generation iPod and have had very few issues with scratches. Of course I don't shove it in my pocket and there are some minor bumps and bruises, but as someone else pointed out already, if it's shiny when you buy it... it will get scratched over time, period. Get yourself some poly carbonate polish and clean the thing up yourself.
Perhaps the next apple will use a tougher material for the facing... but you know that will increase the cost, probably significantly. Plastic scratches, that's all there is to it.
Re:When will people learn? (Score:4, Interesting)
People aren't as dumb as you assume. Everybody who owns a nano has owned a cellphone, PDA, or other mp3 player, and knows what sort of durability is realistic.
PS, "it's PLASTIC" doesn't mean anything - there are many types, some softer than others.
Use Clickie Eraser (Score:5, Interesting)
It all about expectations (Score:2, Interesting)
Some people here have replied to complaints about the easy scratching of the nano with stuff like "take care of your gadgets, blah, blah" and the like. Well let me tell you about my experiences and therefore expectations.
I bought an iPod 3G 30GB and I didn't care about what it shared my pocket or rucksack with. And after two years it looked rough. Same goes for some mobile phones from Nokia. But one year ago I bought a Nokia 7610 and its display hasn't been scratched since. Obviously it's very scratch resistant. So, my expectations in the direction of a day-to-day-in-use gadget changed.
Now looking at my nano after a week seeing more and foremost deeper scratches on it, I'm sure lot's of you will understand my disappointment. From my experience The nano scratches a lot easier than my G3 iPod or Shuffle, if not easier then at least deeper scratches. But my N7610s display doesn't seem to get scratched at all and it certainly is the most abused out of the four. So that's what I've come to expect.
With Steve Jobs talking about people getting greedy, I wonder why the nano has such an inferior surface than it's predecessors.
Thanks for reading.
AndY
Re:Why can't Appleites hold Apple to a high standa (Score:5, Interesting)
I think it's the other way around. Apple owners complain about the smallest things. I have an 3D iPod, and it has the odd scratch on it, but nothing really noticeable. I put it down to being a white product, so it doesn't show scratches up as badly.
My 2GB black nano however, shows scratches more visibly. But it doesn't worry me because I also have a black shiny clock, a black shiny desk calculator, a black shiny PDA and another brand black shiny mp3 player (name withheld to keep the flaming down).
THEY ALL SCRATCH WORSE THAN WHITE PRODUCTS DO. The nano scratches just as badly as any of them, or no worse than any of them depending how you want to look at it. Black shows scratches far worse. Period. Apple-only users have never had to deal with a glossy all black product, so they're all in a mouth frothing tizz over it acting like all the other shiny black products on the market. It would be nice if it weren't this way, hell it would be nice if Apple were able to do what other manufacturers couldn't do, but they didn't. It's not perfect, but it's not a glaringly deficient design fault like many are making it out to be.
I like Apple's products, but their fanbase can be utter retards sometimes.
Overblown (Score:1, Interesting)
I can also speak from experience- I have a white nano. I've had it for about 2 weeks. I use it almost every day, in my pocket, with no protection. I see nothing more than the normal "iPod-esq" scratches...Of which I've seen on all the iPods I've owned. I'd take pictures and such, but its really nothing to look at.
Overblown.
Re:Why can't Appleites hold Apple to a high standa (Score:5, Interesting)
You might think, at first, that it's because Apple users are brainwashed. However, the real problem is that they're incredibly picky. Take, for example, the Powerbook Ti, which had certain areas where the paint chipped off. When this became a known problem, owners went out and found replacement paint, being very careful to match the color exactly. A small market opened up, and people were selling paint specifically as "Powerbook Ti touch-up paint."
Now, has this happened on such a large scale with Sony, Dell, or HP laptops? No. Is it because Sony, Dell, and HP laptops don't ever have discolorations or chipped, faded, or worn away paint on their casings? No. It's because if you've owned a Sony laptop for 3 years, and a little paint gets worn away, you probably don't even notice. You just expect that something being carried around all the time like that will eventually have some wear and tear. Mac users, on the other hand, get incredibly upset that their little pride and joy has a tiny little flake come loose.
I'm sure it's the same issue here, though I haven't seen any pictures, I've just read reports that the nano scratches. Ho hum. My 4G ipod has scratches. Everyone I know who's owned an mp3 player for more than a few days, there's probably a little wear and tear somewhere. It's lost it's "new car smell". I bet the things still work and that you can still navigate the menu system. It's still a hell of a little device.
Which brings us back to why Apple owners are going to be forgiving: it's still a hell of a device. Like I said, Apple users are picky. They're annoyed by the fact that the products they buy have occasional flaws, but that's nothing compared to what they view as the mountain of flaws afflicting the products made by other manufacturers.
Re:When will people learn? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Why can't Appleites hold Apple to a high standa (Score:3, Interesting)
I've never seen a Sony, Dell or HP laptop that was painted at all. Much less painted in a way where two inch long strips peel off the thing. This was a problem very particular to that model of computer.
Yes Apple users tend to view Macs as luxury goods, and therefore are picky, but painted titanium just turned out to be a lousy idea for a laptop shell.
Re:Why can't Appleites hold Apple to a high standa (Score:3, Interesting)
Got one right here. Dell latitude D600, painted all over with some sort of damn ugly semi-metallic silver paint. Within a couple months after I got it, giant strips of the paint started coming off of the back of the LCD, caused (as far as I can tell) by nothing more than my putting it into my laptop bag and taking it out again.
"Fortunately", I had to get the LCD replaced because the entire hinge assembly snapped into two for no reason, and the new one has had no such problem. But no, it's not an Apple thing particularly.
I find this hard to believe (Score:2, Interesting)
If it is a true statement then I suggest you clip your nails.
I have dropped my Gen 3 iPOD to the point it has a dent in the metal.
I let it slide around my car when I am taking corners.
It rides along in my jeans pocket/laptop case with no protection.
While the metal is showing signs of damage, the screen is intact with no visible damage when I look at it to change songs.
Re:Why can't Appleites hold Apple to a high standa (Score:3, Interesting)
But the biggest factor is that the Apple ecosystem is very much Love It Or Leave It. I've had crappy Dells and wished I had an IBM. No big deal. But with Apple, the decision point is much greater -- it means leaving the platform. And therefore when there's a doggy model like the TiBook, it puts the userbase in a much higher state of consternation.
Re:When will people learn? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Blame yourself for wear & tear. (Score:3, Interesting)
Or, if you fear using your hands that much, just use it as a FW disk.... throwing it away WOULD be dumber than a box of hammers..
Re:When will people learn? (Score:4, Interesting)
Only if you have no idea how to treat a device with a lithium ion battery. I bought my 3G iPod in June 2004, use it daily and it still gets 9-10 hours, because I manage it properly.
Tips for preserving your battery life can be found at http://www.apple.com/batteries/ [apple.com]
Re:Seriously! What a mistake. (Score:4, Interesting)
And what has been the long-term result? (Score:3, Interesting)
I acknowledge the online bitching, but the only one of these that has had any legal legs is the iPod battery problem.
I think there's a strong meme/peer influence factor at work online. A few loud people bitch about a problem, and suddenly it seems like everyone has the problem, the company fucked up and the product is in trouble. It's like the hundreds of calls the CDC gets everytime a local news broadcast covers some terrible disease. Remember the furor over Google redirect hijacking? Huge numbers were thrown around describing the scope, but could never be proven. And many of the people who thought they'd been hijacked ended up having much more mundane problems.
Personally I'll refer judgment on this latest crisis until some time passes.
Re:When will people learn? (Score:3, Interesting)
WTF?
By 3G iPod had a battery that lasted just under 1.5 years due to lots and lots of charging cycles... so I replaced it.
For $20, I've got a battery that lasted longer than the original one did when it was new. The life of my iPod is FAR from over.
The company which sold me the battery even included a little plastic tool for opening the case up. Replacing the battery was easier (and less delicate) than installing memory on a typical laptop.
It's long past time for the iPod battery troll to go away.