Mossberg: iPod nano scratches like crazy
By Ryan Block 
posted October 7th 2005 5:35PM
posted October 7th 2005 5:35PM
Not like we've ever really needed Unkie Mossy to tell us the score, but you gotta love his money quote on how his very own nano is "badly scratched" only a month down the line:
I have never tested or owned any portable electronic device that picked up as many scratches as quickly as the iPod nano.
Well, guess that settles that!
Scratches...
I am a minidisc guy and i had the G1 nh700 unit, and now, the newer RH10, The nh700 was very hard to scratch, in fact i don't remember that it got any.
And I have been two months with the rh10 and there is no mark on it that i cant wipe out with my fingers...
SO, maybe apple may call sony to ask wath kind of polycarbonate are using on their HIMD.
And yes, RH10 are piano black.
I gues that they hide the scratches better because the coloring in on the "inside" of the body panels, so there is enough "clear plastic" between the finish and the surface.
grettings
#38,
if the screen is all scratched, where's the functionality? Didn't they ADD a screen because of complaints on the shuffle?
#49,
Don't you think the returning customer is going to have more of an expectation of quality? Like the previous product that doesn't scratch when you wipe your finger over it?
I didn't buy the Nano to show off, I bought the Nano because it has 4 gigs of flash memory and a screen that shows album art and works with iTunes.
When people say that you have no right to complain because 'things get scratched'. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.
I expect it to get scratched, but not this way. It's like saying that you are fine with everything you buy dying completely one day after the warranty expires.
Its $250, not $2.50. I have a $100 mobile phone that I keep in my pocket with my keys that hasn't scratched in a year.
www.trilancer.blogspot.com
#53/ i agree with you
Ipod fan boys..
just got one the other day, i've read the reviews and i haven't event taken off the plastic until my zcover arrives.
my question is... what about the backside? that chrome got scratched by wrapping the headphones around it. I think i can rub it out with a jeweler's cloth + some polish, but still...
Just wanted to say.. I own a 4gig nano and a psp and they both scratch equally as bad. Why is this happening?
Looks like Apple better pony-up and use the same scratch resistant clear coat they want to put on Blu-Ray discs. Maybe that should drop the price of all that clear coat to make the discs cheaper, volume, volume, volume.
Also the black finish will always show scratches much easier. Do a test. Wear a pair of jeans, find a nice expensive black car with a polished finish in the parking lot, now walk past it while rubbing against it. See...scratches. Now do that with a white car, you won't see the scratches. And run b/c the guy who owns the black Beemer is gonna kick your butt.
I agree with #53, my the clear plastic-ky area of my moto v710 doesnt have a single cratch even though I dont take good care of it, and like #53, I routinely pocket it with keys...
psp as well...
yet my nano gets stratched by even the softest eye-glasses wiper... since then i've been having a buyer's remorse of sort... should have gone with iriver...
i dont understand how some of you apple fanboys can defend this, it's clear there's a problem, accentuated by the 'black' color of the nanos...
like #53 said, it's 250, not 2.50 I expect quality control of SOME sort.
So just cuz Mr. Mossberg said it, it's official?
The fact is, the iPod nano, iPod color, Mac Mini, iMac, and iBook wouldn't look as beautiful as they do if they didn't use the plastic they use. All the other gadgets I've ever had have plastic that's relatively scratch resistant, but leaves much to be desired by way of sleakness and beauty. A few scratches is what you have to put up with for sheer gorgeousness.
Buy some iKlear, a can of Brasso, and stop complaining. It works like a charm.
Plastic - be it black and especially white is not where its at.
When is Apple going to give us what we really want - brushed
metal casing for all the models. Scratch problem solved.
#60 if that truly were the case, they just went the other direction by removing the mini.
Both iPod's casings are very very durable, but the downside is it scratches easily, and the fact that the black one shows it better doesn't help. My white 3rd gen has a good amount of scratches, but not noticeable unless you look at it at the right angle. I don't know whether that is the case with the black nano or not.
Most of the people who try to downplay the scratches probably don't own a nano, and haven't seen how quickly they scratch. Put it in your pocket for a day, even without anything else in there, and it'll still scratch. If you didn't get a nano case the moment you took it out of the box for usage, you would end up with scratches.
I was under the impression that the nano was pretty durable. Ars Technica ran it over with a car, and still had it functioning to an extent. And Steve pulled it out of his change pocket without a protective case.
There's something wrong when you pay $250 for a music player - especially one advertised as being very sleek and fashionable - and you have to shell out $20 immediately on arrival for a protective case if you don't want it to look as if you took sandpaper to it.
I use a Mac and I like Apple and all, but trying to say that the nano doesn't have a problem with the scratches is pretty apple fanboyish.
I would have rather had an iPod mini w/ color screen...
I still don't think my PSP scratches. I dragged it off my desk at least a half dozen times because of the power cord, (notably just a few days after I got it, the first time) and don't see any scratches or chips at all. I dropped the thing at at least twice it has hit in the center of the screen on the pointy wooden legs of my chair, and I still don't see anything on the screen. The first time I thought it would be dead, because just about anything I had ever used before would have been, be it video camera, MP3 player, CD player, etc. I turned the thing on, and damn, still runs fine.
Whatever sony did, apple should do. I don't care what anyone says, I have a black PSP, and I can't see a scratch on it. Fingerprints are another story, though...
I've got a 4GB black nano, and have not had any scratches so far. The reason being that I haven't taken the plactic off the front yet, as my iSkin is set to arrive this week (apparently). The shiny back though, has lots of fingerprints on it!
From the looks of it the invisible shield looks like saran wrap on the video they have in their website. Is it really invisible? Or does it look like you are seeing through a ziplock
Not sure how many of the postings about that are from real owners or a plug by the company that sels them.
#67: I'm absolutely not a plant from Invisible Shield. I am just a satisfied customer. The sticker is applied much like a decal to a model - you peel it off the backing (2 pieces - front only, and back with side folds) put it in soapy water, and slip it around til you align it right. I know there's an independent review out there with illustrated instructions. You can spend as much time as you need aligning it, just re-wet it. Then it cures in a couple of hours, and you're good to go. The hard part is getting the bubbles out, and getting the sides correct. Also, don't be like me and trap a dog hair forever on the back! :)
Got the invisble shield for my black nano and its the most sound investment i have made.
It was a hassle to put on (took me 2 hours) but now i just throw my ipod anywhere in the bag with keys, lighters etc and it comes out unscathed.
If u are getting a black nano i would suggets buying this without thinking twice.
If you've taken the time to bitch on here about your scratches--I hope you've at least taken the time to send the same to Apple. Here's the link:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html
Picked up my iPod nano two days ago BEFORE reading any reviews on the durability of the case - what a mistake. Luckily, I bought it from Circuit City, so I have 14 days to return or replace it if it gets scratched. After reading this review, I immediately purchased the InvisibleSkin and should receive it tomorrow. So far, the thing's been the lone tenant in my front shirt pocket for two days and no scratches. Hopefully, this will hold out until I receive my InvisibleSkin and battle with the application of the thing.
How can we prevent screeen from scratching?? there is no way, it's easily scratched even wearing Ipod socks.
This is a problem.
I wiped my new black nano using soft tissue paper and it scratched the screen and body, thousands of tiny little scratches all over it. This annoyed me a lot.
I took my Nano on it's first outing yesterday to London, I put it inside an iPod sock but kept the earphones seperate. The screen looks like shit, it really is quite astonishing that it scratches so easily.
No iPod or item of any description has ever scratched so easily.
All those of you saying 'You scratched it yourself', well you're all morons who don't own one and therefore have no idea, and if you do own one then I imagine you're the sort of person who doesn't take pride in how your belongings look. We buy iPods because they look great, but if after a week they look like shit, it sorta kills the appeal.
Imagine the iPods snapped in half, but needed you to pick them up first, therefore in effect we did snap our own ipods, but I'm sure you see that it's a defect that causes it to happen so easily.
Apple's quality is not nearly as good as it should be at times.
This is a problem.
I wiped my new black nano using soft tissue paper and it scratched the screen and body, thousands of tiny little scratches all over it. This annoyed me a lot.
I took my Nano on it's first outing yesterday to London, I put it inside an iPod sock but kept the earphones seperate. The screen looks like shit, it really is quite astonishing that it scratches so easily.
No iPod or item of any description has ever scratched so easily.
All those of you saying 'You scratched it yourself', well you're all morons who don't own one and therefore have no idea, and if you do own one then I imagine you're the sort of person who doesn't take pride in how your belongings look. We buy iPods because they look great, but if after a week they look like shit, it sorta kills the appeal.
Imagine the iPods snapped in half, but needed you to pick them up first, therefore in effect we did snap our own ipods, but I'm sure you see that it's a defect that causes it to happen so easily.
Apple's quality is not nearly as good as it should be at times.
the people who's Nano's screens crack... must've REALLLLLLY though on theirs!! Just look at this iPod Nano review... they ran it over TWICE with a german car.... and... the screen broke... but did NOT crack!
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars/3
the people who's Nano's screens crack... must've REALLLLLLY though on theirs!! Just look at this iPod Nano review... they ran it over TWICE with a german car.... and... the screen broke... but did NOT crack!
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars/3
I've kept my nano in a ziplock baggie since I got it last week, and lay it flat on my desk when listening to it... no scratches.
Wiped it with a microfiber cloth today because it had some fingerprints on it... scratch city. The microfiber cloth SCRATCHED the hell out of my nano!
I tried applying the invisible shield, but I have fine motor tremor and there is no way I am going to get that baby lined up properly. I guess it's time to get a bulky case...
DO NOT BUY NANO, it sucks and it does SCRATCH LIKE HELL.
Tried to bring it back to store within 5 days because I was totally unsatisfied with it, but due to SCRATCHES I could not return it. Now I am stuck with an expensive piece of shitt. I hate it and don't even want to look at it
DO NOT BUY NANO, it sucks and it does SCRATCH LIKE HELL.
Tried to bring it back to store within 5 days because I was totally unsatisfied with it, but due to SCRATCHES I could not return it. Now I am stuck with an expensive piece of shitt. I hate it and don't even want to look at it
Will you give it to me? I'll pay for the shipping.
DAN, #49 ... that is like SO me, but not using my indoor voice.
Go DAN.
The fanboys can eat us. I expected to get QUALITY SHIT for my cash, and got a premadonna that, while she performs in the sack, looks like she was ridden hard and put away wet after the first test drive.
I think Apple is using substranded quality products .they think acquring 80% share in mp3 market is every thing .But acc to me they should be ready before other come & make the same thing with superior quality cover ,otherwise their sales r going to down & out.thats what market is all about.
(Thats why I bought sony Nw-e507 Instead of nano.)
Despite this comment thread now being stale, someone recommended that dissatisfied owners direct their bitching to the right place: Apple's iPod Feedback page. So instead of having fun shredding anonymous fanboys, maybe this will be more productive.
Here's my feedback to Apple, free for anyone to bastardize or cut-and-paste directly (well, make some edits as indicated) into their webform at http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html :
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Dear Apple -- I am the proud, but increasingly dissatisfied owner of an iPod Nano.
The form factor and overall design and quality of the unit is exemplary, as with the majority of your products -- except for one small detail that threatens to completely impair my usage and enjoyment of the device:
The softness of the plastic fascia material.
I do not care about having "pretty" audio gear. I have cellphones and older DAP devices that are well loved and well worn for it, and visibly so.
I have had my Nano for ... maybe three weeks now and compared to other devices I own, it already looks like I've had it years.
Not a problem except for the fact that the soft plastic also covers the visible areas of the screen.
In three weeks, the scratches and micro-abrasions have begun to make the display hard to read so much so that I have stopped using the device for fear of my normal usage making it completely unreadable in a short time.
I like my gear. I appreciate your designs ... so I don't wantonly throw the Nano into a pocket with keys, coins, etc. However, my nominal care and handling has not kept the display from becoming significantly scratched in a surprisingly short time.
I am not out for blood here. Either you or your manufacturer erred in the testing of the materials to be used, or in the materials actually used in construction of the device.
I am happy with the performance of the unit in all other aspects, however this one flaw threatens to completely negate these despite using the device in a caring, responsible and conscientious way as prescribed and demonstrated by Apple staff.
Can you please instruct me how to proceed with returning the unit for replacement of the fascia or replacement of the unit for an equivalent that does not suffer such lack of durability?
I would happily do my part in paying the shipping to your facilities should you accept your responsibility and do your part in addressing this issue.
Thanks in advance,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Apple Customer ( iPod Nano & [insert other Apple products here if owned] )
Anytown, USA
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Great entry fogd00d! Love it
Im going to post a comment feedback right now :-)
----
http://www.toolblast.com/ipodnano
Free tutorial on how to make a free nano case
Everyone seems to be complaining about the front of the ipod, when really the back scratches aswell. I have a 4g ipod photo that a was a floor model at radio shack and it came with numerous scratches allready on both the front and back . Ive discovered that Brasso is amazing for scratch removal for the front but for the back only icleaner removes them. Brasso just shines the back of the ipod, but it doesnt remove any scratches.
my ipod!@!@!@!@! noooooo so many scratches....is there hope i say YES! just today i read in my local paper that there is a class action law suit agianst Apple for knowing that the resin on the ipod is weak but they still pressed for release. Causeing all of their unhappy costumers
Why is there no clamor for 'bring back the mini' a-la coke classic circa 1985?
How come the silver metal back of my black nano is more scratched than the front?
is there a product that can remove small to medium depth scrtches from teh ipod i need help on this one
When I first saw the Nano I was amazed. It seemed like the (almost) perfect MP3-player: good capacity flash memory, great looks and very small. Only downside (imho) the non-replacable battery.
But after all the stories about the scratching I am having big doubts. To me it is ridiculous that you have to wrap the Nano immediately in plastic right after you bought it. Any portable electronic device will scratch from use (although my Motorola Razr is still unscratched after 7 months of daily use without any protective cover), but the Nano should not be that fragile.
But what to do? Wait for a 2G Nano where this problem is fixed (is it likely that there will be a 2G anytime soon? That would mean that Apple admits problems with the Nano and might mean that they have to take 1G Nano's back).
Or maybe look at alternatives, but are there any with similar features and price? (2/4Gb flash memory, small/stylish). Suggestions, anyone?
Abel
I called Apple.com to purchase a Nano Ipod 4g. They offered free engraving, which I did since it was free (although they didn't tell me that because it was engraved I couldn't return it for a refund!). I received the Ipod and right away noticed a screen problem. The problem was that the lower half would be blank and the top right half would show some words (partial menu options and the like). I returned it within two days of receiving it. I tried getting a refund and found that because it was engraved I couldn't return (talk about feeling tricked because of something free). That alone was enough to make me dislike Apple. But then it took around 5 weeks to get the replacement. And when I got the replace, in two weeks the screen went dead even though music would still play. I sent it back again asking for a refund and still they wouldn't even though the replacement would be personalized!!! Here is some info:
9/23/2005 - Invoice for ordered Nano received
10/7/2005 - Received the Nano
10/9/2005 - Online Replacement request filled out
10/10/2005 - sent Nano to Apple Support
11/16/2005 - Approximately When I got it back
11/28/2005 - Online Replacement request filled out
Present - Still waiting for it back again
I only had the nano for around 15 days over the past 2.5 months. I really don't want anything to do with the Nano anymore. And, I am very surprised Apple won't just refund me for this unacceptable situation.
I would really like to know if anyone else is having this same problem. And if anyone else got suckered into getting the Nano engraved (Which to me was very Unethical for the Apple sales person to do)!
In the end I wish I would never have bought the Ipod Nano for more reasons then what is written above and would gladly take the time to reply about any of the information above.