iPod mini Defect Story Is BALLOONING

LaMerVipere said:

Does Apple have a real problem on their hands here?

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it appears so. this is the problem with fame - people hold the magnifying glass up to you more often. all the glossy ad campaigns in the world can't cover up bad engineering.

here is a landslide of articles from Google News:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&e...e=technologyNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4811276

let's hope the intense scrutiny causes Apple to tighten up the QC a bit.

And on the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3621585.stm

...oh dear...

Anyone have an idea why it is just a problem in some of the Mini's? I hope mine does not break. I don't know what I would do with out it!

I dont see why they dont just put a big glob of epoxy right on those pins where the black connector is, they do that with capacitors everywhere. That would keep things in place and prevent those pins from working loose.

603 said:

let's hope the intense scrutiny causes Apple to tighten up the QC a bit.

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But it's an engineering issue, not QC. If a part meets design specs and is within tolerances, it passes QC. Since the casing meets the (slightly flawed) design, it passes QC with no problem (until someone uses it )

Dont Hurt Me said:

I dont see why they dont just put a big glob of epoxy right on those pins where the black connector is, they do that with capacitors everywhere. That would keep things in place and prevent those pins from working loose.

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Until you try and take it apart. I'm sure the techs wouldn't like it

I am surprised by the attention to this problem. Die-hard Apple fans vehemently attacked my original post here on Macrumors, where I first described the problem. So I did not think that Apple is going to look into it. I am thankful to those macrumor regulars that saw some useful info in my post.
Here are some pictures of the “stiff connection” from my mini imbedded in some parody story:

http://www.math.unl.edu/~iloladze/iPod.htm

Counterfit said:

Until you try and take it apart. I'm sure the techs wouldn't like it

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i mean at the factory

Dont Hurt Me said:

i mean at the factory

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Can't it be that these (poor) infected iPod's are just a part of an affected batch of iPod's?

Some are working great, even after being dropped or roughly handled some report...

Few report of these defections, and they don't use them any rougher then the people with iPods that are working fine do...

loladze said:

I am surprised by the attention to this problem. Die-hard Apple fans vehemently attacked my original post here on Macrumors, where I first described the problem. So I did not think that Apple is going to look into it. I am thankful to those macrumor regulars that saw some useful info in my post.
Here are some pictures of the “stiff connection” from my mini imbedded in some parody story:

http://www.math.unl.edu/~iloladze/iPod.htm

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I don't think people so much were upset by your posting a problem, but instead with the tone of the post. Plus you have a lot of reactionaries on here.

Regardless it is a very real problem, and I'm glad to see that Apple is addressing it.

Dont Hurt Me said:

i mean at the factory

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Well, I was talking about how much of a PITA it would be for the techs if they had to open one. Of course, they could always just replace it...

Krizoitz said:

Regardless it is a very real problem, and I'm glad to see that Apple is addressing it.

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Well, we don't know for sure that they're looking at it, but it's likely. One rather easy way to fix it would be to add a little lip on the top there so it would be harder to bend. However, that would make the manufacturing harder, as all the innards barely make it through that hole as it is. The only other solution I can think of would be to put some sort of bracing there, either making that section of the casing slightly thicker, or perhaps having a small piece of aluminum going through the board so that it is in contact with both sides.

Your post was fine.

loladze said:

I am surprised by the attention to this problem. Die-hard Apple fans vehemently attacked my original post here on Macrumors, where I first described the problem. So I did not think that Apple is going to look into it. I am thankful to those macrumor regulars that saw some useful info in my post.

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FWIW, I think the content and the tone of your post were fine. People seem to forget this forum is an open forum for the Macintosh community.

You discussed a problem with your iPod and articulated a theory about the cause. Don't take the sniping personally -- the critical comments you received didn't address the point of your post, so they say more about the people making them than they do about you.

Keep your chin up, and keep posting.