Generous Replacements for 5G iPods?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

Appleinsider claims that Apple has issued a message to its channel partners to replace any 5th Generation (iPod with Video) that exhibits "any type of hardware failure"... including those that would be classified as abuse... for a limited time.

According to the rumor site, Apple is attempting to preemptively avert any quality complaints for the new device. Apple has been under significant public criticism with screen-scratch complaints on the recent iPod nano. A class action suit emerged last week surrounding the iPod nano screen-scratch issue.

Meanwhile, Appleinsider also reports that Apple's iPod shuffle appears to be selling well despite the recent introductions of both the iPod nano and 5th generation iPod (with video).

[hob]

Time to buy me a hammer

I guess they're taking this one uber-seriously... brand image etc. etc.

[emotion]

So, I was unsure whether to plump down the cash for a 5G ipod because of the scratching issues and now I'm 100% certain I'm gonna wait this one out and see if Apple address the problem properly.

I wonder how many other punters think like that given the messages Apple are giving out?

[edcrosay]

Why aren't they offering this to Nano users? It would certainly kill the point of the class-action suit.

[Sky Blue]

Originally Posted by emotion

the scratching issues

How is a scratching issue a hardware fault?

[dontmatter]

so does this mean apple's position guarentees a lot of flack and it's working hard to avoid it, or does this mean that apple's making less quality than they should and wants to cover it up? haven't seen a nano yet, so can't say.

[emotion]

Originally Posted by Sky Blue

How is a scratching issue a hardware fault?

exactly my point. that's what i assume they're talking about when they talk of "abuse".

[balamw]

Does anyone else's 5G "ping"?

Mine seems to make a slight pinging noise pretty consistently at the beginning and end of a sync. Sounds like the HD heads parking, but I'm wondering if I should be concerned. I've also heard it a couple of times when starting a video.

B

[Ja Di ksw]

I see shuffles everywhere at the high school I work at. Mini's too, and an occasional nano. It bothers me someimtes, in the past at this school, if you were seen walking down the halls and had the headphones on, they would take the device from you until the end of the day if you were lucky, end of the school year if you were not. Now kids come into the classrooms and it's a fight to get them to stop listening.

[iMeowbot]

Originally Posted by hob

Time to buy me a hammer

I think we've discovered the secret plans of that guy who started the Web site that collects money to buy and destroy an iPod...

[MXDT]

This seems like a very preemptive move on apples part. Maybe they found a serious defect in the new video iPods and are bracing for the worst, before it gets ugly.

[ahuman7341]

My 5G is already scrached like mad. whe someone comes out with a good case i guess i will send it to apple care and buy a case. i dont know if i can part with it that long though.

ive heard of people getting their 4G ipods replaced because they were too scratched and no other problems.

[nagromme]

This will quell any potential cries of, "I put my iPod in my soft cotton pocket with a diamond ring, a horseshoe, a land mine, and a garden gnome, and it got scratched in just one day!"

This isn't an admission of a scratching problem (the nano AND 5G are made out of the SAME material as previous iPods--unless Apple's telling a really stupid lie). Rather it's Apple swallowing their pride and trying out a very smart marketing strategy. One that I think will work well even if almost nobody knows of this decision!

On the surface, Apple's just asking to be taken advantage of. And they will be sometimes, and it will cost them. But it's only for a short time, when the product is NEW. And THAT's what this is about: controlling the initial buzz about a new product. They're realizing that huge mindshare is a two-edged sword, and that even complaints without basis can can be blown out of proportion by the press. So they want to reduce the complaints--EVEN to the extent of paying for damage that's just plain abuse. Buy an iPod, slam it in your car door, get a new one? Maybe--and yet Apple's still smart to try this for a short time. This way they'll keep the early buzz positive, avoiding much of the bad press around the nano. Legitimate or not, it was there.

If there IS any problem that emerges (it can happen sometimes--especially with a new major version!) then this handles it quite painlessly for the buyer. Good customer support.

If there is NO real problem, but some buyers raise a stink over nothing (that happens too sometimes!), that too is covered. Any issue is reduced greatly before it ever becomes an issue for people to latch onto. Less for negative reviewers to seize onto. Less for the negative bandwagon to seize onto. And it takes ammo away from potential lawsuits too.

Meanwhile, they are selling these things as fast as they can make them anyway, so they can afford the experiment

And rumors of a sleeve being added to the nano? Sounds nice. Not "necessary" just because plastic scratches (of COURSE it does). But nice to have. A good move for Apple and for buyers. (And I like the 5G's pocketable soft sleeve much better than the old bulky rigid belt-case that wasn't much good for any other purpose besides clipping it to your waist.)

[Vanilla]

Originally Posted by nagromme

...the nano AND 5G are made out of the SAME material as previous iPods--unless Apple's telling a really stupid lie...

Yes, no doubt they are made of the same materials but you know there is always the possibility that there is a bad batch out there where for example the resin layer was too soft or too thin etc. on the new models.

If so, the person that insists their new iPod scratches far too easily and the person who retorts that its made of the same material as previous models which are fine can BOTH be right.

Vanilla

[Tupring]

Originally Posted by Ja Di ksw

I see shuffles everywhere at the high school I work at. Mini's too, and an occasional nano. It bothers me someimtes, in the past at this school, if you were seen walking down the halls and had the headphones on, they would take the device from you until the end of the day if you were lucky, end of the school year if you were not. Now kids come into the classrooms and it's a fight to get them to stop listening.

Boo hoo! I brought my Discman to school everyday. The hall is not class and it should be ok. Lunchrooms and maybe the Library too. Class however is understandable that it doesn't need to be used.

[ghint]

The nano and g5 ipod are far more resiliant to scratches and physical abuse than any other model or generation.

Check this out: http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars

[johnnyjibbs]

This is a good publicity move by Apple. It will help to change the image that Apple is getting greedy with the iPod and stop it looking too much like the big corporation (like IBM, Microsoft) it doesn't want to be. Of course, there will be some abuse. If you've got any cosmetic damage or you "accidentally" drop it, now's the chance to get a replacement. I wouldn't risk it though!

iPod shuffle is a different market. You don't get a fraction of the features, but it's a cheap iPod at the end of the day. The sales for this unit don't surprise me.

[emotion]

Originally Posted by ghint

The nano and g5 ipod are far more resiliant to scratches and physical abuse than any other model or generation.

Check this out: http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars

You clearly don't own or know anyone who owns a Nano. They scratch very easily.

The material used is resilient to cracks and sever abuse though I'll give them that.

What I don't understand is: My SE phone isn't scratched up and it's lived (with my keys etc) in my pocket for 18 months. Why can't ipods be like that?

[qubex]

"Generous"?!

How does replacing a faulty or otherwise sub-par product count as "generous"?!

Rather than applauding because their new replacement policies are generous, we should be scolding them for being so inclement and narrow-minded in the past.

It may sound generous because they're (apparently) including some damage due to "misuse" or "abuse", but likely that is just a red herring. In the past, it has been all too easy for Apple and its distribution network to claim that various defects are due to abuse. If you think about it carefully, just about any fault can be blamed on the end-user.

Are these new terms "generous"? No. Are they more generous than the previous terms? Yes. But remember the previous terms got them sued on a semi-regular basis.

[nagromme]

Originally Posted by Vanilla

Yes, no doubt they are made of the same materials but you know there is always the possibility that there is a bad batch out there where for example the resin layer was too soft or too thin etc. on the new models.

If so, the person that insists their new iPod scratches far too easily and the person who retorts that its made of the same material as previous models which are fine can BOTH be right.

Absolutely--a bad batch wouldn't surprised me. And since Apple doesn't directly manufacture the iPod, they might not be aware of the situation right away.

I tend to think there's a simpler way that makes them both right, though: differing standards, differing behaviors, and differing levels of AWARENESS of how you treat your iPod. One person might be careless with their iPod, THINK they were being careful, get some small scratches, look close enough to notice them, and be bothered by them. Another person with the SAME iPod might think they were being careful and be RIGHT--or, they might get the same scratches but if they're only noticeable up close at the right angle, might not care.

Two people can both say honestly that they have only ever put their iPod in a soft pocket. But maybe one has held it in his hand with his keys a few times, passed it around to friends with big metal rings, set it down on a sandy tabletop, etc., and not even be aware of all this.

And two people could look at the SAME micro-scratched iPod and one will say "it's scratchproof" while the other says "it's unreadable." Different standards.

[emotion]

Originally Posted by nagromme

And two people could look at the SAME micro-scratched iPod and one will say "it's scratchproof" while the other says "it's unreadable." Different standards.

nagromme, do you own a nano or 5g?

are you saying people are imagining the device is scratched?

[nagromme]

Originally Posted by qubex

"Generous"?!

How does replacing a faulty or otherwise sub-par product count as "generous"?!

Rather than applauding because their new replacement policies are generous, we should be scolding them for being so inclement and narrow-minded in the past.

Actually, Apple has a HISTORY of going above and beyond the warranty--both in specific individual cases, and as a matter of larger policy when it's the right thing to do.

You call the new iPods "faulty" but there's no evidence for that being the trend at all.

Apple has ALWAYS replaced faulty iPods. THIS policy is to replace iPods that YOU broke. And that does indeed fit the term "generous."

Apple's hardware reliability is the highest in the computer industry, and their service and support are the best too. By not one but several large-scale surveys.

So if you think Apple tends to make faulty products and then treat people unfairly, I HIGHLY recommend you don't risk buying from another company

Of course ANY company is staffed by people who can make mistakes. Any hardware maker will have customers who were turned away unfairly for a warranty issue. But that is NOT the pattern with Apple. It's the exception by far.

Originally Posted by emotion

nagromme, do you own a nano or 5g?

are you saying people are imagining the device is scratched?

You quoted me My example was an iPod that IS scratched--nothing imaginary there. One person will see the scratches as microscopic and hardly noticeable and throw around the term "scratchproof." Another will see the same scratches as a huge aggravation and fixate on them. Neither one is imagining anything, and I can sympathize with the frustration of the one who is bothered. It's never nice when something shiny and new gets an imperfection early on.

My post was on the subject of ways that BOTH viewpoints could be right.

(What I own is a 4g--made of the same material, that has been scratch-resistant and given me no cause for complaint. I have also seen half a dozen display-model nanos and 5gs, manhandled all day every day, and still looking good.)

[ruffas]

Originally Posted by ghint

The nano and g5 ipod are far more resiliant to scratches and physical abuse than any other model or generation.

Check this out: http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars

The nano is the coolest looking device of any type in a long while, but it does scratch.. My first thought when holding mine was that it was like holding a piece of antique china! You know that feeling you get when someone hands you a freshly printed photograph?

These things are dainty and a little fragile, for some reason Apple have decided to make the Nano and the 5G differently. Great they are moving on and developing new products and styles, but this has been at a considerable cost I fear.

I will keep my nano and more than likely get a 5G in the New Year but I will be covering them with cases and skins (check out the Noreve leather cases ).

And GHINT, when you actually see a Nano for yourself then comeback to the forum with something a little more constructive..

A bit of a newbie myself, but that post just annoyed me...

[emotion]

Originally Posted by nagromme

You quoted me

My post was on the subject of ways that BOTH viewpoints could be right.

(What I own is a 4g--made of the same material, that has been scratch-resistant and given me no cause for complaint. I have also seen half a dozen display-model nanos and 5gs, manhandled all day every day, and still looking good.)

I see what you're getting at and I kind of agree. Interestingly I was about to buy a nano from the Uni shop at UCSD when I was over there on business (I'm from the UK). The two display models both were covered in scratches. Maybe a bad example but it was enough to make me think twice.

I dunno, I want Apple to have got this right but I'm beginning to thinkthey haven't. I really really want to buy a 5G (i've not bought an ipod yet...just powerbook and my previous pmac) but I'm thinking that I should wait and see iof these things are as bad as I've heard people say the nano is (including a close friend).

I guess we'll see.

[tny]

I've had mine for three days. I've barely used it. It's a black 60 GB. So far, no scratches that I can see, but what looks like one dead pixel (I've lived with one on my iBook for 4 years, I can live with one on my iPod), and the thing picks up finger prints and dust everywhere. The finger prints obviously are there on the old ones, too, one just didn't notice them as much because of the color and the different material (the face of the 3G at least IS different, not the same clear plastic as is on face of the 5G).

By comparison, it was months before there were any noticeable issues with my 3G (which I'm still using as my primary iPod until they come out with some dockable accessories), and that was a key scratch due to my own negligence.

My guess is that the clear facing material (which used to be limited to the LCD, but now covers the front of the iPod), the black color, and the fact that it is a video device (which makes the quality of the screen much more important), will lead to more noticeable scratches, just as the material, the black color, and the pocketability lead to more noticeable scratches on the Nano.

By the way, I think they should have rotated the iPod 90 degrees, giving them room for a larger LCD, and put in a smaller (nano-sized) click wheel on the right hand side (but made the video screen reversible and the fast-forward/rewind controls switchable, so one could put the click wheel on the left, though how they would have managed the play icon in that circumstance I don't know). Then again, I don't know how ergonomic that would be with the click wheel, though I think holding an iPod landscape would be more ergonomic for watching video.