iPod Why does Apple love that super shiny scratch guaranteed material?

I never understood why they make the rear panel on the iPod out of a material that looks like it is 3 years old after a short while of regular usage. Isn't the iPod meant to be hand held and even slipped into a pocket? Why not use a scratch resistant material. Even the iPhone has addressed this issue. Unfortunately the iPod Touch has this material for the back panel and it seriously is the single biggest negative I see with the device.

reubs said:

I still can't understand why people get so up in arms about the back casing of the iPods. I've had my 5G in an iSkin since Day 1, and I really could care less that the back is a little scratched. I bought the iPod to store music and movies on...not to check my hair in before a meeting.

Are people concerned with re-sale or just simple appearance for the future "collectible" nature of Apple products?

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I have no thoughts at all about future collectability. It is about purchasing an expensive product and expecting it to look reasonably good for a reasonable period of time. The shiny material does not look anywhere near reasonably good after a brief period of normal use. Had Apple selected a more appropriate material for the back of a handheld device this would be a non-issue.

Maybe I am not in the majority but I want my devices to look as good as they perform. In fact knowing the back is scratched up will actually reduce my enjoyment of owning the device. Not of using it, but of owning it. It's like a car that runs perfect but has a terrible looking exterior. It won't reduce my ability to drive it, but it certainly will not be as much fun to own it.