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iPod Nano Class Action Suit

I have a feeling that there is a bad batch of clear resin on some of the nano's.

Before I bought mine, I went to an apple store and took my fingernails to one of the black nano's there. I was unable to create a scratch. So I bought one and have been keeping it unprotected in my jeans pocket for a couple of weeks now... Not one scratch. This leads me to believe one of the two following reasons for all of the complaints:

1) There was a bad batch of plastic used on some of the nano's that is softer than it should be.

2) People who say it was scratched with a soft cloth cleaned it after taking it out of their pocket with keys, loose change, and other hard metal objects.

I for one believe 1).
 
Mine is trashed in one month

I've beat the crap out of a 17" G4 powerbook, whoever said anodized aluminum doesn't dent. I have a scratched up g4 ibook missing every rubber foot, including the 2 screen ones. And now I have an ipod nano that matches the other two. Unlike the powerbook and ibook I really do have to take special care with the nano and cannot put it in a pocket with keys, change, mobile phone, etc. or it will become unreadable within another month. You know what I have that is isn't scratched though? A bright and shiny iMac G5 which sits proudly on my desk. Now if I could only get that thing in my pocket I'm sure I could give it a few scars to brag about.

-almost forgot that my shuffle broke. The stupid slider on the back no longer functions.
 
swingerofbirch said:
Right before Apple announced the extended logic board repair program for the iBook, I spoke to someone very high up at Apple, I can't remember her name but she was the rudest person I've ever spoken to, she said she worked directly for Steve Jobs.
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I don't know what your motive is for posting this other than an attempt to damage Apple's public image, but you don't remember her name? I think your credibility is zero.
 
knapkin said:
I have a feeling that there is a bad batch of clear resin on some of the nano's.

Before I bought mine, I went to an apple store and took my fingernails to one of the black nano's there. I was unable to create a scratch. So I bought one and have been keeping it unprotected in my jeans pocket for a couple of weeks now... Not one scratch. This leads me to believe one of the two following reasons for all of the complaints:

1) There was a bad batch of plastic used on some of the nano's that is softer than it should be.

2) People who say it was scratched with a soft cloth cleaned it after taking it out of their pocket with keys, loose change, and other hard metal objects.

I for one believe 1).
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Apple already admitted that .10% of the nanos had a problem (peoples screens were cracking). I am guessing that batch is larger than expected, and the people complaining about scratches just haven't been rough enough to crack the screen...yet.
 
Facts about this topic

1. The nano is made of the same polycarbonate, with the same hardening coating as the prior two generations of full-size iPod, and the current video-enabled iPod. Therefore, any materials characteristic is precisely the same as these other product variants.

2. All iPod models since the beginning of the product have been a bit susceptible to light cosmetic damage from abrasion. This can be noted by scnning messagboards, including Apple's own, back 4-years. 'Scratched iPod' is not a new topic.

3. The sales pace of the iPod line has been accelerating. Thus, the newest models get into many more owners' hands much more quickly than earlier times. So, the initial raw number of new owners for any new iPod is relatively huge.

4. A large percentage of the new owners have never owned an iPod, this being their first experience.

5. iPod owners, as a group, are hugely more web-centric in their lifestyle than the general public. If something gets posted to the web, iPod owners, en masse, quickly know about it.

6. Freak-boy, with the smashed nano screen put up his gory pictures and whiny complaint about "bad screens."

7. A wave of iPod owners (expecially newer nano owners) suddenly stopped, walked to the nearest lamp or sunny place, and started micro-examining their iPod at close range in careful lighting... squinting... browsw furrowed... searching out the nasty 'scratches.'

8. Pow. Mass hysteria. Suddenly wave after wave of folks began squinting at their iPods, suddenyl discovering newly seen scratches, and postign their observations to the web. ... which, of course, caught the attention of even more folks... who then began squinting at their own iPod, finding 'scratches,' and then posting even more tales of woe to the web.

9. All iPod models, from Day One, have been prone to surface abrasion damage, as it's the nature of clear-coated polycarbonate. There is no such thing as a 'scratch proof' polycarbonate surface coating... well, there is, it's just not clear. As the coating compounds get harder (something around a Rockwell Scale hardness in the high-30's), the coating becomes noticeably less transparent. Polymer chemists are burning brain cells the world over trying to increase the transparency of harder coatings. As it happens, Apple (and everyone else) adopts the slightly harder coating. So, while Apple is saying 'the same coating' regarding the nano and prior models, it's more likely the nano coating is very slightly harder than the one used, say, two-years ago.

In other words, this is a perfect example of web-inspired hysteria... nothing more. Period.
 
swingerofbirch said:
Right before Apple announced the extended logic board repair program for the iBook, I spoke to someone very high up at Apple, I can't remember her name but she was the rudest person I've ever spoken to, she said she worked directly for Steve Jobs. Anyhow she told me that they would not fix my iBook that had a fourth broken logic board. So anyhow, I said well there's a pending class action law suit, it looks like a lot of people have this problem. "Lies. All lies," she said. She said something to the effect that she was sick of people like me and the others filing frivolous lawsuits. She said Apple had no knowledge of systematic iBook failures, three days later, they apparently did.
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avus said:
I don't know what your motive is for posting this other than an attempt to damage Apple's public image, but you don't remember her name? I think your credibility is zero.
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Every time you call up someone do you remember their name - I don't. And for the record - I'm sure there are a lot of people that work "directly for Steve Jobs."
I once talked to someone from AOL who said he worked directly for the President of AOL (I know not the same as CEO, but...). He was very unhelpful. I wanted to know why they offered free AIM accounts offering 2GB or e-mail storage, while paying AOL customers only got 100MB. He just said he AOL offered 2GB, I double checked, to this day it is still 100MB :eek:
 
Apple already admitted that .10% of the nanos had a problem (peoples screens were cracking). I am guessing that batch is larger than expected, and the people complaining about scratches just haven't been rough enough to crack the screen...yet.
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This could be. I don't remember if it was the lcd that was cracking or the plastic cover. If it was the plastic cover, I agree that these may be symptoms of the same underlying cause. Then the solution is easy. If you have a scratched nano, stress it until the screen cracks. Anybody willing to test this theory? ;).
 
knapkin said:
This could be. I don't remember if it was the lcd that was cracking or the plastic cover. If it was the plastic cover, I agree that these may be symptoms of the same underlying cause. Then the solution is easy. If you have a scratched nano, stress it until the screen cracks. Anybody willing to test this theory? ;).
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Not I!
Well...I don't even have a Nano - Anyone want to give me one? ;)
 
EricNau said:
Every time you call up someone do you remember their name - I don't. And for the record - I'm sure there are a lot of people that work "directly for Steve Jobs."
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The poster didn't just "call up" someone. It was specifically mentioned as "someone very high up at Apple" so that she should have identified herself and the position at Apple. Read a post more carefully next time.
 
Well after reading everything, a few thoughts come to mind:

- Are most of the complaints coming from white or black nanos? From what I've seen in person, black seems to show more because well its black. A white scratch on a black iPod is going to be severly more noticeable than a white scratch on a white iPod unless you scratch a white iPod it shows up black (I wouldn't know I've only had a 2G blue mini, which never got complaints from me about scratching)

- As long as it doesn't impact the FUNCTION of the product, cosmetic damage doesn't phase me that much. My car has thin paint which is easily susceptible to scratches, but it still drives great and I don't notice the scratches while driving much like I don't notice what the iPod looks like at all while playing music (this may change because of watching video, but only time will tell).

- None of the above would matter regardless, because if Apple were forced to share Nano profits, they would get their money right back by releasing the $25,000 6G iPod that encased in pure diamond!! Guaranteed never to scratch!! Hey it sucks they covered all the I/O ports but at least its scratch-free. The ultimate non-functional, product gawking experience in a way only Apple could deliver. Now available in 1 and 2 GBs :rolleyes:
 
Dude, have you ever seen an ipod nano that's been in someone's soft cotton pocket for more than 10 minutes? It's hilarious how many people on this forum seem to be speaking authoritatively about this issue who clearly have never seen a nano in the wild.

I'm routinely accused of having the lowest level of attention to detail among my circle of friends. I don't know if I've ever squited at anything in my life - I'm too lazy. But believe me, I have to tilt my nano to the peoper angle in the sun to see THROUGH the thicket of scratches and read the screen. The source of the scratching is none other than a couple of hours in my soft, clean, otherwise empty cotton pant pocket.

It's good to know folks like you, who personally witnessed the apple resin being manufactured, are here to calm the mass histeria though. I feel better already.

MacWhispers said:
7. A wave of iPod owners (expecially newer nano owners) suddenly stopped, walked to the nearest lamp or sunny place, and started micro-examining their iPod at close range in careful lighting... squinting... browsw furrowed... searching out the nasty 'scratches.'

8. Pow. Mass hysteria. Suddenly wave after wave of folks began squinting at their iPods, suddenyl discovering newly seen scratches, and postign their observations to the web. ... which, of course, caught the attention of even more folks... who then began squinting at their own iPod, finding 'scratches,' and then posting even more tales of woe to the web.
Click to expand...
 
Get rid of class-action lawsuits altogether, that's my opinion, at least against companies over product functionality issues. If you don't like your Nano scratching, then don't buy one. Let the market decide how scratch-resistant the coating should be. Stop the interference by the bumbling judges. If it's too easily scratched for the money, then people won't buy them, and Apple will get a clue. The courts should have no say in this in my opinon.

What they should do is put in the end-user agreement something about scratches, and by turning on the iPod for the first time, they are bound by the agreement. Heck, put in there that by turning the iPod on, they agree not to participate in a class-action lawsuit against Apple. A company can put anything they want in the end-user agreement. And if the user turns the thing on, they're bound by it. Lovely things, contracts.
 
AP_piano295 said:
...
Show of hands how many of you have actually seen a nano?
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I've played with a couple of them. They didn't seem terribly good or bad but it was probably too early to tell. I don't have incredibly faith in Apple's ability to protect beyond reason but at least, they're dealing with the situation.
 
avus said:
The poster didn't just "call up" someone. It was specifically mentioned as "someone very high up at Apple" so that she should have identified herself and the position at Apple. Read a post more carefully next time.
Click to expand...
Everyone always identifies themselves when working for a company - if they don't you should check the number you dialed. This is nothing new. Just because they tell you their name doesn't mean you should write it on a Post-it, stick it to your forehead, and keep it for the rest of your life.
I read the post and understand it completely. My point was just because someone may have forgotten the name of whom they were speaking to, doesn't mean they are making it up. I've talked to people before working at High positions (as noted above with AOL), and I couldn't remember their name if you pointed a gun to my head.
BTW - I didn't "just call up" the worker for AOL - he called me.
 
fklehman said:
Quite true. You shouldn't use anything to clean you iPod's LCD that you woudn't use on your laptop's LCD. Both are equally sensitive. But then I'm sure most people understand that. I'm ot trying to start a fight, honestly, but I don't remember this issue seeming big enough at any point to warrant a class-action suit. I know some of the sites have reported sporadically on damaged nano LCDs, but the coverage has been sporadic, not constant. And if there was a widespread issue you can bet the rumor/mac sites would be harping on it. In fact, I seem to recall Apple taking the initiative and replacing a number of damaged screens that were part of a bad batch. Maybe someone can clear up this misunderstanding if I have the wrong impression, but this lawsuit seems overblown to me, given my current understanding of the situation.
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Strawman argument...

Realise this.. your laptop's LCD is not the outer part of the laptop that is constantly exposed. For the iPod however.. it is.
 
So, you don't believe in class-action lawsuits, but you believe contracts are a "lovely thing"? Judges are bumbling, and the courts should have "no say" in these kinds of matters? Fascinating. Logic too deep for me I'm afraid.

But I can't resist. When two parties to one of your "lovely" contracts disagree, how shall the disagreement get resolved? By bumbling judges I presume.

For a moment I thought you were simply making an argument against "class action" lawsuits, but it's clear from your further comments that you have contempt for the whole of the legal system, save for the lovely contracts themsevles.

age234 said:
Get rid of class-action lawsuits altogether, that's my opinion, at least against companies over product functionality issues. If you don't like your Nano scratching, then don't buy one. Let the market decide how scratch-resistant the coating should be. Stop the interference by the bumbling judges. If it's too easily scratched for the money, then people won't buy them, and Apple will get a clue. The courts should have no say in this in my opinon.

What they should do is put in the end-user agreement something about scratches, and by turning on the iPod for the first time, they are bound by the agreement. Heck, put in there that by turning the iPod on, they agree not to participate in a class-action lawsuit against Apple. A company can put anything they want in the end-user agreement. And if the user turns the thing on, they're bound by it. Lovely things, contracts.
Click to expand...
 
trailblazer said:
I don't take my BMW back to the dealer when a scratch appears on my car. Or a paint chip for that matter.
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simple as that people. it's going to get scratches...live with it.
dont expect beautiful visibility in the sun... no LCD is like that...
 
trailblazer said:
simple as that people. it's going to get scratches...live with it.
dont expect beautiful visibility in the sun... no LCD is like that...
Click to expand...

To continue the analogy...

I think people are upset because their BMW's are getting scratched after they take the time to hand wash them with a nice soft cloth (if the complaints are true).
 
(wasn't just saying BMW's, but any car.)
if you expose a car to the elements, it gets dirty in the first place. theres no way around not getting scratches, nicks, things like that in your car.
Same goes for a nano. It's just wear and tear, live with it..
I own both a BMW and a Nano.
 
I completely agree about the wear and tear aspect of it. However the complaints that worry me concern scratching when wiped with a lint free cloth and the sort.

However, I would also argue that if driving through the rain scratches your car and/or windshield you should definitely take it back to the dealer. I find this use comparable to putting your nano in a clean cotton pocket.
 
But we know it isn't like that. I would really like to see this get somewhere and see how these people prove that the iPod nano becomes unusable with scratches. Let them ridiculize themselves complaining about a tiny unusable mp3 player. To me it just seems that these people are looking for a way to screw Apple. If Apple already admitted they had problems with a percentage of nanos and were going to resolve the problem, I don't think they wouldn't want to just refund or give these people a new iPod.
The bad thing is that we rarely find out who these people are and see what their claims were actually based on, and or if they were right or not.
 
Lawsuits like this make me think Adam Corolla's idea of one lawsuit per decade is a good idea... "Oh, you wanna sue the Doc. cuz he left scissors in your insides and you've now got a massive infection in you? Well sorry, you used up your lawsuit suing Apple for a scratched iPod." :rolleyes:
 
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