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iPod The Official iPod nano Flaw Thread

Apple releases a killer product. But I had a feeling Apple would f*** up somewhere. And indeed they have, the nano scratches so easily. It's almost comical. It's like Apple didn't learn dips*** from their prior experience with the 1G and 2G iPods. They seemed to get it with the mini, but reverted back to idiot mode for some reason.
 
I'll tell you another flaw with them, they are too easy to nick. Nobody even notices you have pocketed one. Some light-fingered git at work stole a 2GB Black sometime between me fetching them up, (the wednesday evening exactly one week after they were announced, I finished earlier so didn't put them away), where they were all shrink wrapped and me counting our stock levels last Monday morning. Unfortunately the security cameras didn't pick anything up conclusive enough to nail any one individual, but I have my suspicions who it was.

iPod nano. The most theivable iPod yet.
 
I think it's pretty clear at this point that there is a serious durability/quality problem with a large portion of iPod nanos currently in the hands of consumers. Anyone who won't even admit that is just being an Apple apologist to the extreme.

Maybe there was the wrong type of plastic used in some of the first manufactured units. Maybe this is just an isolated flaw in the first batches of nanos. Who knows.

This thread is already sinking into what typically happens to threads where Apple products are called problematic/faulty or otherwise placed in a not-so-positive light, even when it's completely warranted, as I believe it is in this case.

You've got the people who own the product. Some of them have the problem, some of them don't. Everyone thinks their personal experience is somehow what everyone is experiencing. Then you have the influx of people who've never owned said product, but whose sole mission is to attack and ridicule anyone who says they're experiencing the problem or who also dares to suggest that Apple take responsibility. Because Apple...*ohmygod*...may not be perfect.

For what it's worth, I bought a new 60GB iPod on Thursday. But I went into the store contemplating whether I should get that or a 4GB black iPod nano.

I only saw the nano display models. And, naturally, display models get "abused", but they're usually just held in people's hands, and not thrown into pockets or elsewhere like if you actually owned it yourself.

The display models were literally scratched to bits. The screens were foggy from all the scratching, viewing album art or pictures, even song titles was a pain. I don't think it would be a stretch to call them unusable.
 
I bought the black nano last night and I would have expected it to be able to withstand light buffing of fingerprints with a soft cloth without leaving scratches on it. I dont know what to think. Then I read a thread about the nano screens breaking in peoples pockets. Part of me thinks I should return it and see if they do something about it. I dont want the screen to break in my pocket then take it to apple and have them acuse me of abusing it and then do nothing and being out 300 bucks. :confused:
 
People act as if pockets are a safe place to put things. They're not. You might not notice how often stuff gets banged around in there, but it happens. I've got a cell phone that is rife with scratches. It has never been dropped. The only place it has ever been is in my pocket.

When you're talking to someone, do you often lean hard onto something (Locker, rail, car) and not even think about it?

As was said earlier, the Nano could have been manufactured with superior components, but it would have cost more for materials and assembly.

Want to keep your Nano looking beautiful? Get a sock or case. Otherwise, it's going to get damaged in your pocket just like every other piece of electronic equipment that goes there.
 
FLAW:

My nano stops working when the battery is dead. I want a recall. :p Seriously, this thread is crazy. It's some scratches. If everybody is so concerned about this, get a nano tube case, a sock, or a hard case when they come out, or just don't put it in your pocket with nothing on it, if this is a concern to you until you get a case. Simple.
 
At first the scratches bothered me. But hopefully you change your opinion about them as I did. I started to think of them as adding character. Ultimately, the thing is going to get scratched up and I doubt I'd ever sell it anyway. So relax and just enjoy the experience.
 
dan-o-mac said:
How is it an Apple problem if you scratch your Nano? Would it be Honda's problem if you scratched your car after you drive out of the dealership? The Nano dosn't come with scratches, if your Nano has scratches it's because you didn't take care of it. I've had a Nano since it came out, not one single scratch. I use it everyday keep it in my front pocket in a iPod sock.
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I take pretty good care of my nano - no keys, no pocketchange to sit with the nano in the pocket. All scratches have been made by the plastic earbud headphones. It's almost a given to have to tuck the nano in with the headphones in the same pocket when not in use, unless if I want to unplug the headphones and put them into separate pockets.

In my opinion, I think that there's something seriously wrong if I need to buy a protective sleeve in order to prevent irreversable cosmetic damage to a $250 music player during normal use in under a day. I had always been under the impression that the sleeves were for more trying users, who maybe wanted to subject their ipods to coins, keys, or the elements - not for everyday use and sitting in a pocket while I listen to a class lecture.

I front pocket the nano, spray it down with iKlear constantly to get rid of fingerprints, never jog with it when the earphones are coiled up with it in my pocket, never keep it in the same pocket as the cellphone, never keep it with keys or coins, and have only 'abused' it by having it rest in my front pocket with the apple earphones while I sit in class. And I'm a guy, so these aren't exactly tight pants either. I would say that the average customer doesn't take care of their nano as well as I do, and I had mine showing mild scratching in a day. That'd be like driving around in your new Honda, and having the paint begin peeling off in a day, unless if you bought a special "paint protector." Add to the analogy that Honda doesn't tell you that your paint's going to peel off in a day without the protector, because every other car you've used has never had the same problem.(At least of the same degree.) And, say that one of the big selling points of the car was how sleek it looked.

Actual functional durability hasn't had a single issue. I'm pretty sure that this thing can take a lickin' before it breaks. It's just that after about two weeks of normal use, it'll look as if you threw it from a speeding car. (Although I still wouldn't do it anyways, even though it's been tested to resist damage.) Wouldn't let that deter anyone from buying a nano, although I'm going to have to keep an eye on the LCD from what Jesus posted...
 
Apple!Freak said:
But you see, to me, it is a museum piece because it's a work of art. I have the same feelings for most all Apple products; especially my iMac G5. For the reason I treat them as I do. I'll spend an extravagant amount of money just to protect such artistic pieces. Whereas the average consumer might glace at such a product and not understand its artistic value in what way they under-appreciate it. I really just have an immense appreciation for art, and I see most Apple products as some of that art.
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here in the real world, we call people like you "wankers". wankers are frowned upon by all of society except other wankers
 
cry me a g*d d*amn river.

sorry that i didn't read everyones post, most of them tho. but truely, something that you carry around with you more than once a week WILL show signs of use.

as i've said before in previous "how do i keep my ipod pristine" related posts, keep it in the package. you're GUARANTEED to have it look like a museum piece.

btw, if you treat all your apple products (directly towards applefreak) like museum pieces, why would you take it outside? you'd never take a monet out just because its a monet.

be real, scratches equal character.
 
lucas said:
here in the real world, we call people like you "wankers". wankers are frowned upon by all of society except other wankers
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Personal attacks are a great way to get banned, unless that is what you are after. You don't have to agree with them, but you also don't need to post slander.
 
uaaerospace said:
How can you accuse Apple of putting form over function when you yourself are upset that the Nano scratches easily but continues to work? Being a little hypocritical are we?
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no.... my whole point is, if they would just sacrifice a little style it wouldnt scratch easily
 
Here is where the problem stems and some have noted it on the nose. People love the Nano for its appearance. Now correct me if I am wrong, however if you bought for its appearance and size then you plan on keeping it that way for as long as possible. If that was not the case you could have bought the shuffle or regular size.

It amazes me as to how many people think that a product that they spend hundreds of dollars on should be scratched with gentle daily usage. I have a 3G iPod and plan on buying the mini soon since I plan on giving the 3G to a sibling.

I would never buy the Nano in its 1st release, as it seems that Apple has used the same materials as the regular iPods except made it thinner to give the Nano its slim appearance.

For once Apple could have put the, "thinner than a pencil" statement and actually focused on daily usage of its consumers. A scratched up Nano is nothing to brag about, and the people who spent that much $$$ are in denial in regards to the scratches to ease they true feelings.

It's not just one or two scratches with rough usage its many with gentle usage.

And I do not need to own a Nano, when I can go to the store and see and touch to know what Nano owners are going through. :rolleyes:

I have to still wonder as to why Apple used white/black glossy plastic on an iPod. Its fine for the computers. Even my iBook doesn't have many scratches and I do not "Handle with Care." Its something I paid for and expect to look decent with minimal care. :)

Is it so hard for Apple to actually used some material that is scratch resistant. You are paying a premium for it, why are we spending more to keep it in mint condition. :confused:
 
My toilet has some major flaws, it doesn't self-clean/disinfect, it occasionally clogs, makes noise, wastes water, etc.

My car needs repairs, and the tank runs dry. Plus it is covered in dust and the cat is always leaving tracks in the dust. :rolleyes:
 
My 4GB White nano is currently sitting in Alaska and all this has been giving me the creeps. Ars Tech. first came out with their nano physical stress test that really impressed me. Then reports of scratch-easy nanos start the flood it. Then others claim that their nano is one tough device.

Waaaaah

I ordered a protective skin from decalgirl.com last week for added protection and now I'm very eager to get it quick as a precaution instead. I sure hope that this problem only affected a single batch of nanos.

Only time will tell whether it's an apparent flaw in the nano. I'd definitely want to see a recall if the sleek mp3 player takes microfiber cloth like sandpaper...
 
2 weeks of use and I've had a couple of scratches whihc required some displex to remove, but other than that its not doing bad at all. I've had it mainly in my pocket when using it (no change or keys ) and its survived quite well. The back particularly well... until Saturday. When I pocketed it with my keys.

The back has quite a lot of minor scratching, but it doesn't actually bother me... and for a bloke whose 60gigger went straight into a Contour Showcase and has never been removed (yes I'm that precious about my gadgets) that is saying something.
Admittedly its the front scratching that would annoy me, but with some displex, and some IceCreme when it arrives, I'll keep it looking good until the decent cases arrive....

The only thing people have said when looking at it, is that they wouldn't buy one despite loving it, because they think they'd loose it!
 
_Matt said:
not to destroy the WOW! factor, but i think 80% of the population could snap the ipod nano in half with their bare hands...:eek:
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I agree! I know I could break the nano with my bare hands. I could also break pencils, glasses, even RAM! But guess what! I DON'T do it! I know how to use the things properly.

My nano has some normal 'wear and tear' scratches but it is nothing worse than my 4G. And I don't take superb care of it. I just throw it in a pocket with the earbuds when I'm not using it.
 
If you're so worried about scratching your "museum quality work of art", just buy a 2nd one and put it in a sealed transparent display case on your desk. ;)
 
steve_hill4 said:
They do scratch easier. Our display models at work were scratched something rotten within a few days, whereas the older 4G and newer colour screen models stood the test of time a lot longer.
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our display model keeps getting "locked down" by customers. the nano must have some new security feature on it. All i know that i wish people would just leave that feature alone, its a pain in the ass to get it off I hear.
 
ZoomZoomZoom said:
I take pretty good care of my nano - no keys, no pocketchange to sit with the nano in the pocket. All scratches have been made by the plastic earbud headphones. It's almost a given to have to tuck the nano in with the headphones in the same pocket when not in use, unless if I want to unplug the headphones and put them into separate pockets.

In my opinion, I think that there's something seriously wrong if I need to buy a protective sleeve in order to prevent irreversable cosmetic damage to a $250 music player during normal use in under a day. I had always been under the impression that the sleeves were for more trying users, who maybe wanted to subject their ipods to coins, keys, or the elements - not for everyday use and sitting in a pocket while I listen to a class lecture.

I front pocket the nano, spray it down with iKlear constantly to get rid of fingerprints, never jog with it when the earphones are coiled up with it in my pocket, never keep it in the same pocket as the cellphone, never keep it with keys or coins, and have only 'abused' it by having it rest in my front pocket with the apple earphones while I sit in class. And I'm a guy, so these aren't exactly tight pants either. I would say that the average customer doesn't take care of their nano as well as I do, and I had mine showing mild scratching in a day. That'd be like driving around in your new Honda, and having the paint begin peeling off in a day, unless if you bought a special "paint protector." Add to the analogy that Honda doesn't tell you that your paint's going to peel off in a day without the protector, because every other car you've used has never had the same problem.(At least of the same degree.) And, say that one of the big selling points of the car was how sleek it looked.

Actual functional durability hasn't had a single issue. I'm pretty sure that this thing can take a lickin' before it breaks. It's just that after about two weeks of normal use, it'll look as if you threw it from a speeding car. (Although I still wouldn't do it anyways, even though it's been tested to resist damage.) Wouldn't let that deter anyone from buying a nano, although I'm going to have to keep an eye on the LCD from what Jesus posted...
Click to expand...

Hey maybe your right the Nano might be a problem, but is this no different than a regular ipod? If you don't protect it, it will scratch? It wouldn't be like if paint just started falling off your Honda for no reason because your Nano is making contact with something and is not protected. I knew right away not to use this thing without some kind of protection because my 3rd gen iPod looks like it got in a fight with a lion because I didn't use a case. I'm all for finding out if there is a real flaw(lcd), but to me it's just common sense if you want to keep your devices flawless, protect them.
 
Today -- National news agencies report that owners of Apple's new iPod nano music player are voicing complaints that the device is too easily scratchable.

Tomorrow -- A million teenage mallrats wander into Apple stores across the nation with sharp fingernails, metal coins and dangly sets of keys.
 
I think a main reason for all the hype about scratches is that the iPod nano comes in black. I just looked at my 3G 20GB white iPod...and if you look close enough and tilt it into the light, yeah, there are a lot of scratches on the white part, some on the screen, and fingerprints and smudges on the back. This has always been an issue with the iPod. Heck, even my screen has three decent scratches on it that you can definitly feel when you run your finger across... but that was the result of my fault by placing the ipod into a backpack pocket with coins, keys, ect. The same thing happened to my new cell phone, I forgot one day and put my cell into my pocket with my keys. The external screen now has a little scratch on it.

Now I think the black nanos may show these scratches up a lot more than the white ones. I agree with some, where as Apple should have (or could have) used a material more like the minis, or something like a Titanium Powerbook, or something like that.

The broken screen issue doesn't really suprize me either, where as I guess the nanos don't have a plastic screen over the screen itself, making it more vulnerable to be broken.

To sum it up, I think that people are getting hyped up about a lot of scratches, where as if they have some they automatically have a "faultly iPod". I have scratches on my iPod too... Anyway, Apple should definitly look into this issue, consider using a less scratching material, put a cover over the screen, and get rid of the silly mirror on the back, and I think they have a winner. Otherwise, this may hurt the iPod name, much like the battery issue.

Worse comes to worse, they could always revert back to the mini and just add a color screen, and admit they screwed up. Steve did it with 3GHz. But they better move fast before holiday sales pick up.
 
I don't have a Nano yet, but I want one.

Normal use for the Nano is IN THE CHANGE POCKET OF YOUR JEANS. Click on your quicktime icon, you will see Steve's change pocket with a Nano inside. No, the player can't stay pristine forever without extra care and a case (which defeats the purpose of buying a Nano based on size), but it should not have an unreadable screen after normal use. Want the rest of the player in pristine condition? Get a case. Want to be able to read your screen? Me too. Something needs to be done because screen scratches cause the player to be unusable under normal use. Other scratches don't warrant a change or recall, but screen scratches do.

-Hasta
 
A lot of feedback related to "appearance"- when you rely on a screen for info (navigating 4GB of music) it is more than appearance.

The screen scratches so easily that the function of the screen is negated. So - there is a performance side. I read posts on a "I hate nano" site and some folks are idiots. You gotta take care of these things! But- some of the posters (same as here) have taken reasonable care, and it is disapointing to loose partial or all functionality of the screen.

I want apple to address this. Make it better! It's only gonna help sales!!!
 
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