Filed under: iPod Family
iPod Nano screens not all they're cracked up to be?
CNet is reporting that some iPod nano owners are seeing their brand new nanos getting all scuffed up even though they were, like, totally careful with it. Now, this isn't exactly news since iPods are notorious for getting finger prints and scratches all over them even from a quick glance.The article goes on to talk about people experiencing cracked screens on their nanos, and that's just not cool. As with everything there is a website chronicling folks' experiences. Head on over to Flawedmusicplayer.com and read some horror stories.
Anyone out there have a cracked iPod nano?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
john spain said 11:19AM on 9-26-2005
not surprising. it's not something you should put in a pocket/loose place with anything else. My shuffle got all scratched up by my accidentally putting it in my pocket with change accidentally once or twice. I'm not surprised some idiots out there did the same, just with something that you didn't want scratched.
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Ryan Green said 11:31AM on 9-26-2005
mine is not cracked, because I don't put it in my pockets! thats the thing that kills it. Note how Steve never sat down during his keynote...
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Derrick said 11:36AM on 9-26-2005
I have owned a few different iPods over time and I have followed the same rule (except for the shuffle) ... buy a case and be careful with it ... simple as that. I have had a nano for a week with no issues ... it fell out of my jacket by accident and all is well.
While I am not discounting that the nano can be scratched easily ... I am more suspicious of some people's definition of 'being careful' ... all you have to do is look at rental DVD's and see that many are not as careful as they think they are.
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alex nydahl said 11:47AM on 9-26-2005
no screen cracking here, but the clickwheel on my nano has started sinking, or else the body of the ipod is rising... (like on the mini and 4th gen ipods, the nano's clickwheel is slightly elevated from the acrylic surface/screen when it's new). feels like something's come loose inside, because when i depress the area between the screen and the clickwheel, i can hear a little click. the wheel itself also feels somewhat warped as a run my thumb around it. it still works fine, but i'm afraid that a growing gap between the body and the wheel will let debris and other things in. like those in the linked story, my nano has stayed in a shirt pocket (no pants, no sitting) or on my desk the entire time. started a repair/replace order via apple's support site last evening... i'm vaguely afraid that i'll send it back to them, and they'll just return it to me saying the damage isn't bad enough to warrant a replacement...
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Sean said 1:37PM on 9-27-2005
My clickwheel was, and always has been completely flush with the face of the nano- that's the one design change that I love about the nano- seems to fit together better than its larger siblings. My screen's not scratched or cracked, but I'm relatively conscious about keeping it protected (I've kept the tape screen protector on there, and I keep it in a handmade cloth 'nano cozy' until an actual skin or case for it arrives in an acceptable color). The back of it scratched tho, I think as soon as I touched it. C'mon Apple, you made this beautiful shiny black player, I'm NOT going to slide it into an ugly pastel skin! Jeesh.
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umijin said 12:27PM on 9-26-2005
Unfortunately, it's more than what we've seen on the full sized iPods. It's literally a screw up.
Had my new nano in my loose shirt pocket for 2 hours with nothing rubbing it, no strap on it - nothing. And when I got to work there were smudges on it that didn't rub off later. But trying to clean with a microfiber cloth seemed to smear the smudges more or make scratches.
The polymer on this screen must be defective to smear up like this. Perhaps it wasn't cured properly at the factory, or they are using the wrong plastics - I'm not sure. But clearly this is a defect that has to be addressed. I'm taking mine back in the coming week and demanding a fix. Not asking, demanding.
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Nick said 12:28PM on 9-26-2005
I have one that I keep in the little pocket that Steve used and it's fine. It doesn't move around and doesn't seem to scratch on the fabric. I wouldn't put it loose in a normal pocket as it possibly would. To anyone who has scratches Brasso or Duraglit (which are very fine abrasives) shold remove the scratches with some elbow power.
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C.K. Sample, III said 12:30PM on 9-26-2005
I have to say, I think this whole thing is a load of crap coming from a bunch of whiny people who don't know how to handle their equipment. Sure, my nano is already scratched to hell, but it's because I abuse the hell out of it, not because the materials are somehow not as sturdy as all the other iPods. The black ones get more scratches? Uh, no. Light is absorbed by black so it reflects more noticeably on the black nano, whereas light gets bounced back by white, so the scratches' reflections get lost in the wash of light.
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Chris said 12:33PM on 9-26-2005
It's plastic, it's glossy, and it's black (sometimes). This stuff is going to happen.
Take any black car, there should be swirls marks and all sorts of scuffs on the paint. If there isnt, the owner must have taken the time and money to carefully get rid of them.
Same thing here. Black iPod nano, fancy clear plastic coating, scratches easily. That is life.
BTW - CNet is a horrible news source and shouldn't be taken seriously. Their News.com section is a little better, but CNet.com is inaccurate and in many instances false. Getting tech news from CNet is eqivalent getting tech new from Maxim Magazine. If you want good gadget coverage, please visit Engadget.com
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Aaron said 1:02PM on 9-26-2005
All I have to say is this: Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars/3) stress tested the hell out of their nano, and that review is what inspired me to buy one. These are well-built devices. That being said, they still need to be cared for and protected (i.e. put it in a case!)
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Patrick Haney said 1:15PM on 9-26-2005
So far, so good.
I got my 4GB black nano on Friday and haven't seen much in the way of scratches just yet. Since there aren't many rubberized covers for it available yet, I decided to leave part of the plastic film that came attached to it when I opened the new box, specifically a small patch just for the screen. The rest of the film was keeping me from working the clickwheel reliably, so I had to cut it.
I hope Apple corrects this issue if it becomes an apparent problem for more than just a few people.
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Phil said 11:07AM on 9-27-2005
I got my new ipod nano a week ago. The first time i used my nano on a walk i put it in my little change pocket. (the same one Steve Jobs uses in his Keynote) When i was done i took it out of my pocket and it was all scratched already. Since then ive put it in a temporary case till i receive my Speck case. I still see new scratches everyday even though i take real good care of it. It's just too damn sensitive. I called Apple Canada about this and this asked my to send it in for assesment but i'm afraid they'll just take my Ipod away fow two weeks just to tell me that's it's my fault not there product.
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dylan said 3:51PM on 9-26-2005
the ipod nano looks sweet but performs terribly.
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Ahmed said 4:39PM on 9-26-2005
Thought this is funny, just so you know flawedmusicplayer.com has been erased from existence (Back To The Future 1).
First one who guesses who took it down gets a nano with a crashed screen....NOT!
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pj said 9:56PM on 9-26-2005
My iMac came with a soft grey wipe cloth. When I got my nano I cut up this cloth and made a 'nano sock'. Not only is it easy to get in and out, but it cleans the nano every time you do. Of course any piece of soft cloth such as felt would work, and your sewing skills don't need to be stella either.
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Varun Seth said 11:36PM on 9-26-2005
Yeah, I bought a 4gb black nano and it was a scratch party like 10 seconds after I took it out the box. I am super clumsy so my ipods tend to do that, but on the bright side (was the pun intended? who knows?), the screen is SUPER bright and it makes the scratches on the screen barely visible. I am still a happy chappy.
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Rob said 12:21PM on 9-27-2005
Being accepting about things in life is fine, but it proves to be bad form when doing business. As a customer, I say that if the screen is proves to scratch more than other ipod screens, then perhaps there needs to be a real investigation into the types of materials and methods of producing polymers for these screens. If Apple is chincing on something to save money then they are being bad. If it is the owner being careless, well, stop being careless. As for me, until I find out the truth of the matter, my buying a nano is on hold. I don't accept second rate for anything.
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Jay said 3:33PM on 9-27-2005
What is better mini or nano?
I own a mini 4GB green. got it for $199
But this thing is $250 for the color screen & 4GB capacity..duh
I think I'll keep my mini, why did u have to remove it from your lineup Apple! I got the mini to get noticed & now you totally removed it from your catlogue damn!
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