Slashdot Mirror
iPod Nano Scratches Result In Suit
Evil W1zard writes "Earlier this week a class action lawsuit against Apple was filed claiming that the iPod Nano has a widespread propensity for scratching easily. The lawsuit alleges that Apple violated state consumer protection statutes, as well as express and implied warranties and charges that Apple knew that there were design problems with the Nano." From the article: "An Apple representative declined to comment on the suit, but Apple has stated that the Nano is made of the same polycarbonate material that's found in previous iPods and maintained that the scratching problem does not appear to be widespread. The lawsuit charges, however, that the Nano contains a thinner coating of resin than on previous iPod models."
I didnt know you could just sue people for releasing a crappy product.
I guess Microsoft and ATI both owe me a few bucks.
Did anyone else have to read this headline four or five times?
I finally got it, though. Someone had their iPod in their suit, which managed to scratch their results.
What if I do the same thing, and I do get different results?
Materials aside, these scratching problems seem symptomatic of a big step backwards in design. The iPod mini that the nano replaced was built from tough, brushed aluminum that stayed beautiful even after months in a pocket with change and car keys.
(I [heart] my iPod mini.)
The lawsuit seemed somewhat legitimate until I read this little gem at ipodnn.com http://www.ipodnn.com/news/05/10/21/ipod.nano.laws uit/
I got a ridiculous amount of hits to my blog posting from a couple of weeks ago where I cleaned the scratches off my nano with Brasso. Actually, I got the idea from the original slashdot thread on the nano scratching issues.
My take: the nano doesn't scratch more than a normal iPod, but it's so small that you're tempted to pocket it, causing more scratches than you would get in the un-pocketable full-size iPods. I see that with the new iPods w/video Apple is now including a *really* basic (fabric?) case. Maybe that was a response to all the talk about the nano. I do think that the nano needs some sort of screen protector or case in order to stay scratch free. I made mine from some old PDA screen protectors.
- "When you want something with all your heart, the entire universe conspires to give it to you" -Paulo Coelho
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST
Well, I don't know about CHEAP watches. Good watches have sapphire crystals, which aren't very easy to scratch.
Fundamentally it's a matter of hardness; anything will scratch if it encounters something harder. Hard materials like diamond and sapphire are pretty much inherently expensive. Thus, any material that would be practical for an iPod will scratch.
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
OMFG! Where do I begin?
1. Every iPod I own has gotten scratches.
2. If you don't like scratches, get a case.
3. If you already have scratches, try Brasso or iCleaner. I've tried both and they work well.
Bottom line, scratches are the responsiblity of the owner. GM won't replace your car if YOU scratch it, so why should Apple pay up if your iPod gets scratched. Meaning that if you own an iPod Nano, it's YOUR fault that you have scratches. Please deal with it in a way that does not involve the justice system as it is NOT their problem.
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
Clearly, Apple should have provided guidelines to help keep everyone's iPod Nanos from getting scratched. I guess it falls to me to provide this valuable public service:
3 . / show/70's_badluck.wav.
1. Do not keep iPod Nano in the same pocket as your keys.
2. Do not run over iPod Nano with your car: http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars/
3. Do not use iPod Nano to scratch off your lottery tickets. Invest in a quarter, instead.
4. Do not keep iPod Nano in the same pocket as your keys, dumbass: http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/tombstone/839
5. Do not gnaw nervously on iPod Nano.
and finally...
6. Maybe think about investing in a $20 ultra-thin case for iPod Nano: http://www.speckproducts.com/nano-skintight.html.
FWIW, in my experience, there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who know how to take care of personal electronics and those who casually throw their new toys in with their spare change. I've had the same iPod for almost 2.5 years now. Still runs fine, still without scratches, and I've taken it jogging, biking, to work, to the bathroom, across state lines, etc. I guess some people just can't have nice things.
Just because other places are fucked up, doesn't mean apple gets to sell defective stuff (assuming that it is defective). The arguments have nothing to do with eachother...
Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley
Get up off your fat ass or out of your ridiculous-looking jogging outfit (which incidentally looks like Richard Simmons beat you over the head and swapped your wardrobe for his) and get your butt down to the nearest cheap-ass Quinton Q. Slimey Attorney's With The Moral Sense Of Horny Bonobo Chimps On Viagra. We'll make Apple pay for your extreme scratching, for your plastic hemerroids that have so damaged your ability to listen to your stolen MP3 tunes.
Look for us in the Yellow Pages, right under Flush Toilets.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
I bought an iPod nano since they first started shipping and I don't have one scratch on it. It's black too, so scratches would be more visible.
I don't keep it in the same pocket as I do with keys, or other objects. I also run an hour daily, and the nano's in my hand/pocket during this time.
I don't know how people treat their nano - I'm somewhat alarmed at all this. It's an electronic product: treat it as such.
Apple has attracted a group of people that place an inordinate value on aesthetics. This isn't the first grumbling we've heard from the faithfull. Remember the Apple Cube and people complaining about "cracks" (small imperfections in the plastic) in the case? Now it's that the nano can get scratches in the screen. This is the price that Apple pays by attracting people that only seem to care about aesthetics. When something goes wrong with the aesthetics the faithfull scream their heads off.
AccountKiller
Sure, they're trying to make a strong case for themselves but "extreme scratching"??? Gimme a break.
Indeed. "Extreme Scratching" sounds like something you might see on ESPN2.
It's a fucking plastic electronics toy. Things can scratch it. Holy fuck, get some perspective, people.
Everybody who owns glasses knows that the choice is: "Glare reducing. Scratch Resistant. Inexpensive. Choose two."
So, Apple chose not to put a scratch-resistant surface on the screens of their low-budget flash-based iPod. Big fucking surprise. Can the nano still function if it's scratched? Hell yes. Can scratches be avoided if you are careful with it? Hell yes.
Buy some brass polish, clean off any scratches you have, and spend six bucks on a slip-case for it. Whatever you do, don't sign on for this class action lawsuit, because the same thing will happen that always happens: Apple will settle out of court, you will get a pittance (like, perhaps a $10 iTunes gift card or maybe a can of scratch-removing polish if you are very lucky), and the scumbag lawyers will make millions and then move on to sue the company that signs YOUR paycheck.
Oh yeah, and everybody pays more for fucking everything because paying off asshole law firms like this has become a routine cost of doing business these days, regardless of what you do or how well you do it.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
considering that it's not being scratched by the freakin' air, you have to do "something" to it to scratch it. Pay attention, find out what that it, stop doing that. problem solved.
I'm no apple fanboy, but not a big fan of idiots either.