@JeffDM
I don't agree that because people complain about the scratchy, shiny back that it is a poor design choice, or that it should be changed because people complain about it.
My *guess* is that its not that big of a problem, or maybe its not really a big complaint, which is what brings me back to my claim that those who continually complain about it are whiners. Like I said, its not my first design choice, but it is far from a bad design choice.
Do you really think its "intentionally sensitive?" It doesn't make much sense to pick a material that is intentionally sensitive to scratches. I'm sure there are other reasons behind the design choice - but lets face it - Apple is selling loads of iPods. Apple is going to sell loads of their new iPods, all of which are in their Nth revision, and all of which sport the shiny back (save for the Shuffle). Either nobody cares, or its easy to overlook the scratches, because, here we are, at revision N with the shiny backs.
It still frustrates me, after revision N, that people still whine and bitch - after they purchased the product! It would make more sense to me to not purchase the product if you are not happy with its design.