One girl there said she took her necklace and gently rested it on the scren of her mini and moved it around, and there was no scratches. She then did the same thing to her nano and it made clear scratches. (just FYI)
A couple of points that have already been made but bear repeating:
"1000 songs in your pocket" would lead a reasonable person to believe that it is safe to put the 1000 songs in his pocket. Since there are no perfect pockets, then it is reasonable to expect Apple to make design choices that make the product relatively safe in the pocket. An iPn at an Apple store does not go into the pocket of shoppers so you really can't determine durability from display models. Dropping the iPn is not the same as torquing the iPn. The mini was a tank. Zero flex. The Nano is nothing like any iPod that has preceded it. Because other models didn't have this problem does not suggest that this one shouldn't. In fact, simple, observable physics suggests that the iPn would be prone to screen cracking and shattering while in a pocket because it will be subject to torquing and twisting. It seems Apple did nothing to prevent or lessen this natural effect. Because Apple suggested the product should be used this way and provided no warning that it would damage the product or any device whatsoever to protect against the likely eventuality of suggested use damage, then I believe they should be responsible for the repairs. To protect themselves, they should quit telling people to carry it in a pocket or include a protective device. Till then, I think this ones Apple's fault. ...But their never going to admit it.
They are making a $100 margin. It doesn't matter how that $100 is used internally; it's the fact that it's about two times what many comparable devices net.
Nonsense. The original iPod had equally high margins.
Even the standard headphone and remote jacks do not
have proper strain relief. Give one to your wife or
kid and let them wrap it around the iPod a few times.
See how long it is before they notice clicking or
static. Then wiggle the wire right near the jack.
Notice the static...
that's just stupid - of course you'll hear static - you're abusing the headphones and breaking the wire - when wrapping headphones around a product you should leave a loop at the top of the headphone jack. I really don't think anyone can expect their iPods to survive dropping etc. it's not in its designed use.
.....One girl there said she took her necklace and gently rested it on the scren of her mini and moved it around, and there was no scratches.....
I've been saying it for months and months, the iPod mini is super scratch resistant, i don't know what they used for the screen, but it has survived with very very minor scratches even being in the same pocket as my keys, chucked in my bag with no case, etc... if only all laptop screens and casings could be designed like the iPod mini (with appropriate weight considerations of course)... apple would have a great powerbook and even better ibook line.
that's just stupid - of course you'll hear static - you're abusing the headphones and breaking the wire - when wrapping headphones around a product you should leave a loop at the top of the headphone jack. I really don't think anyone can expect their iPods to survive dropping etc. it's not in its designed use.
i have quite thoroughly abused the headphone jack and even the seemingly fragile Hold button on the ipod mini... and 1 or 2 few-feet-high drops in the car/home... yet again, no worries. *sigh* maybe the mini will make a big comeback in macworld sf 2006?? or maybe i'm just lucky?
A lot of thought goes into these devices from component layout to the texture of the navaigation wheel. Does Apple consider duribility in the design of the iPod? For example, are there better plastics they could be using?
It's not a mystery that iPods are delicate. However, one may consider their fragility a design flaw in the relam of portable consumer electronics. Maybe the marketplace will influence Apple to make a stronger device.
I don't know what other people are doing to their nano, but it is just as durable as previous iPods. I have a 4G iPod and a nano. The nano does not scratch any more than the other iPod. I've had the 4G iPod for over a year and, of course, it has some scratches, but it is all expected and there is nothing that makes the screen difficult to read, even without the backlight. I have had my nano for a couple of weeks now, ordered it the day it came out, and have carried it in my coin pocket and other pockets WITH coins and other items and it has very few scratches. It looks almost spotless and you can only see some very minor scratches in the right light. I have not taken extreme care with it and have experienced no problems. I've dropped it once or twice onto concrete and gravel. This is after 20 days of daily use, taking the iPod nearly everywhere with me:
People who report the scratches must really be hard on their iPods.
Or there could be a batch of plastic that didn't come out right. I'm not a chemist, I can't say.
If it is the plastic, people should stop blaming apple, and start blaming whoever it is Apple buys its plastics from. I work at Eastman Chemical Company (in IT), maybe they should buy from us??? Or maybe they are
this has probably been already brought up but could it be that the black nano makes the scratches more visible than the white? and that apple is using the same material but black makes the scratches more visible? and that this is the same problem with the iPod u2 but since the iPod u2 has been sold in much much less volume than black iPod nano we are seeing this "OMFG it scratches so easily" problem??
I don't know what other people are doing to their nano, but it is just as durable as previous iPods. I have a 4G iPod and a nano. The nano does not scratch any more than the other iPod. I've had the 4G iPod for over a year and, of course, it has some scratches, but it is all expected and there is nothing that makes the screen difficult to read, even without the backlight. I have had my nano for a couple of weeks now, ordered it the day it came out, and have carried it in my coin pocket and other pockets WITH coins and other items and it has very few scratches. It looks almost spotless and you can only see some very minor scratches in the right light. I have not taken extreme care with it and have experienced no problems. I've dropped it once or twice onto concrete and gravel. This is after 20 days of daily use, taking the iPod nearly everywhere with me:
People who report the scratches must really be hard on their iPods.
For the two people that posted pictures thanks.
I am not sure how serious these issues are. The cracking is impossible to verify what the people claim. May be true may not. I don't think it is worth discussing.
The scratches are more interesting. What I find curious is there are so few pictures being offered as proof of either side.
Having said all that many people seem to say the things have scratches so I am inclined to think it is a bad batch of plastic since others say some are not scratched.
Could someone please explain why my nano is covered with scratches, after 3 days, when it:
1) has never been in a pocket with anything else, and
2) has never been in contact with any rings (as I don't wear one)
Apparently denim and cotton pockets are enough to mar it.
<edit> On second thought, it was in the same pocket as my paycheque ... perhaps it's covered in paper cuts.
My 40 gig ipod got scratched from the same activity. The only time I used my 40gig was in my pocket at the gym. Nothing else was in that pocket, just the ipod surrounded by cloth. After a few weeks the entire mirrored back and front lcd were scratched to hell.
I just purchased a nano and love it. It seems real stupid that apple put the nano out for sale, but it's protective 'tube' counterpart is not available yet. That sucks. I will be treating my nano with kid gloves until I can get a case for it.
First of all, something so thin needs to be durable. Steve Jobs himself pulled it out of his pocket. That's what the motive is behind having such a small device. People are complaining they break too easy just putting it in your pocket. Apple's not going to win this one.
If Steve Jobs threw the device onto the floor and then picked it up to use it would you do the same?
A lot of thought goes into these devices from component layout to the texture of the navaigation wheel. Does Apple consider duribility in the design of the iPod? For example, are there better plastics they could be using?
It's not a mystery that iPods are delicate. However, one may consider their fragility a design flaw in the relam of portable consumer electronics. Maybe the marketplace will influence Apple to make a stronger device.
They are using the strongest polycarbonate available on the market - the same plastic used in the original iMac, iBook and iPods. The mini was more durable than normal iPods because of the brushed metal enclosure that did not have a seam around the outside.
Is the nano your first iPod? If not, are you saying that the nano is more prone to scratches than previous iPods? If it is, what do you mean by scratches? Hairline scratches that become visible only when you have light on it at a certain angle? Or scratch scratch that obliterates text in the screen? Why don't you upload a photo somewhere so that we can really discuss how you may have gotten those 'scratches' when, presumably, you have done nothing that should cause any scratches.
Reading this post, I picture you aiming a hot interrogation light on the guy's face, and Steve Jobs nodding, satisfied, behind a double mirror.
You should investigate the guy for those Jack the Ripper murders too, while you're at it.
A couple of points that have already been made but bear repeating:
"1000 songs in your pocket" would lead a reasonable person to believe that it is safe to put the 1000 songs in his pocket. Since there are no perfect pockets, then it is reasonable to expect Apple to make design choices that make the product relatively safe in the pocket. An iPn at an Apple store does not go into the pocket of shoppers so you really can't determine durability from display models. Dropping the iPn is not the same as torquing the iPn. The mini was a tank. Zero flex. The Nano is nothing like any iPod that has preceded it. Because other models didn't have this problem does not suggest that this one shouldn't. In fact, simple, observable physics suggests that the iPn would be prone to screen cracking and shattering while in a pocket because it will be subject to torquing and twisting. It seems Apple did nothing to prevent or lessen this natural effect. Because Apple suggested the product should be used this way and provided no warning that it would damage the product or any device whatsoever to protect against the likely eventuality of suggested use damage, then I believe they should be responsible for the repairs. To protect themselves, they should quit telling people to carry it in a pocket or include a protective device. Till then, I think this ones Apple's fault. ...But their never going to admit it.
I would just like to note that putting it in your pocket and sitting on it are two different things. They've used the "1000 songs in your pocket" since the launch of the original 5 gig, and I don't think that anybody assumed then that you could put it in the back pocket of your tight jeans, then sit down in a chair. What other $250.00 electronic device do people expect to be able to sit on?
edit: I have a 30 GB photo that I put in my back pocket sometimes when I'm walking from place to place, but I've always instinctively taken it out of my pocket before sitting down. It has never occurred to me to subject it to the stress of being sat on. (but that's just me)
The Nano, moreso than previous pods, seems to have bridged a valley between personal electronics and jewelry. Delicate wearable baubles are kept in velvet cases and bags. Personal gadgets tend to be handled more roughly. To me the Nano is in new territory betwixt. Not as delicate as a crystal brooch, but not as sturdy as my old original waterproof Walkman either (the yellow one, I called it Duckman).
Add to the mix a population that has little understanding of mechanics or engineering. I grew up in a family that built and fixed things. My father and both grandfathers were engineers and machinists. I learned to take things apart at an early age and eventually learned how to put them back together. I handle mechanical things differently than most anyone I know. The vast majority of people in the world don't have that background. I want to assume that designers and engineers at Apple realize that and take it into consideration. Maybe this time they didn't give real world usage enough weight.
And here's the best part. Would I put a Nano in my pocket? Probably not regularly, but I might if I was in a hurry or had my hands full. And eventually I would do that, forget it was there and then sit or bump it against something etc etc etc. All my mechanical sensitivity, poof worthless.
People are people, we can't fix that. That being said, I can't help but wonder if the Nano doesn't have a problem.
Comments
One girl there said she took her necklace and gently rested it on the scren of her mini and moved it around, and there was no scratches. She then did the same thing to her nano and it made clear scratches. (just FYI)
"1000 songs in your pocket" would lead a reasonable person to believe that it is safe to put the 1000 songs in his pocket. Since there are no perfect pockets, then it is reasonable to expect Apple to make design choices that make the product relatively safe in the pocket. An iPn at an Apple store does not go into the pocket of shoppers so you really can't determine durability from display models. Dropping the iPn is not the same as torquing the iPn. The mini was a tank. Zero flex. The Nano is nothing like any iPod that has preceded it. Because other models didn't have this problem does not suggest that this one shouldn't. In fact, simple, observable physics suggests that the iPn would be prone to screen cracking and shattering while in a pocket because it will be subject to torquing and twisting. It seems Apple did nothing to prevent or lessen this natural effect. Because Apple suggested the product should be used this way and provided no warning that it would damage the product or any device whatsoever to protect against the likely eventuality of suggested use damage, then I believe they should be responsible for the repairs. To protect themselves, they should quit telling people to carry it in a pocket or include a protective device. Till then, I think this ones Apple's fault. ...But their never going to admit it.
Originally posted by Placebo
They are making a $100 margin. It doesn't matter how that $100 is used internally; it's the fact that it's about two times what many comparable devices net.
Nonsense. The original iPod had equally high margins.
Originally posted by Ocriss33324
Even the standard headphone and remote jacks do not
have proper strain relief. Give one to your wife or
kid and let them wrap it around the iPod a few times.
See how long it is before they notice clicking or
static. Then wiggle the wire right near the jack.
Notice the static...
that's just stupid - of course you'll hear static - you're abusing the headphones and breaking the wire - when wrapping headphones around a product you should leave a loop at the top of the headphone jack. I really don't think anyone can expect their iPods to survive dropping etc. it's not in its designed use.
Originally posted by DeaPeaJay
.....One girl there said she took her necklace and gently rested it on the scren of her mini and moved it around, and there was no scratches.....
I've been saying it for months and months, the iPod mini is super scratch resistant, i don't know what they used for the screen, but it has survived with very very minor scratches even being in the same pocket as my keys, chucked in my bag with no case, etc... if only all laptop screens and casings could be designed like the iPod mini (with appropriate weight considerations of course)... apple would have a great powerbook and even better ibook line.
Originally posted by MacCrazy
that's just stupid - of course you'll hear static - you're abusing the headphones and breaking the wire - when wrapping headphones around a product you should leave a loop at the top of the headphone jack. I really don't think anyone can expect their iPods to survive dropping etc. it's not in its designed use.
i have quite thoroughly abused the headphone jack and even the seemingly fragile Hold button on the ipod mini... and 1 or 2 few-feet-high drops in the car/home... yet again, no worries. *sigh* maybe the mini will make a big comeback in macworld sf 2006?? or maybe i'm just lucky?
It's not a mystery that iPods are delicate. However, one may consider their fragility a design flaw in the relam of portable consumer electronics. Maybe the marketplace will influence Apple to make a stronger device.
People who report the scratches must really be hard on their iPods.
If it is the plastic, people should stop blaming apple, and start blaming whoever it is Apple buys its plastics from. I work at Eastman Chemical Company (in IT), maybe they should buy from us??? Or maybe they are
Originally posted by eekles77
I don't know what other people are doing to their nano, but it is just as durable as previous iPods. I have a 4G iPod and a nano. The nano does not scratch any more than the other iPod. I've had the 4G iPod for over a year and, of course, it has some scratches, but it is all expected and there is nothing that makes the screen difficult to read, even without the backlight. I have had my nano for a couple of weeks now, ordered it the day it came out, and have carried it in my coin pocket and other pockets WITH coins and other items and it has very few scratches. It looks almost spotless and you can only see some very minor scratches in the right light. I have not taken extreme care with it and have experienced no problems. I've dropped it once or twice onto concrete and gravel. This is after 20 days of daily use, taking the iPod nearly everywhere with me:
People who report the scratches must really be hard on their iPods.
For the two people that posted pictures thanks.
I am not sure how serious these issues are. The cracking is impossible to verify what the people claim. May be true may not. I don't think it is worth discussing.
The scratches are more interesting. What I find curious is there are so few pictures being offered as proof of either side.
Having said all that many people seem to say the things have scratches so I am inclined to think it is a bad batch of plastic since others say some are not scratched.
I just hope this doesn't get out of hand.
Originally posted by audiopollution
Could someone please explain why my nano is covered with scratches, after 3 days, when it:
1) has never been in a pocket with anything else, and
2) has never been in contact with any rings (as I don't wear one)
Apparently denim and cotton pockets are enough to mar it.
<edit> On second thought, it was in the same pocket as my paycheque ... perhaps it's covered in paper cuts.
My 40 gig ipod got scratched from the same activity. The only time I used my 40gig was in my pocket at the gym. Nothing else was in that pocket, just the ipod surrounded by cloth. After a few weeks the entire mirrored back and front lcd were scratched to hell.
I just purchased a nano and love it. It seems real stupid that apple put the nano out for sale, but it's protective 'tube' counterpart is not available yet. That sucks. I will be treating my nano with kid gloves until I can get a case for it.
Originally posted by bdkennedy1
First of all, something so thin needs to be durable. Steve Jobs himself pulled it out of his pocket. That's what the motive is behind having such a small device. People are complaining they break too easy just putting it in your pocket. Apple's not going to win this one.
If Steve Jobs threw the device onto the floor and then picked it up to use it would you do the same?
Originally posted by sandboxface
A lot of thought goes into these devices from component layout to the texture of the navaigation wheel. Does Apple consider duribility in the design of the iPod? For example, are there better plastics they could be using?
It's not a mystery that iPods are delicate. However, one may consider their fragility a design flaw in the relam of portable consumer electronics. Maybe the marketplace will influence Apple to make a stronger device.
They are using the strongest polycarbonate available on the market - the same plastic used in the original iMac, iBook and iPods. The mini was more durable than normal iPods because of the brushed metal enclosure that did not have a seam around the outside.
Originally posted by rawhead
Is the nano your first iPod? If not, are you saying that the nano is more prone to scratches than previous iPods? If it is, what do you mean by scratches? Hairline scratches that become visible only when you have light on it at a certain angle? Or scratch scratch that obliterates text in the screen? Why don't you upload a photo somewhere so that we can really discuss how you may have gotten those 'scratches' when, presumably, you have done nothing that should cause any scratches.
Reading this post, I picture you aiming a hot interrogation light on the guy's face, and Steve Jobs nodding, satisfied, behind a double mirror.
You should investigate the guy for those Jack the Ripper murders too, while you're at it.
Originally posted by Mac Voyer
A couple of points that have already been made but bear repeating:
"1000 songs in your pocket" would lead a reasonable person to believe that it is safe to put the 1000 songs in his pocket. Since there are no perfect pockets, then it is reasonable to expect Apple to make design choices that make the product relatively safe in the pocket. An iPn at an Apple store does not go into the pocket of shoppers so you really can't determine durability from display models. Dropping the iPn is not the same as torquing the iPn. The mini was a tank. Zero flex. The Nano is nothing like any iPod that has preceded it. Because other models didn't have this problem does not suggest that this one shouldn't. In fact, simple, observable physics suggests that the iPn would be prone to screen cracking and shattering while in a pocket because it will be subject to torquing and twisting. It seems Apple did nothing to prevent or lessen this natural effect. Because Apple suggested the product should be used this way and provided no warning that it would damage the product or any device whatsoever to protect against the likely eventuality of suggested use damage, then I believe they should be responsible for the repairs. To protect themselves, they should quit telling people to carry it in a pocket or include a protective device. Till then, I think this ones Apple's fault. ...But their never going to admit it.
I would just like to note that putting it in your pocket and sitting on it are two different things. They've used the "1000 songs in your pocket" since the launch of the original 5 gig, and I don't think that anybody assumed then that you could put it in the back pocket of your tight jeans, then sit down in a chair. What other $250.00 electronic device do people expect to be able to sit on?
edit: I have a 30 GB photo that I put in my back pocket sometimes when I'm walking from place to place, but I've always instinctively taken it out of my pocket before sitting down. It has never occurred to me to subject it to the stress of being sat on. (but that's just me)
Add to the mix a population that has little understanding of mechanics or engineering. I grew up in a family that built and fixed things. My father and both grandfathers were engineers and machinists. I learned to take things apart at an early age and eventually learned how to put them back together. I handle mechanical things differently than most anyone I know. The vast majority of people in the world don't have that background. I want to assume that designers and engineers at Apple realize that and take it into consideration. Maybe this time they didn't give real world usage enough weight.
And here's the best part. Would I put a Nano in my pocket? Probably not regularly, but I might if I was in a hurry or had my hands full. And eventually I would do that, forget it was there and then sit or bump it against something etc etc etc. All my mechanical sensitivity, poof worthless.
People are people, we can't fix that. That being said, I can't help but wonder if the Nano doesn't have a problem.
The writers of the quite excellent Ars review also have expressed some skepticism/puzzlement over reports of nano delicateness.
So, I'd take reports of the nano's extreme scratch sensitivity with a fairly large chunk of salt.