“So, you have a black nano and now realize that you should have purchased a case or a cover for it. But, it’s too late now, it’s already covered with barely visible scratches and marks that you can only see under a 500-watt lamp. Oh no! What will you do? Never fear, I put my nano at risk for your sake,” Todd Dailey writes in his weblog “I had read on Slashdot and a few other places that Brasso can restore an iPod to like-new condition, but I didn’t believe it myself, and I was a bit worried that it would have some sort of bad reaction with my iPod, such as melting it. After all, a $4 can of Brasso can’t compete with $20+ third party creams and polishes, can it?”
Dailey explains the 20-minute process and writes, “the Brasso got rid of every single scratch. My nano looks completely, totally brand new.”
Full article with description of the process and before/after pictures here.
Advertisement: Apple iPod nano. 1,000 songs. Impossibly small. From $199. Free shipping.
Related articles:
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Ars Technica: ‘Matthew Peterson, public avenger’ – September 28, 2005
Apple shares fall on iPod nano screen issues – September 28, 2005
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Apple replaces iPod nano cracked screens; handful of units affected, WSJ: ‘barrage of complaints’ – September 28, 2005
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mmmmm brasso mmmmm
I’ve used brasso on my 1st gen iPod and it looks great – a few deeper dings which can’t be removed, but heck the thing is three years old. The cheapest protection for my 4th gen was to get some of that electrostatic film in large sheets and cover it. That way you can see the beauty of the iPod and protect it.
brasso brasso brasso
What about that CD/DVD repair solution liquid stuff. You know the stuff that acts like car wax, where you wipe it on, let it dry a couple of minutes and buff it off. Works great for minor scratches on CDs & DVDs.
Wouldn’t Brasso melt/burn the screen. Couldn’t you have tested it on Creative player first
I bought Brasso on sale at the local supermarket for $3.40. Enough to polish 10000 nanos.
I used some on my 3G because of some scratches on the backside. It works, but slowly so you need to be patient. It seems to work faster on the front side than on the back
I should be getting my case from zWorld this week.
Oops, I meant zCover.
Now, in conjunction with Apple replacing nanos with faulty displays, this story can finally be laid to rest.
The only story I want to hear about nanos from now on are sales numbers, accessories and how much money Creative is going to spend on a new ‘war of the nanos’
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LISTEN!!
I have spent many many years polishing brass for Uncle Sam, if you don’t use the right cloth, you’ll put MORE scratches on your iPod!!
NASTY SWIRLS TOO!!
Use a clean, free of hard stains and grime, worn out, cotton t-shirt or underwear. First wipe any dirt off iPod before rubbing fine grains of dirt into iPod like sandpaper.
Use water to wet cloth slightly and then apply Brasso to cloth, rub back and forth, NOT IN SWIRLS!!!
Prankster links, locks Mac’s, hard reboot needed
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” />
http://ads.adsonar.com
http://js.adsonar.com
Well the whingers have won out over this proposterous scratch complaint, thanks to the media picking up this story (With the exception of I imagine a few rare genuine stories of screen meltdowns).
Every mobile phone I have ever owned I have gotten scratches on virtually straight away, because I don’t care. But I would never dream of complaining.
Personally I have no sympathy for losers who don’t cover their iPods the instant they take them out of the box. Like CDN Guy, I always put one of those clear adhesive films over the screen. But also I put them in a case. I would never consider putting an uncovered iPod in my pocket, they I do with my phone.
This just tells me we really do live in a society of ‘victims’ who do not take personal responsibility for anything they do.
IMHO
Before we lay this story to rest, can we acknowledge that rushing to Apple’s defense everytime someone makes a valid complaint might not make sense? I know everyone here likes Apple, but being a die-hard apologist is a little over the top.
We now know there was a manufacturing defect with the Nano, one that this site claimed was pure ‘FUD’.
I personally am sick of the community unwilling to take Apple to task for constant manufacturing defects. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last.
I for one will never again purchase an Apple computer since having extensive dealings as an AARP with the corporate ‘Support’ department. These people care about sales, first and only – service is a complete afterthought.
My 0.02$
See the comment above my last one, by BRAD T, perfectly illustrates this ‘fanboy’ attitude.
Apparently, Apple can do nothing wrong. That’s fine – but don’t try to shout down or insult people who actually have the intelligence to complain.
I run FreeBSD on x86 hardware – I’m no fanboy, but I certainly am not part of the military-industrial-Microsoft complex.
Try some respect, fanboys, it goes along way.
Colin,
FreeBSD on used x86 hardware. You are an expert on cheap computing.
I guess that means you don’t even use an iPod. You don’t even use a Mac. You don’t use any Apple software. Why are you here anyway? Why even visit this site?
You are the very definition of a troll.
I’ve had good results with Brasso and other metal polishers. My favorite is actually a plastic polish I bought waaaaaay back at the dawn of CDs. It’s called Novus Plastic Polish and it comes in two “grits” plus a cleaner.
http://www.noscratch.com/novus/
Sorry “From <blank name>:” No, I cannot make the acknowledgement you requested. There is nothing wrong with rushing to Apple’s defense, because the number of folks desiring to put a fork in Apple way outnumber those of us willing to rush to their defense. There was a small manufacturing defect affecting fewer than 1 in 1000. That is of course significant to the ones who got the defect, but that did not justify the “barrages” or the Wintel FUD attack on nanos. So no, as long as there are those ready to pounce on Apple at the slightest hint of an issue, there will be plenty of us ready to try to keep it in perspective.
But now that you made that comment about Apple support, I think we know where you are coming from. You’re an unhappy former buyer, who is now a whiner and a complainer. I have been buying Apple products for years, dozens of pieces of equipment. I have bought AppleCare for some, and not for many. I have never had anything but excellent supportt and service from Apple, including the early years, the Sculley/Amelio years, and the glory years since. I am a fan, and I have not been disappointed. So, you’ll never buy another Apple computer? Bully for you, but too bad as well, because you’re missing out. Still, that’s your choice. But it also means you are inherently not objective; if anyone does, you lack the perspective to be even-handed here, because you refuse to test your own bias. That is your right, but don’t ask someone to agree with you just because of the nano defect. I’m with Brad T here. Want respect? Earn it. Others may think you have; I don’t. Sheesh, you don’t even use a fake name.
Nameless Colon writes:
>>Apparently, Apple can do nothing wrong. That’s fine – but don’t try to shout down or insult people who actually have the intelligence to complain.<<
Intelligence aside–because we have no way to evaluate whether you have any–as someone who does not buy the product, you have no right to complain. You can pretend to be a gadfly all day long, but even that scumbag Matthew Peterson bought the product about which he decided to be a public avenger. Al is right, you’re just a troll. You can spout off all you want, but you haven’t bought a ticket to justify your complaints about the movie. Your “mad prophet” act doesn’t work. Move along now to somewhere else that might appreciate the “lifting of the veil” that you so desperately want to deliver.
MW: “miles” as in “put some between you and us”
No, I am the very definition of one who knows how things work. I actually *use* a variety of products and as such get to know them quite well.
I have a Mac Mini, because it is a kick-ass piece of hardware.
You sir, are the very definition of a FANBOY. One who does not address any of the points I make, but rather, resorts to personal insults in order to villify my position.
Also, I support a law firm that uses Macs, including a proxy running OpenBSD on x86 hardware – we’re not cheap, we don’t like buying Apple hardware, because it is generally more expensive than the alternative with no performance difference.
Any other questions? Also, notice I have the nerve to post an email address unlike the one who calls *me* a troll.
I’ve got one working right here. I just find that Apple, unlike any other manufacturer, has a ridiculous and non-sensical group of fanboys who will make up the most elaborate and convoluted fictions in order to defend their chosen vendor.
Apple screwed up, not the first time. Sorry, I guess only ‘Apple, Ra Ra!’ cheerleaders can post here.
Fair enough, but can we also acknowledge that blowing a story way out of proportion that only truly impacts 0.1% of the iPod nanos sold might also not make any sense?
It has nothing to do with being a “fanboy,” it has to do with telling the full and honest truth about an issue. Including the fact that while the complaint was indeed valid, it only impacted a very, very small number of units. Not to even mention the fact that in less than one week, Apple came forward with a statement promising to replace any defective nanos that were sold.
I’m sorry, but trying to get Apple Store employees fired, practicing blatant self promotion, and blowing things way out of proportion as that guy did with his website had absolutely nothing to do with the real issue at hand.
1) I’m not defending the guy who was flagrantly self-promoting his nano screen problems site. Kudos to him for removing it after Apple’s response.
2) I’m aware that competitors will jump on this news as a way to erode Apple’s market share, and I’m not saying that there isn’t an overblown amount of press on this – it’s kinda like the media is saying ‘Gotchya!’. Now, in the technical sites, like Slashdot, Wired – you should expect this, since they report on these types of issues, but seeing it in the Guardian, Yahoo, etc. is a little much, I grant you.
To clarify, my frustration is with some inidividuals who insist that anyone who is complaining is some kind of:
1) liar
2) paid colloborator of Micro$oft
3) stupid
It just gets inane after a while. It isn’t becoming, it doesn’t help, it alienates people. Sometimes a problem is just that, a problem.
Finally, Apple needs to work on aftermarket support. Ordering parts is often difficult and overly expensive, particularly for anything over a couple years old. This is obviously mainly due to having proprietary parts (and we’ll not go into a discussion about this) but could be rectified by trying to keep some stock on hand for out-of-warranty systems. As it is, having to order power switches from some unknown in China for a 4 year old color iMac gets frustrating. People who jump up and tell me to shut up because I dare to speak against poor Apple drives me absolutely up the wall.
For accuracy’s sake:
The .1% number refers to the cracked-screen defect, not the scratchability. That one, they continue to deny exists.
Telling someone they shouldn’t take their iPod out of its box without having a case to put it into without risking damage to the thing is like telling people they need to install virus & spyware protection to their Operating System before they plug it into the internet.
iPod nano: The Windows 2000 of the portable media market.
I’m sorry, but the majority of people here have not been saying things like that. For everyone on here that has posted a silly claim blindly defending Apple, there have been an equal or greater number of incredibly ignorant claims that are blindly trying to tear Apple down.
The bottom line of the frustration overall has been that there was an issue that only impacted a tiny fraction of the iPod nanos sold, yet it was twisted into a FUD driven tale that basically stated that EVERY nano ever sold has been defective.
Whether you or I personally like Apple or not is completely irrelevant to the discussion. The fact is that the nano screen problem was being blown of proportion to a ridiculous extent and some people took exception to it because it wasn’t true. I don’t see a problem with defending the truth myself, whether it involves Apple or not.
Then feel free not to buy one PC Apologist, nobody’s putting a gun to your head…
Wake me up when the scratch-proof model is out.
My 3rd gen 40 gigger stayed in the box until its spanish leather case arrived. Just checked it out … yep … scratches. That ain’t good design full-stop … unless it’s built-in obsolescence … in which case….