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I don't see the big deal here either. I wonder how these people carry there iPods. I never use my pockets and have always bought a case for my iPod and my wife's. What is the big deal? There is no specified link or statement that Apple has ever made saying the iPod is scratch proof or industructable. Someone keeps pushing this story in favor of the lawyer who wants to get rich quick.

Sorry, MDN, the screens scratch easily. Not a big deal when the screen is just there for scrolling to what you want to listen to, but a big pain in the ass when you are meant to watch videos on it.

In comparison, the PSP, with pretty much the same look material for the facing of the machine is much tougher. I've carried it and my nano in the same backpack pouch and they have about the same amount of use--nano scratched like crazy, none on the PSP.

Display iPods at the Apple Store already were showing signs of wear.

Personally, I can't understand the defense of Apple when there is a similar device, at a similar price, for use under similar circumstances, with basically the same facing that, at least from my experience, is much less prone to scratches from regular carrying around.

Bigfoot used my iPod and now the whole screen is scratched.

That is the last I lend him anything.

"Now, that's not to say that some batch of "soft" screens aren't out there somewhere, but we've simply seen no proof."

Nail on head. Answer that question.

the problem is that these people are expecting a nuclear blast proof ipod. there is nothing wrong with the ipod screen, its with the minds of these people that have nothing more to do with their lives but complain. When you buy a 300 dollar electronic item, it pays for you to treat it with care, not slide it around and rub the screen with your finger. Look at peoples cell phones, you can tell someone who takes care of it, from someone who doesnt very easily.

When I got my first iPod (a 3G) I quickly discovered the screen and other parts did seem to acquire tiny scratches easily and quickly. I immediately bucked-up for a case to protect my precious toy. Problem solved.

All this stupid press about the ease of scratching an iPod is such a waste of time. Get over it folks. Buy a freak'n case or be careful.

Or do they want SJ to come carry their iPod for them?

Turns out Steve's watch pocket is vellum lined.

I just bought a new car. I gave it to a valet parker the other night. It came back with a scratch on one of the wheels.

CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT!

I have physically touched and inspected over 3,000 iPod nano and 5G iPod units as part of my job.

The screens scratch the same as older model iPods. They are no more scratch-prone and no less. The screens are the same material on nanos and new 5G iPods and old 4G iPods.

This whole issue is a canard. One that I believe has been planted by companies that Apple are steamrolling into the ground. This last ditch maneuver will fail, too.

MDN's also got it right: people are now looking hard for something they've heard about and creating an issue when, physically, the screen hardness remains the same. Group psych.

I actually tried to scratch my 5G iPod with my fingernail. Other than a slightly greasy mark from my finger (easily wiped away) there is no physical change in the surface of the iPod.

to many mac users apple can do no wrong! from high prices, batteries and now the screen.
there is a saying which cannot be more true, love is blind.

the reality is that all iPods, regardless of generation, scratch if you sneeze on 'em. I consider this a design flaw that should be remedied, or at least, lessened. I have six of the things.

MDN: "We feel that this whole "iPod scratches" issue has become more of a group-think psychology event than a physical reality. Loch Ness Monster? Bigfoot?"

As usual, MDN takes the Apple consumer is always wrong, Apple corporation is always right approach. Yes, MDN, we Apple consumers are total idiots that see scratches on our Nanos and know they are not really scratches; just delusions is our stupid little heads. MDN really thinks all us Apple consumers are stupid.

And because the ipod and nano don´t scratch that´s why Apple will now be including a case with each new iPod and Nano - to protect against scratches that cannot and don´t happen.

MDN: "...but we've simply seen no proof."
Great detective work Sherlock.

A dingo ate my baby and me iPod.
Me baby's dead but my iPod never got a scratch!
Thanks Apple!

As the owner of 7 iPods between my spouse and I, I have to agree with those that say the iPod's screens (and finish) scratch too easily. But as MDN states, this is a problem that has affected iPods (except the mini) since day one. If anything comes out of all this negative publicity, I hope Apple makes improvements to the design to make them less scratch prone.

iPods are so beautiful to hold and look at, that it's a shame we have to hide them inside protective cases. I was devistated when I got my first iPod (the original 5GB model) and tried to remove some sticky substance from the surface with my fingernail and found that I had just given it a nice deep scratch. Obviously didn't stop me from buying more iPods, but I certainly have been much more careful since that incident.

My iPod nano got mildly scratched the first day I had it. I would have bought a nano tube to protect it, but unfortunately, they are nowhere to be found in the Toronto area even now, and third party cases still aren't available in stores here.

With all of this said, I do believe the class action lawsuit is total B.S., and will probably end up with the plaintiffs getting a refund for their iPod and not much else, but if it makes Apple improve the iPod's durability, then we'll all benefit from better designed iPods in the future. i think it's probably a simple thing to fix on Apple's part, they just need the incentive to do it.

Update to my prior post. My 5G iPod does not get scratched by my fingernail but my 3G iPod does easily. So, if anything the 5Gs are MORE scratch resistant. You can actually feel the difference too. The 5G surface feels very hard and my fingernail bent while trying to scratch it. The 3g felt a lot softer, like it had some give.

Anonymous "I have physically touched and inspected over 3,000 iPod nano and 5G iPod units as part of my job."

Gosh Anon - they are brand new when you inspect them, why should they be scratched??? And maybe they got scratched because you physically touched them. Stop it!
What a dweeb.

As Steve demonstrated the nano is to be shoved in ones pocket for carrying. It´s every day handling, because it is smaller, is different than a larger iPod. Since the nano has a different use pattern it should be made out of better, scratch-resistant materials.

Queeezie,

Can you read and are you able to comprehend what you've read?

You seem to have missed the part where MDN wrote: " iPod screens are not impervious to damage, just as no other portable device screens are indestructible; they never were. If you want your iPod to remain pristine, get a protective case for it as usual."

Read MDN's Take here: http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/apple_ipods_have_always_been_far_too_scratchable/

Botvinnik;
A typical hurricane has sustained winds of 100 - 150 mph. Winds in some stronger storms may exceed 200 mph.

The maximum speed of a sneeze is 312 miles per hour.


mmm... don't sneeze when watching videos on iPods!

I never said that the over 3,000 iPod units I've handled were new units.

iPod nanos and 5G iPods are no more or less scratch-able than previous iPod units. And there is no Loch Ness Monster. Sorry to burst your bubbles.

The rest of you "iPod Scratchers" who've touched one iPod or seen a couple in a store situation seem very sure of yourselves. More than a few of you have never even seen an iPod nano or iPod 5G in person - just pix online.

I repeat: I have physically touched and inspected over 3,000 iPod nano and 5G iPod units as part of my job.

The screens scratch the same as older model iPods. They are no more scratch-prone and no less. The screens are the same material on nanos and new 5G iPods and old 4G iPods.

This whole issue is a canard. One that I believe has been planted by companies that Apple are steamrolling into the ground. This last ditch maneuver will fail, too.

MDN's also got it right: people are now looking hard for something they've heard about and creating an issue when, physically, the screen hardness remains the same. Group psych.

It is interesting that our family has lots of electronic gadgets, from ipods to other companies mp3 players, to digital cameras and camcorders, walkie-talkies ,cellphones etc, etc. We don´t baby any of the products, stuff them in bags, pockets, where ever when we travel. None have cases.

I was curious and did a quick inspection of the plastic gadgets we have to see how bad they are scratched. Curiously, the only ones with any noticeable scratches are the ipods. We carry around our digital cameras and cellphones more and "abuse" them more, but none of the cases are scratched - except for my son´s Sony digital camera that he dropped and it landed on a rock. A slight dent in the corner.
I was surprised to see the lack of scratches in the plastic of our other gadgets and the large number of (small, but visible) scratches in our ipods.

TruthDeflector - yes, you work for MDN. Thank you.

SCREEN PROTECTORS

WHY DO THEY SELL THEM FOR THE PSP AND NINTENDO DS BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE IDIOTS. THE SAME APPLYS FOR THE IPODS. NOT HAVING A SCREEN PROTECTOR IS LIKE NOT HAVING HEALTH INSURANCE EVENTUALLY YOU WILL GET SCRATCHED UP.

Anonymous: "I repeat: I have physically touched and inspected over 3,000 iPod nano and 5G iPod units as part of my job."

What is your job that you have to touch over 3,000 not necessarily new iPod nano and 5G iPod units????
Is that how many people have been returning them to your Apple store???

to whatever: Shift lock/unlock key on your keyboard- it can be your friend.

You know, I've had a nano for over a month and it has no noticeable scratches at all unless you look very closely under a bright light. Then you'll see a few very fine ones.

But then when I went to the Apple store last weekend, it was awfully funny how all of the new iPods I saw there had scratches all over the screen. It looked like on each one that someone had run their fingernails really hard over the screen surface because the same scratch pattern was on each one in the store. If people don't have anything better to do with their lives, they really need some serious help.

Yes, if you take a nail file or have long fingernails and dig in with them, you will scratch the screen, congratulations. But under normal use in a case, you won't get any noticeable ones at all. Because mine doesn't have any after weeks of use.

Queeezie,

I don't work for MDN. If I did, I'd probably just remove your post for its lack of truth. I can't stand moronic statements - especially ones that fly in the face of what is written. MDN didn't say what you tried to pin on them in your post. If you don't like being publicly called on it, then stop posting like a moron.

Sharon,

That's probably true, although very few other gadgets have such a polished finish as the iPod does.

One word of caution to all out there: Don't walk around with your digital camera unprotected in your front jeans pocket. I did this for one day on vacation with no other objects in the pocket, and my Canon digital camera's screen was seriously scratched up with tonnes of small abrasion marks, as though I took a steel wool to it. Even the brushed metal case has very visible wear around the edges. This camera looked mint before that day.

Some fabrics, denim especially, are VERY abrasive, especially when constantly rubbed against another surface (such as an object in your front pocket will receive when you walk all day). Some denims might be rougher than others I suppose, your mileage may vary.

Andy

Magic word: result "I put my Canon SD400 in my jeans pocket for a day and the result is it's all scratched to hell!"

Someone mentioned that the display models in the Apple store were already scratched. Of course the display models are scratched!!! Those things are thrown around like basketballs!!! Have a little common sense for gods sake.
Magic word is pattern. As in there may be a pattern forming here. The next complaints will be directed at the iMac and Apple displays. "Hey, I dropped my Apple display down the stairs and it got scratched!! I want my money back"!!!

We will have to create a new mantra. The old standby 'Don't feed the trolls' isn't good enough any more.

It now has to be "Don't feed the trolls or the Lawyers trying to increase mind share for their latest lawsuit',

I swear most of the negative comments on this issue come straight out of the law offices of Lawsuit Central, the law office with very close ties to Microsoft. Someone alert the DOJ.

InvisibleSHIELD InvisibleSHIELD InvisibleSHIELD InvisibleSHIELD InvisibleSHIELD!!!
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/7074/

I have this product for my nano and I love it...they have it for the 5G too. Best ipod case there is because its absolutely tough and doesn't compromise the iPod look or form factor!

Does anyone have a link to a comprehensive study done on scratch testing all the MP3 players out there? I would like to see the results before buying an iPod. Did Consumer Reports do scratch testing on all models in comparison?

Don't they have any laundry detergent that needs testing??

I have 4 iPods, and I don't care what Apple says and I don't care about all the defenders, the apple Nano scratches very easily. I put it in a center back nylon pocket of my running shorts on the first day, and bingo it was scratched when I got home. Nylon folks, not steel wool.

Buy a case is a great option, unfortunately there were none to choose from when I bought mine.

I have had my iPod photo over six months and barely a scratch on it. That's because I bought a case for it. I suggest everyone else do that to and stop your whining about nothing. Again I see no statement in Apple's commercials stating the iPod is industructable or scratch proof. Buy a case is the answer, how simple is that. The iskin case has a plastic display shield to protect the display.

I have to agree about the scratching issue-- the other day I placed my Nano on a tree stump to see how it would take to my chain saw. Sure enough, the chain saw left indelibly deep scratches and marks on the case and screen. From there I commenced with the cougar test, the shotgun test, the blender test, and the Japanese pointed throwing star test. Sure enough, each instance left a new scratch or gouge in the Nano. I find this lack of quality absolutely unconscionable. My attorney will be in touch with Apple in the morning.

rwinters,
Relating personal experiences in this forum is a waste of time. No matter how truthful your experience is, most of the people will just call you a liar because your story conflicts with the delusional world they've created for themselves. They'd rather bury their collective heads in the sand (or backside) before admitting that their deity is not infallible.

Apple made the right decision by deciding to include cases in future shipments. However, the reason why they did this should not be ignored. They did this because there is a legitimate problem with the durability of the screens. Had everyone gone the MDN readers' route and voiced accusations instead of complaints, this positive thing for the consumer would never have happened.

Where there's smoke...

Your iPod gets enough wear and tear to the point that it annoys you? Just buy another one. They are pretty cheap. And if purchasing one busts your budge, or you have to go into debt, then you shouldn't be buying one in the first place. I end up replacing my iPods before they get worn out with a new version anyway, gotta have the latest and greatest.

Wouldn´t you like to see a closeup of the nano that Steve showed at the intro? What does it look like today?
And when he demo-ed in all the press rounds did he have a a brand new one each time? Word up: He did.

Not
Another
Nick
Oh Sh%&!

Macman: "Just buy another one."

Hey, macman, why don´t you buy us all one.

"I end up replacing my iPods before they get worn out "

They wear out? How?

Macman - I think I heard the bell ring, time to go back to junior high school.

Since this scratch thing started I have been examining display models in retail stores. All of these have scratches. Now the public is going to war over them. DO NOT BUY THE iPOD THEY CAN BE SCRATCHED.

What I want to know why is everyone upset about this but not at the CD/DVD industry? Don't you all treat your DVDs with great care because they scratch so easily? Where is the class action suit against these people?

"Apple made the right decision by deciding to include cases in future shipments. However, the reason why they did this should not be ignored. They did this because there is a legitimate problem with the durability of the screens."

Almost correct. They did this because people don't buy and use products responsibly.

Take care of your iPod the way you would anything else that's precious. iPods are not anvils. They're precious. If you think that a portable music player should not be precious, buy a Walkman or a Bean or whatever.

I keep my cell phone in a case on my hip. 2 years, and near-perfect condition. I travel my old iBook in a bag. Near-perfect condition. I dust my Apple keyboard regularly.

These things are not meant to be durable and weather-proof and wear-resistant. And if you inspect and research before purchasing items such as phones and laptops and PDAs and such, you'll feel that there's a preciousness to them and that they need to be cared for.

I mean, really. Would you go mudding or 4-wheeling in your Mercedez SL600 Roadster?

Why doesn't anyone go buy some Creative MP3 players, and see how easily those scratch? Oh wait, no one cares about them.

At this rate, people are going to start complaining that their cars dent to easily when in an accident!

MDN's and other apologists DENIAL is so THICK you can cut it with a knife!

I am amazed that none of you bozos have bothered to inspec the Nano demo units at an Apple store or Best Buy.

Sure...They look like they have been on display for 5 years, but in fact, most of them are less than two weeks old!

As another poster said...

Great detective work SHERLOCK!

To :rollass:
Have you BEEN to a Best Buy? EVERYTHING there looks like it's been shot buy an uzi. That doesn't tell you a damn thing.

Seriously, the victim mentality people have is amazing. "Oh Lord help me, my iPod has scratches-- scratches!!!!! H-how can this be?! DEAR GOD NNNOOOO!!!!!! (*sob*) Damn you STEVE JOBS!! DDAAMMMN YYYOUU!!!!!"

"iPods are so beautiful to hold and look at, that it's a shame we have to hide them inside protective cases. "

I so much agree with the above.

Apple pls. start making tougher iPods!

BTW: I wonder if any of "case proponents" use a protective case for a wrist watch? I know only one company which makes such cases - Suunto. Moreover I have such a case but it is intended to protect the glass from rocks when u climb.

yes, the victim and envy mentality is taking root, whiners and competitors trying to give Apple a less than a polished image, whaaa.