“In space, no one can hear you scream. In cyberspace it is a different matter. After weeks of tussle, one little website has forced the mighty Apple to acknowledge a problem with its iPod Nanos, the rinky-dink music player thinner than a pencil that can hold 1000 songs,” Alison Rowat reports for The Herald. “[Buyers of the iPod nano, which] has been flying off the shelves… had complained about cracked screens and scratches. Apple says the problem only affects a tiny proportion of the stock and has offered free replacements.”
MacDailyNews Note: In the U.S., at least, “rinky-dink” means “old-fashioned, amateurish, or shoddy.” By reading Rowat’s entire piece, it is clear that she didn’t mean that definition to apply to iPod nano. We’re pretty sure that she meant “tiny.” Also, we’re not so sure that one tiny website forced Apple to do anything they weren’t already planning to do. A manufacturing defect in a batch of products is a quality control issue that any reputable company would take care of sans online hysteria. Apple is different, as Rowan attempts to explain.
Rowat writes, “Just an everyday story of a manufacturing blip. It would be, if Apple was an everyday company with everyday customers. That, however, is like saying the Beatles were a fairly popular beat combo. To many of its followers, Apple is not a company: it is a religion… Not that the followers of Apple should be tarred with the same brush as the members of such cults, or “new religious movements” as they, and their lawyers, like to call them. But Apple-heads (and I confess to being one) do have some things in common with cult members.”
Rowan writes, “The promise of free [iPod nano] replacements has restored peace in Mac paradise… Elsewhere in the blogosphere, some unhappiness remains, particularly over Apple’s advice that anyone worried about scratches on their [iPod nano] should buy a special case. It looks as though the apple of innocence about Apple might have been eaten. Still, when a religion acquires its doubters, it truly has arrived.”
Full article here.
Advertisement: Apple iPod nano. 1,000 songs. Impossibly small. From $199. Free shipping.
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First post?
We’ve got to come up with an awesome name for this religion, like…
Macism
Yes yes I know, im a genius
MW: point
As in “Look over there! It’s a point!”
maybe it was a typo…..he must’ve meant something like “shrinky-dink”
MW: center- as in “Apple is the center of digital music (and more)”
You mean, like the warranty?
Once Apple found a manufacturing defect, the “promise” was just empty words. They’d cover it under warranty anyway, no special treatment required.
And I’m with MDN–that “little web site” (which was half about abusing one single Apple employee and trying to get them fired and being a jerk about doing so) did not push Apple into addressing this. They were starting to already–otherwise they wouldn’t have been ABLE to respond this soon.
CONGRATULATIONS, username! Man, I wasn’t sure you could pull it off, but you really stuck to your guns. What an accomplishment! Your parents must be proud. I mean, I’m sure hey had high hopes for you, but a first post on MDN? They must be beside themselves with glee.
Don’t let this opportunity slip by! This isn’t just another line on your resume–it could be your big break if you play your cards right. I have a little bit of experience with publicity, so if you need any advice about where to send press releases, I’d be happy–make that honored–to help. Wow.
The iPod Nano is “tiny” and the nano whiners web site is “rinky dinky”
She wants a nice little nano bikini so the guys can touch her button.
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Indeed if ‘Macism’ were a religion do you think perhaps purchases of all things Apple might be considered a tax deductible donation?
I confess and proclaim to the world that I am a Macist and am willing to engage in Macological discussions with anyone interested in Macism, or The Way of the Mac, as it is called in some circles.
Throw off your shackles and enter the light, oh ye poor windozers! Climb up from the virus infested pits of mediocrity and let the clean clear wind of the Macintosh Experience scour the taint of corrupt registries and illogical actions such as stopping with the start button from your soul. No longer shall you be missing dlls and illegal actions will cease to haunt you.
Come! A new level of computing enjoyment awaits you. You have only to say the word and the Macintosh Community will welcome you with open (and very helpful) arms. Come! OS X awaits!
MW: light
If it was a religion, then people would call us zealots. And that would suck.
This religion does have a name: brains.
Feverishly, “More koolaid, pleeeeease!”
Religion? Oh come on. Religious fanatics more like it. Here I take a chance and see what result transpires…
Apple sucks at times coz they produce shoddy equipment – iPod batteries which last 18 months, iPod screens which break, laptop screens which break, laptop hinges which break, laptop DVD drives which break, some models are subject to overheating, some even pop capacitors. Some models have bugs in their firmware such that they’re starved for data from the hard discs. Plus, their computers run at half the speed of the competition! I could go on.
They gouge their customers to help afford Steve’s nice jet, yet also have billions in the bank which is not returned to shareholders. They basically act as arrogant as they possibly can with anyone and everyone. Elitist is quite possibly their mantra, I don’t know.
Now, that’s just a taste of what could be said, and probably has been said many times before. However, if Apple users weren’t fanatical, you’d all say, “Yea, he’s got a point on many of these”, but I suspect this will get flamed, thus proving many of you are indeed total fanatics.
Good day to you all.
ps this is of course just a joke, intended to enrage the masses of fanatics out there… we’ll see.
pps i’m such a kidder.
I just wish that more windows users would get a clue that there is a REASON that Mac users are so enthusiastic about their computers. And its not the cases (although those are very nice).
Sorry, that’s bugs in hardware, not firmware. If it were firmware, the bugs could be corrected.
There is one HUGE glaring error to this article, she is confusing the “Cult of the iPod” with the “Cult of Mac”. There are many iPod users who have never experienced a Mac and in many cases probably never will.
Actually, I quite liked the article. I was just trying to imagine hearing the writter read it in a curly Scottish accent
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MW: “Wrote” as in: “Stop fscking doing this shit” she wrote. I started this and I’m gona end it! lol
A story about a story…
For the record.. Apple didn’t really admit any design flaw.. just a vendor problem..
Apple doesn’t MAKE the screens.. or the batteries.. that go into the iPods..
The uproar with the PSP still hasn’t fully stopped and they’re not a religion
I love Macism. It is the only true digital Religion. I was baptized into it almost 2 years ago and my life change for the better.
Thank You, Pastor Jobs for showing me the light.
“iPod nano ‘screen issues’ really just FUD?” read a recent thread title.
That does not qualify as religionism. Sucking Steve’s nuts while smelling his sphincter love, maybe.
Mike,
For the record the Nano has the Apple logo on it. It is sold by Apple and the profits go to Apple. Everything is outsourced nowadays but any problems perceived or otherwise are ultimately the responsibility of Apple.
On another point I think Matthew Peterson should be congratulated for having the guts for highlighting a problem. Likewise Apple has shown they are a broad church by accepting responsibility. However I can’t say the same for MDN and some of the zealots who frequent this site for saying a lot of nasty things about Matthew for no other reason than telling the truth.
For the record Matthew’s piece appeared in MDN the day before I was about purchase a Nano. I changed my mind and bought a 6 gb mini instead. Hey, it’s my wife’s birthday later this month and I don’t want any problems. Thanks Matthew!
“To err is human to forgive is divine.” Think about it.
In the UK, ‘rinky-dink’ means spot-on, OK, just-so, and other variations. She’s paying a compliment.
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1. Apple is not perfect. It just seems that way when compared to their competition.
2. People were not stuffing their plastic full-sized Pods into their pockets, but most often hung them from their belts or placed in brief cases. The nanos are being thrust into and out of pockets filled with loose coins and hacksaw-like keys, and you want to whine about scratches on your black plastic? I bought my black nano on day 2 of its release and it looks like new today (I actually do use the watch pocket as Steve demoed it, and further reduce the risk of scratching it by keeping it at home when I have fake nails on while cross dressing as Cher on Saturday nights).
Common, this is not news. “Dinky” means “very small”.
Or “dinky die”, which means small as dice.
Lay off and give her a break for god sake. Her article is fine, she is a confessed Apple fan and user, and the article is attempting to minimise the damage to Apple over this affair. We should be supporting and encouraging her!!!! What on earth are you thinking!!!
Not everbody is super intelligent, and not everybody is anal. AND, the fact that some of you people are so sensitive to every article mentioning Apple having to be written scientifically and politically correct to the power of infinity, just shows insecurity in your beliefs.
MDN WORD: “DOTH” as in “Methinks though doth protest too much”
Everybody who has criticised this journalist has made a VERY BAD CALL.
I enjoy the passion of working with a fine tool, be it an automobile, boat, airplane, enlightenment machine whatever. It is a symbol of human evolution. I don’t know if I would adore humans or their creations as one of the many Gods (would you like a door or curtain?) but I certainly am passionate about some.
Now if I had to pick a religion, would not be a mac, perhaps some women, after all it was the last thing the dude created so it’s gotta be close to perfect.
Now if that woman is using a mac, so much the better.
So what you’re saying is it is not a religion, it is an ‘INTELegent Design’?