Features

Apple iPod Nano Screen Problems

By Dilip Thomas

Apple's thinnest and, quite possibly, coolest iPod yet, iPod Nano is in trouble with owners filling Apple's discussion board with complaints about scratches appearing on the portable music players' screens. flawedmusicplayer.com (formerly ipodnanoflaw.com)is a site set up to act as a forum for several aggrieved Apple customers.

One of the nano owners had this to say, "...visible lines/smudge/scratch on the LCD of the Nano, This problem started after retrieving the Nano from the front pocket of my jacket on day 2. This was the first and last time I have placed the Nano in my pocket. There was nothing else placed in the pocket except for the Nano. I have brought it down to the Apple Service Centre (& called Apple Customer Care Australia) and was told by them that this problem is not covered by Apple's warranty."

Apple's discussion forums are also flush with complaints about scratches appearing on the portable music players' screens. 'I think Apple is going to have a major problem on their hands when enough of these are sold,' suggests nano owner Richard Spangler. 'They chose a poor material for the Nano and will probably have to change it in the manufacturing process soon.'

A fortnight ago, Ars Technica had stress-tested the iPod nano by sitting on it, by dropping it from various heights and speeds, and by running over it with a car. Twice. The result? The nano proved to be remarkably resilient.

However, although the music playing functions remained intact through all these trials, the screen died early on, after a 9-foot drop. (It took all this abuse, plus a 40-foot drop, to kill the nano entirely.)

iPod experts, such as FreeiPodGuy, suggest that "Apple should have shipped the nano with a rigid case (or made the nano itself more rigid), and should have avoided the theatrical revelation of the nano at its September 7 event in which Steve Jobs implied that the purpose of the little tiny pocket in your jeans was to carry the nano."

After hordes of e-mails started trickling in at flawedmusicplayer.com, experts like FreeiPodGuy are taking a slightly harder position against Apple. "Although I do still think that iPod nano users should use common sense in handling such a delicate device, Apple clearly says on their website that this device is appropriate to be transported in a pocket. (Here's a Google link to Apple.com pages containing the terms "nano" and "pocket". Curiously, Apple's main iPod nano page is not one of them.) As I say above, in my opinion, this device is clearly unsuitable to be in a pocket, especially pants. But because Apple has advertised that activity as OK, Apple is morally--and probably legally--obligated to warranty the nano against any resulting damages."

Are you an Apple iPod Nano owner? Has your screen got beaten by your jean? Share you thoughts with other readers.


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