Thursday, 29 September 2005

Apple to Fix iPod Nano Screens, Not Scratches

In a statement issued late Tuesday, Apple acknowledged that a manufacturing error led to a small percentage of iPod Nanos with weak screens, which could potentially crack in a tight pocket. Apple says it will replace any Nanos with broken displays, but not those with scratches. Quality concerns surrounding the iPod Nano surfaced shortly after the product's debut earlier this month (See Related News). Some users claimed the player scratches extremely easily, enough that it makes the screen difficult to read. Others reported cracks in the Nano's color LCD screen after standard use.

The problems have even led Nano owner Matthew Peterson to set up a Web site to gather complaints of defects surrounding the diminutive player."This is a real but minor issue involving a vendor quality problem in a small number of units," explained Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller. "In fact, this issue has affected less than 1/10 of 1 percent of the total iPod Nano units that we've shipped. It is not a design issue."

As for the scratches, Schiller said the Nano was built using the same material found in the fourth generation iPod, which was free of complaints.

Betanews also has this news about a USD 4 iPod Nano Fix. Todd Dailey, an Apple aficionado, has discovered a way to solve the scratch problem - and it only costs 4 USD. Dailey has used his Nano as a guinea pig for a multitude of tests, including homemade accessories and tests to see what works and what does not. "As you can see on previous posts on my blog, I've been having a lot of fun with DIY projects with the Nano. I'm quite proud of my DIY Nano lanyard," Dailey told BetaNews.