- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 187 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
3.0 stars
"After more week, more scratches than in Grandmaster Flash's lifetime"
Pros: video quality is solid for the product, nice size, looks sharp when you open the box
Cons: scratches, scratches, scratches
Summary: I bought this item before it was released in stores. I spoke to a few Apple reps on the phone, who told me that the Nano scratching issues were remedied before the release of the 5G. Given my past experiences with Apple products (previous IPods), I felt like rolling the dice on this one and going for it.
I bought it in black and received it a week ago. At first glance, it looked great. I had already coverted some avi's and mpeg's, and loaded it all up no problem. Television programs looked great on it, and for a few days I was watching videos on my commute. As a "free" add-on to the IPod, the video function surpassed my expectations.
Another overlooked benefit of the wider screen is the ability to see all the music in a more organized manner. More other features were identical, but looked great on the beautiful screen. Altogether as far as functionality goes, it was a great upgrade from my fourth generation 40GB model.
As I moved closer to the end of the week, I noticed a few hairline scratches on the surface of the IPod, which was a surprise given that I always kept it in the case provided by Apple. While I planned to purchase a skin as soon as they became available, I assumed that the pleather case provided by Apple would suffice.
A week after I received the IPod, the surface was covered in scratches. I was again surprised, as it had been in the Apple case, and I had only cleaned the surface with a microfiber eyeglass cloth. While most of the scratches were faint and could only be recognized in the light, one scratch was across the screen and significant enough to dampen the picture quality.
After a number of calls to Apple tech. support on this, I had little to no luck. I was simply told that "this was the first time
they heard of problems" and that "it is not covered under the warranty". Needless to say I expected tech. support to be more understanding given the lawsuit against Apple for the fragile Nano surface.
I latered scoured the net to find that a number of other consumers who recently outlayed a good $300-400 were also upset about the scratching. At that point, I had made a decision. After reaching an understanding service rep. in Apple's sales department, my 10% restocking fee was waived and my 5th generation IPod was on its way to Apple's return center in California.
I did really like the video capabilities and beautiful screen, so I'll be holding out to see how Apple addresses this issue before potentially buying either a new video IPod (and skin), or a competitor's product. It also explains my rating of 6. Features are great, but the lack of durability is simply not acceptable for a MOBILE audio/video device. So what's the moral of the story?
1)At this point, your 5th generation IPod WILL GET SCRATCHES even when using the case provided by Apple
2)If you buy this Ipod, don't customize it so that it can be returned within 14 days.
3)Always push to get the restocking fee dropped
4) Don't bother with tech support
5) Buyer beware (even with a strong brand such as Apple).
Where to buy
Apple iPod (60GB, video, black):
$499.99
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$499.99 | Yes |
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