Writen by Wilson Ip
iPod nano is infamous for being prone to scratches. The surface is so easily scratched that people had been scratching it within the hour of opening the box. This may be because Apple used a different formula of polycarbonate than previous iPod models. Regardless of why it is the case, scratches suck; especially so when it is on the nano. The nano being so small the scratches especially noticeable and damaging to the experience since they take up larger portions of space. Even a single scratch on the screen could ruin everything.
Like many people, I didn't buy the rumors. I treat my stuff with great care; I was going to be an exception to the scratches. It sucks to be wrong. Now, it is many moons after the fact. Compared to the early days we now have a lot more accessories and products to help us keep our nano minty fresh, if we are willing to pay for them. There are also products aimed to bring back the polish of those unfortunate, disfigured nanos. Hopefully, you aren't on the same path as I was on.
Early Preventions:
The best course of action of course is to prevent your nano from being scratched in the first place. Unlike the very early days of nano, there are now an abundance of cases and skins you can protect your precious with; get one when you buy a nano. Stories of scratching the iPod nano with an hour of opening the box are actually true; sad as it is the nano scratches that easily. Nowadays, Apple ships the nano with a slip case, so perhaps it won't wear as quickly. That slip case however, is not the most effective of methods or the most pretty. Trust me on this, shelling some extra cash out for a nice case is well worth it if you want to keep it smooth and pretty.
One of the best skin cases out there for nano is iSkin Duo. They feature an ingenious two layer design that protects the nano with near perfection. Everything except the hold switch is covered, and covered well. Beyond the awesome protection it provides, they also come in a variety of color combinations (the outer layer and inner layer have different colors); not only do they work, they look good doing in. You should definitely consider checking them out. The list price may seem a bit high, but you can usually find them selling for much lower than that online. And even at list price, this skin is well worth the money.
But what if you are looking for more? You want a case with even better protection: one that withstands scratches, dust, shock and even water. Well, in that case you are in luck. OtterBox makes such a case for nano; a scratch/dust/shock/water proof, thick plastic case. This is what I call overkill protection; it isn't a case, it is a thick layer of armor. This think is simply beyond the line of duty for most people. The only down side is that it is quite bulky.
For those who do not wish to alter the look of their iPod, you can get some adhesive protective film covers for some skin tight protection. Just stick them onto your nano and you have yourself a form fitting layer of scratch protection. They aren't going to provide much protection beyond scratching, though. Power Support films had been quite popular, so you may wish to check them out if this type of protection is what you are looking for. Keep in mind that a lot of film sets cover only the front and back surfaces but not the sides, so be sure to check before you buy. Also, some films do not adhere well (quite useless if that is the case) so be sure to check some reviews first before purchasing.
Late Stages:
So your iPod is terminally disfigured. Its beautiful surface scratched up; worse yet some scratches are on the display and now an "n" looks like an "m" and you can no longer tell between "c" and "o". All is not lost. There are still ways to reduce the damage, even though you may not be able to reverse it. There are various brands of scratch removal polish that can help. The thing to know is that they are not perfect; although they do make a difference. They can reduce the severity of scratches but they cannot completely remove them.
There are a few notable iPod scratch removers, such as iDrops, iCleaner, Radtech Ice Creme and various ones from the company Radtech. Some work better than others of course, so be sure to check for reviews. A thing to note when using these products, regardless of the brand, is to follow the instructions. A lot of people apply them intuitively, but doing so may not get you the full effect; taking a few minutes to read through the instructions is well worth it for a better result.
If you are one of the few who don't mind scratches, I envy you whole heartedly. But for those who do care, there are many measures you can take to avoid scratches or to reduce them; prevention is always the best option though. Hopefully they next generation won't be so scratch prone, but for now, we'll just have to deal with it.
Wilson Ip is the webmaster of iPod-Cool. You can find reviews and articles on [i]domestic[/i] and [i]Japanese[/i] iPod accessories. Visit the iPod-Cool website. |
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