Scratches on back

Question

Level 1

8 points

Scratches on back

This is my first iPod and is clearly a very gorgeous piece of kit. I love it. However, I do think the fact that the (lovely) chrome back is so susceptible to scratching is a design flaw. I mean, clearly the thing to do is to buy a case at the same time and put it oh so carefully into it as soon as possible but that ought to be made clear to potential buyers. Also, what is the point of designing a portable gadget like this which is pretty much unusable out of the box unless you are prepared to let it get badly scratched? It ought to come with some sort of basic protective sleeve or something in the box. Also, with a clear warning on the packaging that handling this item at all in its 'naked' state may damage it's appearance irrevocably.. I know I'm not the first person to bemoan this design feature and I'd be interested to hear what other people think.

The reason for this mini-rant? I bought mine the other day, took it out of the box and carefully laid it down on a piece of paper on my desk (I am very careful with and very fussy about items like this). Then I moved it to a wooden shelf. When I picked it up, unaware of the afore-mentioned fragility, it brushed very slightly against the wood and when I looked at the back it had suddenly acquired a series of little scratches. Superficial and small barring a couple of slightly longer ones but enough to really annoy me, given I usually take great care not to scratch pieces of expensive kit. Grrr..

So I am currently awaiting the availability of a proper case, which will take a couple of weeks. Meanwhile I'm almost afraid to use it in case I scratch it more (I have a couple of rings on my hands e.g.) and I am keeping it in a soft camera case wrapped in a cloth. I know there are plenty of cases out there but any recommendations for something that might be available in Ireland?

Also, does anyone know of any way to remove the scratches without doing further damage? They're really only on the surface of the metal. Any sort of polish or other product/method that might help? Thanks.

Intel iMac Core 2 Duo 20" + Macbook (mid-2007), Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Oct 2, 2008 4:34 PM

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Answer 1

pgchin

Level 2

150 points

Oct 2, 2008 4:47 PM in response to MarcusMax

I also love a good piece of work and the Touch look and feel is great. It's thin and has a solid feel. After a week, the back looks like a baby's rattle. I hate to think of putting it in a big thick case. So, my poor man's back protector, the top sticky portion of those big Post-it sheets cut to fit the back of my Touch. Paper thin, cost: free.

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Answer 2

WC

Level 1

10 points

Oct 2, 2008 5:14 PM in response to MarcusMax

Try Invisible Shield. Well worth the price and excellent protection from scratches, but without the bulk of a regular case.

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Answer 3

Oct 2, 2008 5:16 PM in response to pgchin

i got a skin from decalgirl to protect the back from scratches, since the screen is unscratchable
but it takes up so little that it still fits in the stock stand!

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Answer 4

MarcusMax Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 2, 2008 5:32 PM in response to spiker369

Thank you all very much for those suggestions. I will look into them, including the post-its!

Any thoughts on whether/how I can get rid of the existng scratches? I'd love to be able to bring it back close to its original pristine state.

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Answer 5

David.

Level 4

2,145 points

Oct 2, 2008 9:10 PM in response to MarcusMax

The finish is quite thin. I wouldn't expect you will be at all successful removing existing scratches on the back.

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Answer 6

foxcub 6

Level 1

76 points

Oct 3, 2008 1:15 AM in response to MarcusMax

Hi i have owned my ipt for nearly a year now and have it in a rubber case for protection.I have noticed a few light scratch marks on the back and this must be due to dust entering the case somehow its not a big deal but like yourself i thought apple may have coated the rear to prevent this, its still a great piece of kit in any case excuse the pun

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Answer 7

MarcusMax Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 3, 2008 2:37 AM in response to foxcub 6

I've come across people using Brasso and similar products but I can only imagine that would make it worse. Has anyone tried anything like that?

I suppose a certain amount of scratching is inevitable but a coating on the rear as foxcub 6 suggests or a very thin laminate or something, would be a very good improvement. I own several other pieces of kit, mp3 players, a psp and so on, that I have had for years now and they all look in great condition and I don't have to keep them permanently housed in cases, though they're all stored in them when not in use. With this baby, less than 1 hour out of the box and absolutely minimal handling and there's visible damage. C'mon Apple..

In terms of cases, my preference would be to have a protective case to keep it in but to be able to take it out and use it and admire its sleek curves in 'safe' conditions, rather than have it permanently hidden in a cover. I was looking at the Griffin leather one for example. Any other recommendations along these lines? Thanks again to all who have responded.

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Answer 8

bizzyb0t

Level 1

10 points

Oct 3, 2008 4:45 AM in response to MarcusMax

I too, am annoyed at the susceptibility of the back to scratches. What makes this problem worse, imho, is that Apple doesn't have the cases for them yet. This is something they should have had ready at launch. I pressed the rep at the Apple store and she claimed that it was impossible for Apple to have the case ready at launch because the design of the new touch (and all their iPods) is a carefully guarded secret. I asked her what that had to do with it and she claimed that Apple didn't share the design with case manufacturers. I got a chuckle from a fellow customer when I asked her if the iPod were manufactured by blind people and kept in quarantine until the iPod were officially released.

What's funny, is that there's 3rd party manufacturer that have cases available.

I only had my iPod Touch for 3 days, and babied it the entire time and it still got scratched. I applied an invisible polyurethane coating on the back but it doesn't cover every square millimeter (mostly around the edges).

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Answer 9

MarcusMax Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 3, 2008 2:59 PM in response to bizzyb0t

Yeah, I absolutely agree with what you say about the timing issue. I bought mine during the week from an Apple supplier in Dublin and again, I've been told that it will be at least a couple of weeks before cases are available. The only ones I could find anywhere were for the previous model which of course don't fit properly and cover up the volume controls. So what are we supposed to do? Either keep them in the box until cases are available or else allow them to get scratched, which is very annoying if you like things to remain in good condition, which of course not everyone does. I agree that if they can't be manufactured with some sort of built-in protection, then they should either be supplied with a basic cover in the box or else, as you say bizzyb0t, cases should have been available at launch.

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Answer 10

Oct 4, 2008 2:00 AM in response to MarcusMax

the ipod back and any metal polish do not go together.

i just thought why not read the ipod touch forums.

my ipod scratches story
when my ipod video was how many hours old, it had hundreds of unsightly scratches. after a month hiding it in a case, i bought me a can of metal polish. i wiped it on the metal, and to big surprise, scratches vanished!!!!! ONE BIG CONSEQUENCE THOUGH, POLISH IT, GET RID OF SCRATCHES, POLISH IT, MAKE THE APPLE LOGO FADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! because of heavy polishing,i made the printed info on the back fade. i erased the details. better live with the scratches.

Message was edited by: iownaniphone3g

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Answer 11

MarcusMax Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 5, 2008 5:58 AM in response to iownaniphone3g

Yes, I'd be afraid of something like that happening. Maybe a bit of very careful polishing just on the areas that have the scratches, avoiding the printed details.. I'll think about that.

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Answer 12

hexonxonx

Level 4

2,495 points

Oct 5, 2008 2:14 PM in response to MarcusMax

I've been thinking of buying an iPod Touch but I won't be worrying about the scratches much. It's meant to be used. I have a 160GB Classic that I kept in a case for a year but took the case off last month. I also have an old 30GB iPod Photo that was rarely in a case. The backs of these iPods are scratched but hardly ugly.

Next year there will be new iPods again and likely I will buy one and the scratches on the old ones will hardly matter.

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Answer 13

Oct 5, 2008 2:35 PM in response to hexonxonx

I bought from ebay a beautiful silicon cover for my Itouch. Fits like a glove, no scratches, stylish.

Looks awsome!

Try to buy one too,
G

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Answer 14

Oct 5, 2008 2:41 PM in response to MarcusMax

Working in the pharmaceutical industry I work with alot of stainless but the stuff I'm used to is a high grade that only scratches with some heavy use. I was really surprised how easy these scratch..... nothing you can do though

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Answer 15

MarcusMax Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 6, 2008 2:45 PM in response to Divingtigger

All these points taken. I know they're meant to be used and that the material is pretty light-weight, therefore bound to scratch. I stand by my point though, that a little extra thought on the design and this could be avoided; clearly a lot of people feel as I do about that. But of course they are meant to be enjoyed and not kept untouched in a glass case.

Lavallois, any chance you could post a link to that silicon cover you bought? Sounds great, as long as it's for the 2G model.

Thanks to all.

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