iMac scratching my disc?

I've had a similar problem. It's a direct consequence of letting visually obsessed designers do anything without close reference to usability - the DVD slot has crisp sharp edges (the iMac frame does too, so watch out for your knuckles!). Very Apple...
Unless you insert/remove the disc with 'precision' a slot edge will score the face. The consumer may be King, but the user is a slave (to duff designers).

The notorious Snow Leopard "finder hang" disrupted my previous post:

I have a 'fix' for the DVD scoring:
1. cut a 120 x 10mm strip of insulating Scotch adhesive tape (or similar);
2. place and smooth it over the DVD slot;
3. (carefully) vertically bisect the tape with a sharp-bladed instrument (I used a surgical scalpel with a 10A blade);
4. press the free edges back against the reveals of the slot with a finger-nail.

Voila! A smooth non-scratching port... perhaps a little Wabi Sabi for Apple but effective.

In case someone wants to know what to look for: http://tinyurl.com/ychfaue

I posted a you tube video of how it happens... Hopefully I can get mine replaced or I have to rig the drive not to scratch the CD. Right now I am using an external just to prevent more scratches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiSKXVXmOTU

I have this problem and actually returned my computer because of it, and my new computer is exactly the same! I talked to senior management about this and they sent me to the Apple Store to have it fixed. The tech ordered a new aluminum encasing but realized it was as scratchy as the previous one, so he didn't do anything to my computer (I waited for 2 weeks!) and told me to be careful when inserting/removing discs from the slot. It is quite amazing to me that such a beautiful computer needs ugly tape around the slot to prevent scratching discs!...and that everybody at Apple seems clueless about this incredibly obvious problem!
A recall must be happening!

On Wednesday, May 5th, I had a very disturbing, frustrating conversation with Dave in Tech Support escalations. He never heard of this problem until I was put on hold for quite a while so he could speak with engineering. There are several documents that are now attached to my file, but Dave told me I can't see them because they are internal documents. Apple is very aware of this problem, but they have no plans at this time to do anything about it. I mentioned putting tape around that area, but Dave recommended against it. Dave is in a higher tech support, but he seems to know nothing about everything and I can't believe Apple promotes these puppets. I am returning my Imac 27 inch i5. I might repurchase it if this problem gets fixed. Apple loves to take our money.

I posted this in another thread, but it's a quick fix to the iMac cd scratch problem (if you don't mind putting scotch taping your new $2,000 computer):

http://imac.squeaked.com/disc_scratching.php

I am also having the same issue!!! This blows, how can Apple just ignore such an easy fix!

I have had many Macs before and never had to worry a bit about scratching discs when inserting them to the drive. Being a Mac, expensive and supposedly the best computer out there, we should not have to worry about this. I took my iMac to be fixed at the Apple Store, they kept it for 2 weeks ⚠ and called me back to get it back...they didn't do anything because they said the new encasing they ordered to replace mine was exactly the same (meaning sharp at the lip where we insert the discs) and couldn't do anything about it!!!
I am not impressed. I put Duct Tape around the lip, and my beautiful iMac looks very ugly, and all my friends why I did that. Not good advertisement for Apple!
Apple should issue a solution for this in the form of a plastic insert to put at the disc entry to stop this from happening and keep their product beautiful.

I had this problem, took the iMac in, and had the drive replaced. Problem did not go away. I brought it in again, the "genius" inserted one DVD, saw the problem, and after speaking to his manager told me I'd be getting a new machine. Got the new machine ... and problem persists. I've owned at least a dozed Macs since the very first one and never seen this level of (lack of) quality control.

Update. Took the iMac back to the store with the photo from imac.squeaked.com/disc_scratching.php. After the 'genius' tried putting some discs in himself jhe asked me what I wanted. So I asked him to tape the edges of the slot -- it may not be a warranty approved operation but it won't void the warranty if an Apple employee does it,

Note: While I was testing the fix he went into the back with another 'genius' and they observed that the slots on the new iMacs are narrower than the ones on the older models!

(Apple is also going to reimburse me for the Netflix disc they ruined.)

ABOSOLUTELY! i just got one 3 days ago, my brother (being the "no-it-all" technician he TOLD my parents i was too stupid to set up my computer (even though i know more about macs than he does) installs the apps i need and sets it up, then he puts in his microsoft office install disc, and my mac wont read it! it just ejects it! so after like pushing it back in HARD 5 times, he looks at it, and guess what!? theres like five sets of barcode scraches! and i knew about this problem which i told him about, but he ignored me. then he phoned apple (at which point i tried putting a disc in myself) and demands a new microsoft office disc from apple. at that point i find out that if you put the disc in slowly, and straight, it comes out un-scratched. i tell him this he just ignores me and gets mad at me and says im being "stupid". he then tells apple he wants my imac sent out for a new one (at which point i tell him thats what happens on EVERY imac, cause of the aluminum) he gets mad at me again, shoves me out of the room, and two hours later he comes out, and tells me m imac is being shipped back, examined, then if apple finds something wrong with it, theyll send a replacement. i ask him how long, he said mid september! I couldnt believe it.

So I'm not the only one, I have even had my first superdrive stop working but still the problem persists, I will have to take it back to Apple

Instead of taping the machine, I picked up a slim portable USB DVD drive (<$50) that tucks neatly out of sight under the screen, resting on the triangular foot.

Same problem here with new 27" iMac -- scratched disks. Even worse, drive will not recognize blank disks so I can't burn. Have appt with Northridge store tomorrow.