While all iPods are susceptible to scratches, I can attest that the iPod Nano is unusually sensitive to cosmetic damage, especially the black model. Within 24 hours, my 4 gigabyte black model had an unusual number of scratches, especially across the screen, which compromised the picture and album art viewing quality that Apple boasts. This did not happen through unusually rough handling. I’m pretty careful with my iPods, and my Nano acquired most of its scratches while being toted in the breast pocket of a dress shirt after only one day.

I used Novus scratch remover with mild success, but Todd Daily reports quite a bit of success in restoring his Nano with a $4 can of Brasso.

This became so frustrating I returned my Nano, and invested an additional $50 for the fourth generation 20 gigabyte color model. It immediately went into a white iSkin case, and now I can sync my entire 7 gigabyte iTunes library without having to worry about trimming the fat, like I did with the Nano. It’s nice not to have to worry about space limitations.

Apple’s response to the scratch-prone Nano has been a little disappointing. While I’m pleased that they have offered to allow users with cracked screens (another flaw, purportedly limited to only a relatively few Nanos as the result of a vendor problem), Apple’s response to scratches is “buy one of our fine cases.” The problem with this, however, is that the Apple Store has a 5-6 week-long delay in shipping its Nano Tubes.

Next time, Apple, re-consider using a stronger polycarbonate material on the iPods surface, and make cases and skins available alongside the release date of new products.