The $4 iPod Nano Fix

With all the recent negative press surrounding the apparent scratching issue with the iPod Nano, some people are finding their own ways to repair the diminutive player. Todd Dailey, an Apple aficionado, has discovered a way to solve the scratch problem - and it only costs $4 USD.

Dailey has used his Nano as a guinea pig for a multitude of tests, including homemade accessories and tests to see what works and what does not. "As you can see on previous posts on my blog, I've been having a lot of fun with DIY projects with the Nano. I'm quite proud of my DIY Nano lanyard," Dailey told BetaNews.

So when the issue of scratching began to appear, Dailey decided to once again put his Nano under the hammer. "Never fear, I put my nano at risk for your sake," he wrote on his Web log Tuesday.

Dailey said he had read several posts on the popular technology Web log Slashdot that claimed Brasso worked well in removing scratches from the surface of the iPod. "I felt pretty safe about trying it," he said.

To perform the fix, Dailey used iKlear, a commercial cleaning solution made for Apple products, several cotton rounds and two microfiber cloths to apply the Brasso and iKlear. Dailey says iKlear is optional. "The iKlear is just a cleaner. It's optional, although their kits come with nice microfiber cloths, which were useful for the process," he said.

Dailey tested it out on a third-generation iPod and was impressed with the results. He then moved onto the Nano, where the results were even more impressive.

"I feel the need to assure you that these are actual unretouched photos of the final clean nano," Dailey posted beside pictures showing the results. "The Brasso got rid of every single scratch. My nano looks completely, totally brand new."

The process takes about 20 minutes, as the Brasso requires time to work, according to Dailey. However, the results as shown could provide solace to the many concerned Nano owners that a fix for the problem is indeed available - and at a very reasonable price.

"I think the good thing is that I've shown that with a little work, customers upset about 'normal use' scratches can completely remove them and restore the nano to like-new condition," Dailey said.

He also believes the reports of widespread scratching were overblown, although Apple may have made a mistake by not having cases available at the product's launch. "I don't think that the nano is any more easily scratched than any other plastic iPod, although I do think the black Nano shows scratches more easily, just like a black car," he argued.

Dailey did blame part of the problem on the negligence of users themselves. "People on the Web who have complained that they scratched their Nano by carrying it their pocket with keys are crazy," he said. "Who would do that with a $200+ plastic device and not expect scratches?"