Didn't want to say anything, while it was all being sorted out, but...

...my iPod Nano self-destructed on Sunday! They say pride comes before a fall, and as I was pulling it out of my pocket to show my old mate (and loyal reader!) Stevie, there was a jaw-dropping moment when I realised there was a big fuck-off crack running down the LCD causing the screen to be about three quarters obscured.

Bugger!

That night, I checked various Apple and iPod forums and discovered other people making the same complaint, with some stating they were getting short shrift from after sales care, that their complaints were being met by hostility by staff. One delightful trend was that the people highlighting their complaint were being rounded upon and pilloried by Apple loyalists on the forums. Brand loyalty is one thing, blind devotion is quite scary. Mob rule is never pretty, but these guys were ready to go to war for the honour of a corporation's good name. Freakjobs. After years of being an Apple nut ridiculed by my PC lovin' comrades, I had a scary night of looking beyond the curtain. It was like LOGAN'S RUN, dudes! My little stone had turned red and suddenly it was my turn to hide.

Fortunately, I only got through to lovely, helpful people at Apple who quickly arranged for a replacement to be sent out, and the damaged one collected. This morning the news broke big, and I no longer had to worry about strangers stoning me in the street because I had pointed out that my piece of Apple gear had self-destructed in my pocket.

So basically, I had an iPod Nano for six days, and thoroughly loved it, and hope my new one lasts a helluva lot longer.