Apple coughs up $22 million for damaged Ipods

APPLE HAS AGREED to pay disgruntled Ipod owners up to $25 a pop for first generation Nanos which attracted more scratches than an 80s DJ convention.

The suit alleged that Apple was well aware that the material used on the front panel of the music player was marked easily, in some instances becoming heavily damaged even if wiped with a paper towel, but failed to warn its customers about the problem.

The first iteration of the popular Nano media player was released in September 2005 and it was a matter of days before Apple customers were setting the forums alight with complaints about the diminutive and overly-delicate device, and its inability to stay nice and shiny.

In some cases the player's tiny screen became practically unusable because of the damage caused by normal use. Apple started to issue the devices with a slip cover and warned that carrying the player in a pocket full of loose change and keys could cause damage, but the move was too late to prevent the three-and-a-half year class action suit.

US punters who bought the player without the slip case can claim $25, and those who got the too-little-too-late cover can get $15 back by filling in the forms here.

The full cost of the settlement, which of course allows Apple to get away without admitting it did anything wrong, is expected to be $22.5 million. µ