Whats the Problem with the Remote?

- It's symmetrical so you can't tell which way is up in the dark easily, you have to find the hold switch to orient yourself

- The chrome easily gets fingerprints and scratches and it starts to develop this weird orange sheen from the oils in your fingers where you usually press stuff. I don't want to use a remote with some sort of intermediary material inbetween to avoid staining it just because of a silly design mistake :/ I'd rather keep using it the way I am and have the freakin thing flourescent orange from the stains rather than change my habits for it :P

- The clip is ridiculous. It holds onto less than half a centimetre of material when clipped and it easily gets knocked loose.

It's like they tried to make something that would be as chic and cool as the iPod itself at the sacrifice of practicality.

I'd like an LCD screen just to see whats playing sometimes. I don't want to be able to flip through the menus using the remote, I just want to know whats playing without taking the iPod itself out of my bag or pocket.

i use the remote everyday as well, i just think they could have done a much MUCH better job of it

What's the Problem with the Remote?

Apart from the fact that it sucks you mean?

Functionally it's lacking, add to that everything scarf says plus the fact that many people have reported problems with the cable breaking at the iPod end. I've already had my remote replaced with the problem and I don't even use the remote that often. Apart from the lack of an LCD display which I think is pretty much mandatory given the way the iPod and other HDD players work, ergonomically it's totally misconceived.

It's the little things I like about the iPod, but there's also the little things which annoy you - and the remote is a big annoyance.

Maybe Steve Jobs is lefthanded.

All right, well, I couldn't tell that it sucked, then. I use it everyday and it hasn't broken. I know all my songs so I never feel the need for an LCD to tell me what's playing. I am right handed and clip it to my right hip and that works fine. I control it like second nature instead of taking the iPod out of my pocket. I don't have to feel around in the dark for the buttons, because it's always right-side up. I can tuck the extra cord into my pocket so there's no mess.

Sure, I might take the iPod out of my pocket more often (and be proud to do so) if I had my iSkin (but that's a whole 'nother story, of course) and didn't have to take it out of that included case over and over again. I don't feel comfortable doing that as I feel it's too hard on the iPod's surface.

But anyway, with the remote, I at least find it to be functional and practical. I was just wondering what other problems there might be, because what I do seems to legitimately take care of the problems mentioned above for me.

Maybe my problem is that I've never experienced any better remote, and so I'm all about how cool it is to have a remote. I guess there are much better remotes out there that I just don't know about.

The remotes for both of my iPods are still sealed in their packages. I just never had a use for them.

That was my original plan, but then the thought of my pod's resale value came to mind. Used iPod with ALL NEW accessories, still sealed in their original packaging (yes, the earbuds as well). :DOriginally posted by ZoidbergD
eBay it

The iPod remote is a good example of form over function.

The high-shine finish on the remote was a really bad idea. Probably looked good on the design board but it's ugly as hell to always have fingerprints all over the remote. I know how greasy I am. I don't need my iPod to remind me. I've also now noticed the orange tarnish appearing around the buttons. I can only see it at certain angles, but I wouldn't be surprised if it just gets worst from hereon in.

The symmetry doesn't bother me so much, as I can tell by the position of the clip lever or the feel of the remote cord, versus the headphone plug which way is "up". However it wouldn't have hurt to make the buttons different shapes or something so you could more easily tell them apart by touch.

The clip is very hard to manipulate without pressing a button by accident. I've had to learn to switch the hold on before trying to clip or unclip the thing. If the remote had been designed properly, there would have not been any need for a hold switch on the remote.

With the 3G iPods I think Apple really should have put more thought into the remote. The design decision to use touch buttons rather than any type of physical mechanism is the number one complaint about the new design because it does not lend itself to control by touch, which is what you expect to use a significant amount of time on a device that lends itself to staying in your pocket. It's for these reason I use my remote. I don't care to make a fashion statement by clipping an iPod (or anything else) to my belt, so when I'm using it outside my apartment it generally stays in my front pocket. As such, I don't REALLY have any use for a remote as the iPod is always in reach and it's just a pain to have all that extra cord anyway. But the only way to operate the iPod by touch is to use the remote, so I generally keep the iPod, the remote, and the extra cord in my front pocket and usually clip it to the lip of the pocket so it's easier to find (otherwise you have to fumble through a clump of cord to find the remote, feel around to figure out which side is up, then press a button).

Since I find the remote useful for control by touch, it really would be nice if it had more controls. An LCD would be nice. But otherwise, Apple would have done much better to design the case with a plastic window over the iPod's display and provide a scrollwheel, select and menu buttons on the remote. This way you could use the remote to select songs or playlists without pulling the iPod from its case. Or if you're not using a case, you'd be able to control the iPod form the remote leaving the hold on on the iPod to prevent accidentally touching a button when it's in your pocket.

But seriously, for the money I paid for my 30G, it would have been nice if they just made the remote RF wireless with the receiver built into the main iPod casing. Then I could just slip the iPod into my back pocket when I'm walking about and control it through the remote in my front pocket without a jumble of cord to get in the way...

iRic

Anyone want to buy a functionally excellent remote that has a miniature crack at the bottom?
Sure! Reply here, or PM me, assumong this is a 3rd-Gen version. I would like to experiment with a near-zero length remote cord. When I walk my dog, I find that the best place to put the remote is right on the top of the carrying case's belt clip (the tab on the remote clip is a perfect fit for the slot on the case's clip), but I'm stuck with two feet of cord that have to be gathered up and stuffed somewhere. I'd love to get something to play with cheapppp...