Apple What is the iPod made of?

I'm doing this Design Technology A2 course, and I have to analyse a product. So, I've chosen the iPod because its prolly one of the most documented products on the internet.

But, I cant, for the life of me, find out what its made of! I've found out all about the guts, just the shell.

So, anyone know what its made of?

 

plasic and metal case.

 

No, really?

I need a bit more detail than that.

Like, what matals? What plastics?

I can't just say "Yeah, the back is metal and ooh so shiney! And the front is plastic! And oohh so white!"

 

Some sort of high quality moulded plastic and maybe a steel/alu shell for the back. but im sure both the metal and plastic has some sort of protective coating on it.

 

Well, I've managed to find out that the plastic is "Lucite". Whatever the hell that is

 

Plastics are just a massive spectrum, it's not like it's one thing.

From Wiki.

And I would guess the back is some kind of Chromed steel, but I'm no expert. It's not alu though.

 

Cheers Tomm!

Now, to find out the back!

I think you're on the right track though, it certinaly does look like chrome.

Edit:

Actually, I remember reading somewhere that the back was made out of Magnesium

 

Lucite is a tradename for PMMA or poly-methyl methacrylate (the polymer of methyl methacrylate). It's a transparent thermoplastic resin. As here

EDIT: Beaten to it already That'll teach me not to answer the phone in the middle of a post!

 

The front is Perspex. The back is press-moulded polished (not chromed) sheet metal.

 

it does have a chromed coating. it's possible to wear it thin through too much polishing.

 

The back is stainless steel

 

Lucite is a plastic that has many of the quailities of heavy wood, from a tonal point of view. Its what they used on Joe Satriani's chromeboy re-issue they used a lucite body then chrome plated the top! Its reasonably light and doesnt shatter when subjected to forces, but its quite soft and scratches easy. Probably why they used a protective coat on top of them for the ipod

EDIT: thats luthite im thinking of what they used on joes guitar the rest it true though

 

Lucite is what the Comic Book Guy (aka The Collector) in the Simpsons got dipped in in the episode where Bart and Lisa become superheroes.

On topic, i think the back is probably Aluminium or Steel.

 

I'm almost certain that the back is a chromium-plated (chromed) stainless steel. I suppose it could be just highly polished, but I've just got a feeling about that. The front is some sort of acrylic (I seem to remember reading polycarbonate at some point), though each model may have a slightly different type.

 

Its made of cheese.

 

Thats the big round thing in the sky at night ... not the ipod.

 

Extra-sharp cheddar, no less.

 

front:

video ipod: a special form of scratch-resistant lucite
Nano: standard lucite (hence why it scratches so easily)
every other non-mini ipod: standard polycarbonate

back plate:
polished stainless steel.

the mini's had polycarb screens and anodized aircraft grade aluminum