"it prolongs your excitement about finally owning the product..."

and then you find out in a month that your iPod battery is dead. So you can buy a new one, and start the process all over again!

Seriously, how great does packaging have to be? My experience opening a product happens exactly one time. But my experience USING a product is hundreds of thousands of times.

Apple seems to have a nack for confusing their priorities.

The iPod was my first Apple product. Even opening the box was a very positive experience. I was in love even before I'd reached the iPod itself.

This very positive initial experience led me to getting my first Mac, a big decision, and for which I am now very glad I took!

Thank you, iPod package designer!

The packaging is indeed stunning - I found myself closing it all back up and doing the 'ballet' for the wife and friends who were equally impressed. I'm pleased that the effort and accomplishment have been rightfully acknowledged. Bravo to whoever toiled over the packaging, great job.

I love the exaggeration on these boards. I have a personal friend who has one of the original iPods, complete with original battery. Some haven't been so lucky. On the other hand, your comment about Apple having the wrong priorities, but start to finish, they do it right. My recent 12" PowerBook purchase was perfect. The people at the store were great: speedy and helpful. I got everything I wanted the day I left. I came home, the packaging was well thought out, everything was easy to find. The PowerBook looked fantastic, worked well from the first boot. It still works well after these few months, and I haven't had a problem. I've used Apples since the 512Ke was first brought home in 1986, and it's been great since.

even better than the packaging of the 2 PowerBooks i have owned recently. i also found myself closing it and showing the package off to family and friends.

I showed the box to my family before I showed them the iPod. I really appreciate something that's clever like this and I'm glad Apple has once again received recognition for a job well done.

Re batteries. Mine (like the overwhelming majority of iPod users) still performs like new after about a year. Perhaps it's because I have a clue about batteries and don't run it dead flat each cycle which shortens the life of a lithium ion battery. Apple have never hidden the fact that the iPod has a lithium ion battery so you can't blame Apple if people have misused it and caused their battery to die prematurely. Even so, Apple has replaced these abused batteries if they died during the warranty period. Those fools a few months ago who complained about Apple not replacing their dead batteries after they voided their warranty are a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

I showed the box to my family before I showed them the iPod. I really appreciate something that's clever like this and I'm glad Apple has once again received recognition for a job well done.

Clever? It a box that opens in the middle. How is that 'clever'? Clever would be a slide out panel here, a pop-up display there, flip it over, it becomes a solar charger for the thing, convort it another way, you can sit on it at the airport. That's clever.

I think what this shows is there's a group of people who, well, let's admit it, either have no life or are impressed by the simplest things. The best I can say about Apple's packaging is that they don't hide stuff on you. You don't have to go searching for this and that. But after pulling all the stuff out, putting back what I didn't need at the time (extra earbud covers, carry bag, etc), I stuck the box in my closet. I guess I should've stuck it on the mantlepiece so my friends could 'oooh' over it when they come over. (or is it a 'Ooooo-kay, that's nice. Oh, hey, look at the time! Man, its true what they say about the time and flying. So, see ya later!").