the touch's screen.

So I really want to buy a 16GB ipod touch, the only thing stopping me is the quality of that screen. With the negative LCD effect and the darkness of it. Can the screen be fixed, say in a software update that could allow contrast controls? Or is that not possible.

I have an iPhone and have had 2 replacements, and my current one has "the checkered dot pattern" problem, the one before had the negative black effect. All 3 iPhones I've had have had defects. Since I've been reading about the defects in the touches too, and they're the same technology, I would hold off buying it. You could live my life of going to the Apple store every weekend and getting a new defective one, or you could just wait til Apple figures out how to make this stuff. That's just my opinion, based off my experiences...

The problem has been solved, but give it a couple of weeks for the older screens to get off the shelves. That way you can ensure that you get one with the newer screens that work just fine.

how was it solved? Did they start using different screens or did that firmware update fix it?

Combination of both. There was essentially a quality control problem with a couple of batches. This is why only some of the touch owners had the problem and essentially none of the iPhone owners. Apple got its supplier to correct the problem, so the screens are back up to spec. Not sure how the firmware update is going to correct the faulty screens though...

I was doing some research on the apple discussion forums, I guess through the serial number or something the W37 (week 37) are bad but then they were talking about W38 and W39. Do you know what they meant by these and if so, it would make since that the newer W39 batches are corrected?

I was going to buy mine at best buy, so If i have a bad screen i think i can return it in 14 days with no questions asked. Some return policy they have, i think.

Yes, I've read the same thing about Week 38 and onward being just fine. However, I honestly can't tell you how to figure out that information. I guess you could search around a bit more or perhaps ask somebody on the Apple discussion forum.

I personally would just wait it out a couple more weeks. That way you can pretty much guarantee that you're getting a recently manufactured model. Granted, it's not a 100% guarantee, but it's better than going through the process of buying, testing, and potentially returning right now.

Just look at the serial# on the box to see what week it is and if it's >=38, you're probably safe. As it is, people are claiming bad screens are being improved by the software update, so it must have changed the drivers somehow.

I bought a week 37 when the iPod touch first came out, and it had the negative blacks issue. Since I updated the firmware, it no longer has it. Don't worry so much about the screen anymore, it's becoming a non-issue.

Yes, I retract my previous statement, as apple has seemed to figure it out, and the latest update fixed the screen issues.

Week 41 on mine ....*sigh* barely missed it