I'm on Ipod number 5. I know that's pretty pathethic, but it really does make commuting bareable.
1. Dead battery
2. Dead battery
3. Dropped getting out of a car,broken screen
4. Fell riding my bike, scrap metal
5. So far (since August) so good.
They just aren't made to last really. In a year or two, they will all use static memory (like the shuffle) and will work much better.