iPods in flights

As I was reading some technology headlines, I ran into "Mexican Airline Begins Renting iPods to Passengers", at first I was a bit skeptical, I thought about my experiences in travel, remembered how more than 3/4 of the passengers engage in some time of multimedia device (mp3, hand held, laptop, etc)... as I keep thinking about this I think its a wonderful idea... For one, if we know there will be an ipod available, we can plan on not bringing or appropriately storing our multimedia (this would eventually also help in reducing the security clearance wait time). Another important point is that each passenger will have a choice in movie, music, sitcom options...

The article further talks about how major airlines are looking to offer IPOD seat connections, but this airline specifically is renting iPods. I think either way is good, I like the second option better (rent or provide for free), especially since that is the last thing I remember to pack.

I would be concerned with the cleanliness and functionality (maintenance) of these devices- especially if they are handles my many...