kinda like batman, but with a wife and 3 kids

iPod Nano Skin, M:I:III, originally uploaded by vanRijn.

So, me needed to get me some armor for me iPod nano, matey, since me had one of the little buggers up and get a cracked screen on me in recent days bygone. And me started looking at me options. And me found the iPod Nano iSkins. And me thought they looked all slickey like. And then me saw the special edition, Mission: Impossible III iSkin. And me ordered it. And me got it today. And me am not so sure me likes it.

For starters, the new clothing makes me nano a trifle bit hard to use. Uncovering the bottom hole covers which cover the headphone jack and the cradle/cable port be not a simple thing to do. And turning the wee beastie on be much more difficult a thing to do now that the little switchie be partially covered by the suit. And the navigation wheel be very much not easier to use.

Harumph, says I. And Argggghhh. $40 for this?? Save yer gold, me mateys. Go fer somethin’ else, says I.

Arrrrrrrgh.

Update:  After having had this cover for a couple of weeks now, I can say that I would definitely have gone with another iPod nano cover, had I known better, specifically for these reasons:

• The bottom 2 fold-over port covers (covered the usb port and the headphone jack) are completely worthless.  The first thing I did was cut them off.   Can’t help but thinking that those little bits of cut-off silicone were part of the $40 I paid for this iSkin.
• The holes provided on the bottom for the usb port cover and headphone jack are too bloody small.  I had to cut the silicone iSkin to make the holes big enough to fit a standard headphone jack.  I can’t tell you how many times the headphone jack popped out of my iPod on its own, or with very little encouragement.  Annoying!  And again, more silicone cut off of the iSkin == more money wasted.
• It’s silicone.  This may be stating the obvious, but one of the things that I didn’t think about was that NOTHING sticks to silicone.  That includes the velcro strips that I have always put on the back of my music devices so that I can easily mount them on the dashboard of my car.  Blah.  I’ve still not figured out how I’m going to work around this.  Anyone know how to get velcro to stick to a silicone iSkin?  The iSkin people were of absolutely zero help.
• The see-through plastic screen protector is too small for the screen.  Had they made it just a little bit bigger, you wouldn’t notice at all, but they cut the plastic so that it covers up the outside edge of my nano’s screen and distorts it past recognition.  Just enough so that I can’t tell whether it’s playing a song or not (the play/pause icon is covered up by the edge of the protective plastic).  Blah!  That’s the biggest reason I bought this iSkin.
• The iSkin’s plastic click-wheel cover is absolutely worthless.  I spent a very frustrating couple of days trying to get used to it and came to the conclusion that it is a horrible idea and not worth the price of the plastic that it’s made out of.  Took it out of the cover so that the click-wheel is covered by the bottom piece of silicone and it’s at least usable now.  Blah!

So, again, save your money and buy something else.  I personally wish I would have bought a clear hard plastic cover that protected the whole thing (screen included), didn’t cover up the click wheel, and allowed for easy docking/headphone insertion.

3 Responses

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1. 

   Chuck

   Vanny: I use an Invisible Shield (http://www.shieldzone.com/form/index.html?preadd=action&key=APL6095) for my nano, and it’s awesome. I had purchsed an Agent 18 Shield first, but every time I went to take the bottom piece off to dock the iPod, the nano would slide and get scratched by the case! The Invisible Shield is awesome because it barely adds any bulk to the device and it’s completely scratch resistant. It’s a little scary to think about dipping the shield in soapy, hot water to activate the adhesive, but when all is said and done, it rocks.

   Friday May 19, 2006 at 9:51 am
2. 

   Jason 'vanRijn' Kasper

   Hey Pax! =:)

   Hm. That looks like just a scratch cover. My main concern is in making sure the screen doesn’t crack again, which is why I went with the iSkin. It has a hard-plastic screen cover. It looks like the InvisibleShield is just a mylar-ish thin cover? Does it offer any protection for the display (i.e. crack protection, etc.)?

   Friday May 19, 2006 at 11:39 am
3. 

   Chuck

   Heya. =) While the Shield covers the screen, it certainly wouldn’t prevent some serious pressure from cracking the little bugger. I’m pretty gentle (I guess) with my nano, and the Shield suits me fine.

   Not exactly sure what you’re looking for as far as form factor. Do you want to be able to dock it? Or do you just plug in the sync cable? What about this case: http://www.radtech.us/Products/Acclaro.aspx?

   Tuesday May 23, 2006 at 11:38 pm