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Like many of you, I got a new mobile toy for Christmas.  Any time I get new gear my first concern is how to protect it.  It’s really a simple formula for me; if I can’t readily replace it, then I better at least protect it!

My Christmas gadget was the iPod Touch 2G.  I tend to be a 2 device kind of guy, so I have always liked to have a PDA on hand.  Choices in PDAs are pretty slim, so I opted for the iPod Touch and am happy I did.  Great little unit!

Screen protectors have been around for a very long time and I have had one for just about every PDA I have owned.  The Zagg InvisibleSHIELD however is a little different than the run-of-the-mill type in that it is very durable.  There are many video demonstrations of people taking a key and repeatedly striking it across the surface with no marks left on the screen at all (video embedded after the jump).  That is very impressive and was the reason for wanting to get the InvisibleSHIELD out of all the other choices available.

Its durability is not the reason for this review; that has been done and proven many times.  No, I was more interested in how my iPod Touch would “feel” with the InvisibleSHIELD on it.  Since the iPod Touch is all about…Touch, I wanted to know how the screen response would change and how the overall feel would affect its use.

I opted for the full InvisibleSHIELD, in over words, both the front, screen protector and the back covering.  The back of the iPod Touch 2G is a beautiful shiny metal…until you touch it.  It is obviously a finger print magnet and a lovely canvas for a scratch collage, so I wanted to keep that from happening to my lovely iPod Touch.

For those that haven’t seen the proof on the InvisibleSHIELD durability, here it is:

Back to the review! 

Putting the back cover on is not terribly difficult, but it may take some fiddling.  There are cut outs for the power button, volume toggle, connector port and headphone jack, so you need to position the covering properly.  Since these covers go on using a spray on solution it makes it MUCH easier to position it by sliding it around.  If you have ever put on a regular screen protector that is just sticky you know how much of a pain it can be, so this solution is definitely a help.

I actually didn’t do such a great job putting mine on, so I am not going to include pictures.  It is positioned fine but a couple particles got under it that I didn’t notice until it had dried.  Everyone I show says they don’t notice them but I am very picky. Edit: WOW!  After a few days the whole skin seems to tighten right down.  It looks great.  Looks as shiny as if there is no cover. :)

Getting the cover on the back and in place is the easy part; I found the hardest part to be in getting the sides to stick.  The back cover curls around the sides and needs to be fairly dry so that its stickiness has a chance to grip the sides of the device.  You generally need to hold the sides down for a bit to make sure they are down right.  It is a bit of a pain, but it is worth doing as it will be protecting those sides and offering a bit more grip.

Putting the front cover on was quite simple, just make sure the surface is clean and that you put the menu button cutout at the right end. ;)

After applying the front and back I put the whole thing aside till the next morning in order to let it dry.

Ya, but how does it FEEL??

Since the iPod Touch is all about that finger-friendly UI I was worried about how the screen protector was going to feel.  My opinion is that it works very nicely!

Before getting the InvisibleSHIELD my finger was gliding over the screen effortlessly…probably because of the finger grease already on there.  My fingers aren’t overly greasing (at least I don’t think they are…</self-conscious>), there just isn’t really any getting around a build up on the screen over a couple days of use.   Plus, I feel that the Touch screen is sensitive, probably too sensitive.

With the cover on it there is a resistance to sliding the finger over the surface but it is minimal.  It is not something that I have minded, just obviously a different feel.  A big benefit is that there seems to be almost no collection of finger smudges on the screen.

I was a bit surprised at how much I like the back cover though.  It is virtually invisible, so you still get that shiny metal bling (oh bother, did I just say “bling”?) but with the added bonus of NO FINGER PRINTS!  Sweet!

Without any covering on the iPod Touch you feel like you are holding a soap bar with wet hands, which is a scary prospect given the cost of this soap.  Once the back cover was in place, because it comes around the sides, it is far more of a sure grip. 

Well, I think you can tell my conclusions on this one.  All ’round, I think the InvisibleSHIELD from ZAGG is a great investment.  Not only does it protect your hardware very well but it also reduces finger smudges and gives you a more sure grip.  It passed my tests on overall feel and is a keeper.

Chris Leckness (3549 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook

Chris Leckness is the Owner/Administrator of Mobilitysite. He is a Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices and a member of the exclusive focus group, Mobius. Chris runs a Mobilitysite, GotZune, and a few other smaller sites and blogs. His personal blog is chris.leckness.com.