Customer Reviews

iSkin EVO3EC1-B eVo3 Silicon Case for iPod Video (60/80 GB) with Scratch Resistant Clearvisor (Black)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I previously owned an iSkin for my 4th Generation Click Wheel, and I was in love with it. My iPod was completely impervious - never a nick or ding to be found once it entered its skin and screen, which I never had to fuss with.

Obviously, I had high expectations of this product. However, a few idiosyncrasies of its design mean that - for me - fussing is often a must. I am only of medium/low clumsiness, and have an intermediate amount of patience. If you're more dexterous than me - or even more patient - you might never experience these problems. So, caveat emptor.

Out of the box the iSkin seems ingenious. The molded resin case covers all parts of the iPod except for the screen - yes, even the click wheel. This is implemented splendidly - the wheel is very easily spun even with the thin layer of resin over it. The case is relatively slim, and is easy to slip into the pocket of your jeans.

There is a handy flap at the bottom of the case for accessing your port, and a small hole for earphones (maybe not sufficient if your plug is huge). The case has a removable belt clip of dubious sturdiness - good for a long walk, but not for a short jog. You may need to employ some patience to remove the clip, but after the first time it's much easier.

The second piece of the iSkin is the scratch resistant screen and face protector. This extends to cover the entire front of the iPod, with an empty circle so that you can access your click wheel. It easily protects the wide video-screen, and offers some extra stability when gripping your iPod. The screen nestles into a thin lip that runs around the outside of the resin case to hold it in place.

It's a great system in theory, and it probably works for a lot of people, but for me it performs slightly below average.

It is hard (sometimes incredibly so) to nestle the screen into the entirety of the thin lip of the resin case. The directions offer very encouraging suggestions for executing this process, but even the most steady hands may fumble to try to keep one side of the lip pressed onto the iPod while maneuvering the top of it up to sandwich the screen. And, as hard as it can be to lock into place, it easily slips out while manhandling the iPod, or even while it's resting in a pocket or bag.

(A by-product of this is that it's easy to get dust or fingerprints on the underside of the screen, which might bother you enough that you have to start over again.)

If screen placement were the only problem I wouldn't fault the iSkin. However, a hard to refute design flaw exacerbates the issue: the top of the resin case covers the hold switch with a hold switch-sized piece of resin.

It's a simple flaw; the skin doesn't move in the same way a hold switch does, which makes it easy to lose the edges of the hold switch under the resin. As a man with short fingernails I am often left helplessly jabbing the case with pen caps to try to lock or unlock my iPod. And, the jabbing tends to jog the screen loose from the upper lip, sometimes necessitating a partial screen reinstall.

Many users cut out the hold switch cover, but the need to immediately alter a purchased product is not a feature - it's a flaw. I was afraid to cut out my hold switch - if the cut wasn't superb I'd ruin my product AND render it unreturnable.

In short: the iSkin offers solid protection, but it might be incompatible with your thick fingers or short patience. If either of those issues sounds bothersome I suggest test-driving a friend's iSkin before buying - you might loathe it, but you might love it!

I have had my fun with cases, and until I found this one..there was nothing that met what I wanted... My last iPod was the 30G video and I tried several different cases, some neoprene and a hard case.

So, out comes the 80G iPod and I made a lame excuse to sell my 30G so I could buy the 80G (my 30G was white and I wanted a black iPod.....the excuse worked for me, so thats what matters) At any rate, I purchased this iSkin a couple weeks ago and received it a couple days ago (took so long because I am military stationed in Korea..shipping takes a while)

This case is fanfriggintastic........ I had no problem putting the case on and the flimsy clip (which I don't know why they included it) is easy to remove and once the backplate is out, there are no remnants of it. The case is very well thought out and the only part of the case that comes into contact with the iPod is the neoprene, the screen protector doesn't touch it so you won't grind any dirt into it or anything. Also, the screen protector is very durable and doesn't affect viewing at all.

I see a lot of people are griping about the hold button being covered and that it is hard to use, but I've found that I don't really need to use the hold button due to the click wheel being more recessed (screen protector has opening for the wheel) so you are a lot less likely to hit it on accident.

As far as the control through the neoprene cover......fanfriggintastic again.......no loss in sensitivity at all and the recessedness (I make up words) actually keeps my finger on the wheel during some crazy spinning to get to my next song....

All in all a fantastic case..........luckily the wife hasn't asked me why I bought a full body case for my new iPod when my excuse for this one was because I wanted a black iPod instead of my white 30G.....


One little add on though, I don't use a docking station or anything like that, so I don't know how it would work for those true iPod people that have all the gadgets and fun stuff...still working on more excuses to buy those!

And I know you read all the way through this to see if I would use "bestest" again.

I wish iPods were inherently protected from scratches and drops because I really like the look/feel of a "naked" iPod. But, this skin provides good protection, doesn't add much thickness (still able to dock it on my iSymphony M1 without the docking adapter), and looks slick (in my opinion). It was easy to put on, but it does seem to collect dust/lint because of its tacky feel. I'm sure all rubber skins have this problem, but it would be nice if iSkin had used that "no lint" feature of the limited edition black and red on all its skins. Also, I have an 80GB iPod, which is slightly less thick than the 60 GB, so this skin feels just a LITTLE loose, especially in the back (I took off the belt clip). You probably won't even notice it. Overall, I think this one's gonna work out really well.

I really believe this is the best case out there, my iPod is totally protected. Getting it on takes a little patients, but that's it, no real problems getting it on (took me 15 min). I removed the clip immediately and don't plan to ever use it.

Only very minor negatives: It is a lint magnet, but I don't know how you remedy that problem given that it's made out of rubber (other than wiping it down now and then). The lock out switch is difficult to get to (though it's set up so that you can cut out the rubber around the switch if you choose to), but I find I don't really need it now that the click wheel is recessed and is less likely touch anything.

I like the protection, the looks, and utility of this case.

I just got my first Ipod finally after all my friends had one got this case for it i must admit it is an excellent case only issue i had with it was it seems the sensitivity of the ipod pad seems different i was able to put in a n older generation ipod and the touch pad is 100% responsive but with the 80gb classic it's response dropped to like 40% i had to resolve removing the center cover and i love the case still but that is something to be advised about i will post an image of what i did still besides that grips the ipod perfectly one of those cases that can keep ur ipod looking brand new

Everything works great. the clip was taken off because I don't use them, and have personally never seen a 60gb/80gb ipod user wear one. The only problem I have with this one is the hold button is a little hard to use. However, I took it off, used a knife and cut it out easily, now works perfectly and looks great still. The dail works better in my honest opinion, it was a little too sensative before, but now is perfect. Everyone who sees it on my ipod asks where they can get one and usually do.

In my quest to find the most complete protection that also offered easy access to the controls of my iPod, the iSkin Eclipse (skin) has come closest to hitting the mark. It covers every part, including the wheel, with the exception of the headphone jack. The rubber part is textured for a nice non-slip grip yet it doesn't act as a lint collector in my pocket. The clear, hard plastic piece that covers almost the entire front is held in place by a channel inside in the rubber piece and a rubber "nub" at the bottom that fits into a small hole in the plastic. Being in a channel, the plastic doesn't actually touch the Pod, eliminating the chance of scratching the iPod surface, especially the screen. It does take a bit of manipulation to insert the plastic piece but I've had more trouble with others. Once it is in place it has a nice snug fit. Unfortunately, due to the thickness of the rubber, plastic, and a flap that covers the connector on the bottom, docking is virtually impossible. Also, the rubber part completely covers the hold switch making access difficult, but that's easily fixed by making a flap in the rubber with a few small cuts. If the rubber/plastic were made thinner to allow docking, I think it would easily deserve 5 stars.

It does its work, but there's a rubber covering over the menu wheel...I cut that rubber coating and now the design is much improved...

This doesn't make me look too good, but... I had an accident that totalled my vehicle, and everything in the truck swam in coffee, including my ipod, for about ten minutes. Ipod lives! One month latet I aparrently dropped it from my tool pouch, found it sticking out of the top of a snow bank a few days later (it had been plowed, then rained on). Ipod lives!!!!! This case saved my 80gb. Needless to say, I'll be buying a less expensive ipod to take to work with me.

The iSkin is just what I was looking for to protect my new iPod. It makes the iPod less slippery and protects the screen from scratches. I was amazed that the controls still work perfectly through the skin.

On the negative side, it does add bulk to it, so if the size of your iPod is what really makes you enjoy it, this probably isn't the right choice. Look for the stick on kind of skins instead... Also, the screen cover tends to attract fingerprints.