Review of Speck SeeThru Hard Shell Case and Holster for IPod Touch

I never wanted to cover up my first generation iPod touch. Part of the appeal of the device is its looks. The slim and minimalistic design combined with the exeptional build-quality of the iPod touch is part of what makes it beautiful. Taking such a device and putting it in silicone or a huge hard case just seemed wrong --like an insult to the design.

For a long time, I kept my iPod in a sock or a pouch. This did nothing at all to protect it and it began to pick up scratches on the back panel immediately. It was only after I started to see scratches on the screen that I decided it was time for a proper protective case. I chose the Speck SeeThru Hard Shell Case and Holster in pink.

My reasons for choosing this particular case were its thinness and simplicity. It is a two-piece plactic case and screen protector that snaps over the iPod. The holster is also a nice touch as it can be clipped back to serve as a stand for video viewing. It is useful for when I want to actually listen to music on my iPod because I generally don't have pockets and I didn't like wearing the pouch around my neck. For these reasons, I find the Speck to be a completely usable case. There are, however, some negative aspects of this product.

The biggest flaw I find with this Speck case is it's cheap look. The plastic just looks and feels incredibly cheap. It scratches easily and it feels like it might crack when you lock the iPod inside. Because it is pretty form-fitting and not so simple to snap together, if I hadn't already scratched the back panel of my iPod I would worry that this case would do it.

Besides the look of the case, there is also an issue with its functionality. You cannot dock the iPod with this case on it. It adds just enough thickness that the dock connector cannot fully reach the iPod. This means if you need to use a dock you will have to take the case completely off. This is a major design flaw especially if you consider that the cheap plastic used doesn't look like it hold up to many openings and closings. The case seems to be designed to stay on the device; I'm not sure why they wouldn't make it compatible with docking.

Overall, the Speck SeeThru Hard Shell Case falls short of my ideal case. It works in the sense that I feel my iPod is protected a bit more than if it had no case at all; however, it also demands that I open it and close it often and it makes my expensive and attractive device look cheap. Still, until something I might like better comes out, this Speck will remain my primary iPod case.