We ordered 4 Decalgirl skins - 2 for the iPod shuffle, and 2 for the iPod Nano. Thanks PowerSite for making this review possible. Review continues below.
The shuffle skins worked really well. The covered the shuffle well, were easy to apply and remove, and looked good when on. The only downside was the fact the indicator light was covered, however in the dark it was still visible through the design. The Nano skins were a different story.
Overall the skins are a little disappointing as they do not protect the Nano as well as I had hoped. They come with a front and back cover only, so all four sides are left exposed. Decalgirl has wrap around skins for the larger iPods, which protect the sides (but not the corners), but they don't make such a version for the Nano. The printed skins also don't protect the screen at all, as they are not transparent. Decalgirl has just released screen protectors to fill this "gap". That's one advantage of the clear crystal skin, it does cover the screen.
As the screen protectors didn't exist when I bought these skins, I used the crystal shield under the printed skin, which worked quite well.
I had one big problem with the Crystal Shield - it wasn't as clear as it should have been. I'm not sure if I applied the skin wrong, but the entire thing appeared blotchy. I certainly followed the directions, and I don't think it was air bubbles causing the problem. It may have been the glue used that's causing the problem. With the shield in place it's very difficult to read without the backlight on.
On the plus side, the skins certainly peel off without leaving any residue on the iPod.
After a few days of use, the decal girl skins were removed. Instead we bought some crystal clear flexible plastic sheeting to make our own and see what we could come up with. A fully detailed report coming soon.
