Review by Frank Petrie

Product: ProTouch
Author: iSkin <http://www.iskin.com/protouch_apple_keyboard/>
Requirements: MacBook/Pro/Air, Aluminum wired/Wireless keyboard, Aluminum wired (with numerical keypad)
Price: $24.99, $34.99
Test Rig: 13″ MacBook Pro

Keyboards. Dirty fingers covered with lunch grease, skin oils and heat-seeking cats can really turn them into a real mess over time. Enter ProTouch by iSkin.

“The all-new line of ProTouch® Keyboard Protectors for Apple Wired and Wireless Keyboards deliver the most advanced combination of style and protection ever. Form-fitting silicone works full-time to keep your keyboard safe from everyday hazards that could lead to permanent damage, while built-in Microban®* protection provides continuous cleaning action, inhibiting the growth of damaging microbes, such as bacteria, that can cause stains, odors and product deterioration.”

Is it worth it? Let’s see.

THE JUICE

The various skins come in several stylish colors and patterns. Basically, from a visual prospective, you now have some options to skin your laptop’s interior, as you would your laptop’s exterior. All skins are form fitted and lay on the keyboards quite nicely.

ProTouch skins can also help you from ending up with grungy keys. Take that Kentucky Fried Chicken!

THE PULP

It takes a little while to get used to the new feel of the keys, but that took me maybe a couple of hours to get past. You have to make sure that the skin lays flat on the keyboard or some of your typing strokes might not register. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the pattern of the skin that I chose did not in any way make it harder to hunt and peck. Despite the one problem that I did find bothersome (see below).

THE RIND

If you have an illuminated keyboard, you wouldn’t know it with aTouchPro on it. It’s entirely obscured.

A small thing, but I also would like to be able to download a matching desktop (if one’s on the site, I couldn’t find it) so I’d have a theme.

SUMMARY

If you’re looking to prevent the “PepsiSyndrome,” this should do the trick. As far as disease prevention, I have never caught anything off of a keyboard but I suppose that it couldn’t hurt.

So, now that the world has seen your statement on the outside of your laptop, you can now make one on the inside of your laptop’s on your iMac’s keyboard.

“I am best avoided.”

RATING : 8 of 10

©2009 Frank Petrie