Review: iPod Touch case roundup: Clear, cool cases

Macworld - In this week's iPod case roundup, I look at four hard cases for the iPod Touch that use clear plastic. These cases provide shell-like protection without getting in the way (too much) of the iPod Touch's looks.

Contour Design iSee Touch

The $30 iSee Touch covers almost the whole iPod Touch, except the screen and the Home button. The front and back of the iSee Touch snap together tightly, and Contour Designs includes two case backs: a plain back, and one with a belt clip. The belt clip can be positioned in four directions and is removable; a white plastic cap comes with the case to cover the holes to which the clip attaches. The clip is strong and firmly clamped on to my belt.

The plain back has four small silicone feet, one for each corner. The feet help stop the iPod Touch from sliding on a table or dashboard. Unfortunately, the glue that holds the feet isn't very strong; after just one day of use, I lost a foot. I was able to easily scrape the other three feet off with my fingernail.

The iPod Touch's Sleep/Wake button is covered by a silicone piece that did not hinder the button in any way. Another silicone piece is used to cover the dock and headphone jack. The silicone piece is connected to the case and moves out of the way when you connect an iPod cable or headphones.

The only thing missing from the iSee Touch is a clear plastic film for screen protection. The missing feet take away from the aesthetics of this case, which is otherwise an excellent protector of your iPod Touch.

Contour Design Showcase Touch

OK, the $35 Showcase Touch isn't completely a clear plastic case. Still, I like the contrast between the slickness and sheen of the clear plastic used on the front and back and the matte black rubber used around the sides that give the case a bit of grip.

A latch on the right side slides up and down to lock and unlock the case, which opens like a book. The iPod Touch feels secure in the case, and I was able to access all the on-screen buttons along the sides of the screen without the case getting in the way.

The belt clip is like that of the iSee Touch; it can be positioned in one of four directions and is removable (the cap that covers the case holes for the clip is black). The clip is strong and securely held on to my belt.

A rubber plug that's hinged to the case provides protection for the dock and headphone jack; the headphone jack plug moves out of the way when you have headphones plugged into the iPod Touch.