Have you ever found yourself shaking an upturned keyboard trying to expel crumbs from its not-so-bottomless underbelly? If so, then you should probably be in the market for a keyboard protector.
It’s impossible to estimate how many keyboards I’ve gone through in my lifetime. What I can say is that if I used one of these things, I’d probably go through quite a good deal less.
I’ve been using one of these on my Powerbook for about a week now and I’ve been marveling at the stuff that can accumulate on top of it—stuff that would have previously ended up in the aforementioned underbelly. The utility is definite, but I’ve had trouble getting used to the rubberized texture. In other words, I prefer my keyboards to emit clacks rather than dull thuds.
So is it worth it? I’d say it really depends on the user. For laptops, it’s definitely useful, maybe even necessary. The problem is that it doesn’t really fit too snuggly. It actually just kind of rests on top of the keys.
For desktops, I’d say the gain is negligible. If you eat at your system frequently, then yes, it’s probably worth it. If, however, like me, you prefer to just get a new keyboard every few months, you should probably pass.
The iSkin is available for Macbook, Macbook Pro, Powerbook and Apple Keyboard. You can get an iSkins protector for $24.99, but if you’d prefer not to pay, I have one for the Macbook, the Powerbook and the Apple Keyboard. The first person to comment asking for one gets it. One per person and all that other noise.
