i notice the back of the pearl and some other parts seem to get minor scratches kinda easliy... ive only put it in empty pants pockets so far and theres a few very minor scratches present... im gona b careful with the thing and i dont want a huge case but i wud like to keep it scratch free. are the skin shields any good? ive had a bad experience with one i bought for my ipod which no matter how good it was put on mad the screen blurry and was quite thick. are the shields worth it? if so which one would you reccomend? thank you!

Yes, it's worth it. I have full body screen protector and a skin case for my 8100 Pearl.

It also increase the value of the phone if you decide to sell it in the future.

I recommend invisibleSHIELD | Screen Protector for iPod, Cell Phone, Smartphone, PDA, and more...

I've had one since I got my Pearl back in September. It still looks brand new.

I'll second this! Although I've only had mine for about a week and a half..hah. Anyways, it's a fantastic product and it really wasn't too hard to put on. SanFran has a great how to for a perfect install of the shield

thanks for the replies

one question still though. anyone out there know of a way to purchase one of these without ordering it from online? i'd prefer purchasing a BES or a invishield but i guess anything else good enough would do. i live in hawaii and waiting for/paying for the shipping is quite a pain.... ive tried looking through the cingular store here and looked at the bestbuy website, but no luck. any idea where i could pick up one of these without having to order online? thanks for anything else you guys can offer

You also might want to search the Forum, there are many, many threads and posts talking about the skins.

Search "BSE" "best skins ever" and "shieldzone" and the 20 or so threads will show up. There's pics and how to install threads too.

And I doubt, given the special nature of this product if it is available anywhere but online. You might want to check the Best Skins Ever site. They sell three skins for $21, shipped. But I don't know if that only applies to the continental U.S.

When you get them make sure you follow the directions precisely on how to install it. Many people in here have screwed up the install.

Well, there is a store in Newport Beach in California that sells Invisible Shield but you have to live in Southern California.

I thought he lives in Hawaii.

In any event, I checked the Best Skins Ever site [use google to find their site].

They advertise "FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING IF YOU BUY THREE OF ANY PRODUCT."

So you can get three skins for $21, which will be less than the price of one ShieldZone, which is $25.

He lives in Hawaii, can you name the store as there may be one in Hawaii? Of course, that would also depend on where he lives in Hawaii. Too much work, so many questions.

Let's forget about it. He should just order online since shipping cost was a factor and I told him that BSE shipping is free, worldwide.

He does. That's why I said, "but you have to live in Southern California."

Yes, that will be easy to do. Just order online.

Where, do you have the shop info?