Had the N900 "naked' for the first 5 mos, no scratches. I decided to go with Zagg's Shield just to be safe. Installation was *****, thanks to my impatience, and coupled with a 'sticky" feel, the Zagg was off after a couple of months.

Opted then for ClearVue, yet again managed to do a sub-par installation, though I liked the hard plastic feel and the resulting improved touchscreen responsiveness over Zagg's.

Added OtterBox, but found it too bulky, too heavy, and the keyboard case had a minor flex on one of the corners which started bothering me after the first 15 mins of use. But, I'll keep it around just in case I decide to pick up rock climbing or free skiing. I mean, the thing is f**king tank.

Went nekkid again for a month or two, but finally caved in again for Zagg. This time had it "professionally" installed (i.e. a 16-yr old in a mall charging me $5...) and so far so good. I think I can live with the sticky feel.

All in all, when it comes protecting your handset, I think it's 50-50 between actual protection and placebo effect.