actually the apple case is pretty good scratch protection. it's not going to protect from a 5' fall onto concrete, but neither will most other cases. the front (and all) of it is a rubberized material that has an excellent grip surface. the front has some stiff plastic sandwitched in it as well to protect against front impacts when it is closed, but still folds back into an easel position in landscape. it's thin and light and offers good protection when i'm carrying it around in my timbuk2 saddlebag with my laptop and other things. i don't need it to provide drop protection, just keep it from getting dinged in the bag.
the only case i'd consider swapping it out for is the
Dodo case, if I had seen this one before I picked up the Apple one I would be using it now instead.