.KEYWORD overlay
.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE GoStyle wood overlays add a touch of class
.OTHER
.SUMMARY Have you ever said to yourself, "Man, I wish my Palm device matched the glossy veneer of my expensive mahogany desk?" Did you ever wish you could add an air of distinction to your organizer’s otherwise drab surface? Do you just want to distinguish it enough to be able to pick it out of a lineup? If so, check out Craig Bobchin’s review of GoStyle’s wood overlays. They may be just what you need to add a touch of class to your handheld.
.AUTHOR Craig M. Bobchin
Try this at your next staff meeting. Have everyone put their handheld computers on the desk with the covers closed. Now mix them up. Which handheld belongs to whom? With some minor exceptions for Visors and older Palm units, I bet it’ll be tough to tell.
With the rapidly increasing number of people using Palm devices, it sometimes becomes tough to distinguish your unit from everyone else’s. Now, though, there’s an easy way to differentiate your handheld from the pack. TechStyle has released a series of GoStyle wood overlays you can stick on your Palm unit or Visor to add some class as well as a distinctive look.
.H1 Stick to it
I received the cherry overlays for my Visor Deluxe. I wanted to take a picture of it, but the only camera I have is the new eyemodule that turns my Visor into a digital camera. As a result, I couldn’t take a picture of the Visor itself. However, in Figure A, you’ll see my Visor’s cradle and cover showing off their cherry overlays.
.FIGPAIR A Here you can see my Visor’s cradle and cover with their new cherry wood finish.
Also in the package were a simple ten-step instruction sheet and an alcohol-saturated pad for cleaning your handheld device of grease and dirt prior to applying the overlays. The instructions were simple to follow and could easily be reduced to five. In short, I had to do the following:
.BEGIN_STEPS
.STEP Test fit the overlays;
.STEP Clean the handheld;
.STEP Peel off the backing covering the adhesive;
.STEP Apply the overlay;
.STEP Press the overlay to the handheld to ensure complete attachment.
.END_STEPS
That’s all it takes. I recommend that you take step 1 seriously, though. On my Visor, I didn’t have too much trouble, since the cover has small protrusions that fit perfectly into holes in the overlay. The body’s overlay wasn’t too tough to put in place either because the Visor’s scroll buttons are separated instead of being one single rocker switch. This enabled me to center the overlay between the scroll buttons. On Palm units, it may take a bit more work and adjustment to get it all centered.
.H1 In the thick of it
Once the overlays are in place, they add about a millimeter of thickness to the body of the handheld. This caused my Visor’s snap-on cover to have a snugger fit. If you have a Palm III series, you’ll find that the flip cover doesn’t close as tightly as it used to.
This added thickness affects the buttons on the Visor as well as on the Palm units. In my case, it made the scroll buttons almost flush with the overlay. My power button is slightly harder to reach than it was before, as well. Since the application buttons are already indented, I noticed virtually no difference in using them. It took me about a week to get used to the difference in button feel. Those who have Palm devices with the single rocker-style scroll button will probably not notice any difference save the fact that the power button will now be a little bit lower.
.H1 How does it look?
The question on everyone’s mind is, "How does it look?" On my ice model Visor it looks okay. Not stunning, but not too bad. Perhaps one of the other woods would have been a better choice, or it may look better on a graphite Visor. I’m also not fond of the way the overlay stops at the top of the Visor’s microphone. This leaves about a quarter inch band of plastic case that ruins the look. This is most likely due to the Visor’s case being curved. If GoStyle extended and curved the overlay it would look much nicer. Since the Palm handhelds have a flatter face, they don’t suffer from this and look much better as a result. Judge for yourself in Figure B.
.FIGPAIR B The Palm IIIc looks quite lovely with its new wood siding.
.H1 Choose your wood
GoStyle offers the overlay kits in several different types of wood. The standard woods are cherry, maple, walnut, and mahogany. These are priced at $29.99. In Figure C, you can see some samples.
.FIG C The standard overlays come in cherry, maple, walnut, and mahogany.
They also offer the set in more exotic woods for $39.99. The exotic woods are: paduak, purpleheart, teak, and zebrawood. Figure D shows some samples of these.
.FIG D For more exotic tastes, try paduak, purpleheart, teak, or zebrawood.
You will also find some new colored woods such as kiwi, watermelon, blueberry, and lemonade. These are available for $34.99 and samples are shown in Figure E.
.FIG E If you prefer your wood fruity, try kiwi, watermelon, blueberry, or lemonade.
As I mentioned earlier, I have the cherry overlay on my Visor. In an informal poll (and by this I mean randomly asking people I know, as well as some strangers I met on the street), the classy look received mixed reactions. I did get a few responses like, "It looks stupid," and "It reminds me of one of those wood-paneled station wagons." Most people, however, thought it looked okay but could be better.
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.H1 The day the fashion dies
What happens when you get tired of the wood look on your handheld? The good news is that these overlays come off relatively easily with no damage to your valuable Palm device. A small amount of adhesive may remain behind, but it can be easily removed by rubbing it with a cloth or napkin moistened with some rubbing alcohol. Just be sure not to get any on the screen.
The bad news is, the overlay will be pretty much destroyed. You might be able to carefully lift it away with the assistance of a razor blade, but I wouldn’t risk it if I were you. The cost of a new set of overlays is small compared to the cost of a new handheld.
.H1 An air of distinction
The bottom line is, do you want to stand out from the crowd or do you prefer to blend in? For those in a more professional environment, such as attorneys, executives, and the like, the wood overlays add an air of elegance and distinction. Those who are drawn to the Visor’s colored cases are probably not likely to be drawn to the wood overlays, unless they go for the colored woods. Visors already have a distinctive look in the handheld world. However, for Palm device users, $30 to $50 may be well worth it to be able to pick your handheld out of the sea of gray.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on GoStyle wood overlays, visit http://www.techstylemobile.com/pda.html.
Information on the overlays can also be found by visiting Mobile Generation Software at http://www.mobilegeneration.com/accessories.
To read Craig Bobchin’s review of the eyemodule in the June issue of PalmPower, visit http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200006/eyemodule001.html.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO Craig is a consultant who has been using Palm devices since 1996. He is the author of over 150 articles on all facets of computing. Craig can be reached at Cbobchin@csi.com.
.DISCUSS http://powerboards.zatz.com/cgi-bin/webx?13@@.ee6e4a1
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