.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE Inno Pocket Metal Deluxe case
.AUTHOR James Booth
.SUMMARY What do you do with your handheld if you don’t carry a briefcase? Well, it goes into a pocket, backpack, or purse, putting it at risk for damage. The Metal Deluxe Case manufactured by Inno Pocket and distributed by StylusCentral can protect your device on the go and give you piece of mind.
.OTHER
The face of business and computing has changed a lot over the last decade. No longer is the suit and tie standard garb for the business world. Not everyone carries a laptop, notebook, or even a briefcase anymore. Sometimes a handheld is all the mobile office a person needs.
What do you do with your handheld if you don’t carry a briefcase? Well, it goes into a pocket, backpack, or purse, putting it at risk for damage. The Metal Deluxe Case manufactured by Inno Pocket and distributed by StylusCentral (see http://www.styluscentral.com/medecaforpat.html) can protect your device on the go and give you piece of mind.
.CALLOUT The SD/MMC holders inside the lid are a really nice touch.
.H1 Overview
The Metal Deluxe Case from StylusCentral is available for a wide variety of handhelds, but I will specifically be addressing the model for the Palm Tungsten T/T2 in Figure A.
.FIGPAIR A The Metal Deluxe Case will protect your Tungsten T/T2.
Out of the box, the Metal Deluxe Case is impressive. It’s made from aircraft-grade aluminum, anodized in metallic gray with a fine, pebble-texture finish. It’s molded to the contours of the T/T2 body, so its footprint isn’t any larger than the handheld. The interior of the case is lined in a thin layer of neoprene rubber to grip your handheld. In addition, there are spring clips that fit into the back of the Palm unit to provide extra security. In Figure B, the inside of the lid reveals two storage slots for SD/MMC cards.
.FIGPAIR B The Metal Deluxe Case can store two SD/MMC cards.
.BREAK_EMAIL James makes the case for this case. Read more by tapping here.
On top of all this, the Metal Deluxe Case has cutouts on the bottom, side, and top, in Figure C, for the Universal connector, headphone jack, voice memo, Power button, stylus, card slot, and IR/Bluetooth. With the case open, you can use your T/T2 in either the compact mode, or extended with the slider open.
.FIGPAIR C Cutouts provide access to the Palm’s features.
.H1 Thoughts
The Metal Deluxe Case does an excellent job of securing and protecting the Palm Tungsten T/T2. The spring clips fit neatly into the square slots on the back of the Palm unit and the neoprene lining makes for a nice, snug fit.
The SD/MMC holders inside the lid are a really nice touch. I only have one expansion card at this time, but I can definitely see how having the extra storage in the case would be a major convenience. With storage space built into the lid, it makes for one less thing you’d have to carry.
The cutouts in the body of the case are a definite must and are really an asset. They allow access to many of the features on your handheld without actually removing it from the case.
I was rather pleased with the Metal Deluxe Case. I have no doubt that it keeps my Palm Tungsten T2 safe and secure. I’m one of those people that don’t wear a suit and doesn’t carry a briefcase. My handheld is my total mobile computing solution, so wherever I go, it goes. In the winter, that isn’t much of a problem as it resides in the breast pocket of my jacket. But as the weather gets warmer, it becomes a bit of a problem because it has to go into a pants pocket. This puts it at risk for damage from sitting down with it in my pocket, slipping out and falling to the ground, keys, and the like.
I feel a lot more secure having it in the Metal Deluxe Case. Did I intentionally drop my Palm while in the case to test it? Heck no, I’m not stupid. But I’d like to think it would survive a drop with no damage while in this case.
It’s a great product and will definitely keep a Tungsten T/T2 safe, but I did have a few issues with it.
The first problem I noticed was with the desktop charging/sync cradle. The Palm unit won’t make contact with the connector in the cradle while in the case, even though there’s a cutout for the Universal connector. The case adds just enough to the profile of the Palm that it won’t sit completely in the cradle. The same was true for my Palm Portable Keyboard. It wouldn’t make the connection there either.
I really don’t see how this could be changed though as the case is as low profile as it can be. About the only solution I see is if the Universal connector opening on the case were expanded to allow the unit to sit a little deeper in the cradle. You would have no problem using a charging/sync cable instead of the cradle though, and this may have actually been the manufacturer’s intent. Wireless keyboard users should have no problem at all, as the cutout on the top exposes the IR port.
The second problem I found was in using the Palm while it was in the case. The case’s lid is attached by a hinge on the right side. I’m right handed and had a bit of trouble holding the unit in my left hand with the case open due to the lid being in the way. I think it would be impossible for a left handed person to use the Palm while in this case as the thumb of their right hand would rest directly on the hinge, preventing it from opening. I think this could be solved by having the case open flip-style, with the hinge on the top instead of on the right hand side. It’s entirely possible the manufacturer never intended for the Palm to have extensive use while in the case.
I have no doubt whatsoever that the Metal Deluxe Case will keep your handheld safe and secure during transport or travel. I will certainly continue to protect my T2 with it whenever I’m away from home. It does present some problems with trying to use the handheld while still in the case. Namely, that the Universal connector can’t make contact with a charging/sync cradle or Palm Portable Keyboard. The lid and hinge also have a tendency to get in the way when trying to use the handheld while still in the case.
In the end though, the Metal Deluxe Case definitely does the intended job of protecting of my Palm handheld. I rate the Metal Deluxe Case at 3 out of 5.
.RATING 3
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information about StylusCentral products, visit http://www.styluscentral.com.
For more information about Inno Pocket products, visit http://www.innopocket.com/EShop/Main/index.php.
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO James Booth is a self-taught PC and Palm device user that dabbles in graphics and photography. He can be reached at lizardworks@mchsi.com.
