.KEYWORD cases1100
.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT SHOOTOUT
.TITLE On the case again: more protection for your Handspring Visor
.OTHER
.SUMMARY A number of different cases are available for the Handspring Visor, but which one is right for you? In part two of his series, Craig Bobchin will evaluate the pros and cons of six very different Visor cases. This month, he discusses RhinoSkin’s Ti Slider Hardcase, Rhodiana’s Visor case, and Vaja’s CE781-N Visor series Flip Top Case.
.AUTHOR Craig Bobchin
If you look on the Web, you’ll see a growing number of cases for the Visor. They’re almost as numerous as the ones for the Palm III series. In part one of this series, (at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200010/cases1000001.html) we looked at RhinoSkin’s ShockSuit SportsCase, Covertec’s Cobra Case, and E&B Company’s Slipper Visor. This time around, we’ll examine RhinoSkin’s Ti Slider Hardcase, Rhodiana’s Visor case, and Vaja’s CE781-N Visor series Flip Top Case.
Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully you’ll be able to pick one that fits your needs. I lived with each of these cases over the course of at least a week to get a good feel for what they were like in daily use. All the cases had belt clips, and I wore them as a regular part of my wardrobe.
.H1 Rhodiana Visor Case
The Rodiana case at http://www.rhodiana.com/products/palm/palm.html is one of the more interesting cases I’ve seen. The case is made of ballistic nylon and is well padded all around. It’s pictured in Figure A.
.FIGPAIR A The Rhodiana Visor case is well padded all around.
The cover has an inside pocket that holds an optional piece of Lexan that adds some stiffness to it and hence some more protection for the Visor. I strongly suggest that you get the Lexan stiffener. It’s well worth the $2.00 it costs.
When you slide the Visor into the case, you’ll have to snap a clear plastic cover over the top. This makes using any but the smallest Springboards impossible. The plastic cover acts as part of the lid’s hinge as well as the entry port for the Visor. It also helps keep the Visor in place when hanging from the belt clip, since, like in the Covertec case, the Rhodiana hangs the Visor upside down.
The Visor fits in the Rhodiana very snugly, and when inside, there’s a quarter inch of case that acts as a rim and offers more protection should the Visor fall while the case is open. However, this rim also has a downside. It makes it difficult to press the power button with your finger. You’ll probably find yourself using the stylus to hit the power button, or you’ll use the application buttons to turn the unit on. This is the first of a very few gripes I have with this case. The case adds very little extra size to the Visor, and you can still slip it into a pants pocket with no problem.
The belt clip is okay and is very similar to the clip on the RhinoSkin ShockSuit. However, I didn’t have any of the problems with this clip that I did with RhinoSkin’s. The button on the back of the case is a larger plastic button that’s placed in a very awkward spot.
The case has one feature that’s really cool. It has two elastic straps that run the length of the case, as you can see in Figure B.
.FIGPAIR B Two elastic strips on the back attach the case to your hand.
You’re supposed to slip these over your fingers as you’re holding it, and they will help prevent it from slipping out of your hand. This can be a lifesaver if you use it. However, due to the placement of the belt clip button, it’s very uncomfortable to do so. I’d prefer the belt clip button to be up where the top cover snaps. It would make using the elastic straps more comfortable. Fortunately, there’s a workaround to this small problem.
The lid of the Rhodiana is held closed by a plastic clip snap. When you open the case, you can flip the lid all the way over and snap the clip closed. This has the effect of turning the lid into a larger version of the straps. While not as secure, it does work.
You can’t HotSync when the Visor is in the case. However, there’s a hole cut out for the IR port, so you can beam with no problems.
Overall, I like the Rhodiana case a lot. Only three small changes would make it the perfect case in my eyes. First, I would like to see the belt clip button either repositioned or made a bit smaller, like the metal one on the back of the E&B Slipper Visor. Second, I would like to have easier access to the power button. Last, but not least, I would love to see a version of this case that would allow you to HotSync. Even so, I strongly recommend this case. It gives good protection, adds little to the size of the Visor, and looks pretty good.
.H1 Vaja’s CE781-N Visor series Flip Top Case
Vaja’s CE781-N Visor series Flip Top Case can be best described as a cross between the Rhodiana and the E&B Slipper Visor. It’s at http://www.vaja.com.ar/Vaja/Catalogo.nsf/MoreProds?OpenView&Cat=Fundas+Palm, and is pictured in Figure C.
.FIGPAIR C Vaja’s CE781-N Visor series Flip Top Case is well-padded.
It has a nicely padded cover that’s held closed by a snap on the back of the case. The inside of the lid has three slit-type pockets that can be used to hold credit cards or licenses. There’s also a larger pocket that can be used to hold cash or a larger piece of plastic. The inside of the cover can be seen in Figure D.
.FIGPAIR D The inside of the cover has numerous pockets.
On my case, the inside cover was also engraved with some of the less-used graffiti characters. The leather used is a lot thicker and of better quality than that in the E&B Slipper Visor. The leather inside is glove-soft and will really cradle your Visor in luxury. The case is designed to allow IR beaming but won’t let you HotSync. However there’s a version in the works that will let you HotSync, and it might be out by the time you read this. The case has one other feature that’s not on any other cases in this review.
The Vaja case has a hole in the back to give you access to the reset button. Like the E&B case, there’s a clear plastic strip that covers the buttons. In general, I had no problems with this, but every so often the scroll down button wouldn’t respond on one press. It sometimes took two or three presses to get it to respond. I would like to see a thinner plastic here, or even none at all.
The belt clip is solid, and the small metal button on the case is unobtrusive enough that you can slip the case into your pocket if need be. You can use Springboards with the Vaja case, though some larger ones might make the case hard to close.
I like the Vaja case a lot. In fact, at this point, I’d have to say it’s my favorite all-around case. It looks good, protects well, is well constructed, and fits in a pocket if I need it to. That’s not to say the case is without flaws. For one, the plastic that covers the buttons is a bit thick for my taste, and there’s no HotSync version at the time of this writing. But for sheer functionality, this is one tough case to beat.
.H1 RhinoSkin Ti Slider Hardcase
One reason that people buy cases for their PDAs is for protection. All of the previous cases I’ve looked at offer some degree of protection. But none are what you might call "bulletproof" cases. To fully protect your Visor, you’d need to put it in an armor casing. The folks at RhinoSkin had that same idea. To that end, they created the Ti Slider Hardcase, pictured in Figure E.
.FIGPAIR E RhinoSkin’s Ti Slider Hardcase is the closest thing to bulletproof you’re going to find.
The Ti Slider Hardcase is essentially a metal box into which you put your Visor. With all the myriad metals to choose from, which did RhinoSkin choose? They chose Titanium, due to its strength and lightness. Steel would be too heavy, and aluminum too thin. Besides, Titanium, being a "space age" metal, has a certain panache to it.
When you first see the Ti Slider Hardcase, you’re struck by the industrial look of it. It’s all gray metal with the company name stamped on the bottom. When you open it up, you’ll see foam glued inside to help hold and cushion the Visor. The foam does an adequate job of gripping the Visor, but you wouldn’t want to hold it upside down and shake it while the case is open. You’d probably end up buying a new Visor.
Once the Visor is snuggled in the Ti Slider Hardcase, you won’t be able to use the IR port. The Ti Slider Hardcase has no holes for the IR or to perform a HotSync. You have to remove the Visor to do either of these two actions. Also, you’ll want to remove your stylus before the case is completely open, since once open, the case covers the stylus hole. Most Springboards will likewise be unusable, since the slot is encased as well. You can still use the Backup module or the flash memory, provided they’re loaded into the Visor before you put it in the case.
When you hold the Ti Slider Hardcase with the Visor inside, the complete package will be slightly wider and about twice as thick as the Visor on its own, making it slightly uncomfortable to work with. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still useable; it’s just slightly awkward. The hinge and clasp on the case are adjustable. Just place them against a table or counter to bend them in or out to match your comfort level.
When the case is closed and the Visor is inside, it’s like putting your device in a bank vault. The Visor is fully enclosed and covered. Dropping it won’t cause any harm to the Visor. In fact RhinoSkin claims that it can be run over with a car with no ill effects whatsoever. Unlike certain other devil-may-care reviewers for this publication, I didn’t test this aspect of the protection, as I can ill afford to lose my Visor.
The case doesn’t have a belt clip, but you can purchase a ballistic nylon holder to slip your Ti Slider Hardcase into. This case has a top flap secured by Velcro with a belt clip. The belt clip is the only one in this review that doesn’t swivel. This is a minor negative point in my opinion.
I like the Ti Slider Hardcase for the protection it provides, but I’m not fond of its boxy looks. I would like to see a more rounded case, with the belt clip attached to the back. But, as I have mentioned, you can’t buy any better protection for your Visor than the Ti Slider Hardcase.
.H1 Final thoughts
There are no bad cases here. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. I personally like the Vaja case and the Rhodiana case best, but you may have other opinions. For example, I have a friend who swears by the E&B Slipper Visor, one I felt was lacking a bit. Depending on your needs, you may go for the Ti Slider Hardcase or the Covertec. Whichever way you go, you’ll have a case that helps protect your PDA investment from life’s bumps and bruises.
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.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on RhinoSkin’s ShockSuit SportsCase, visit http://rhinoskin.com/shocksuit_visor_page.htm.
For more information on Covertec’s Cobra Case, visit http://www.covertec.com/us/xvisor/index.html.
For more information on E&B Company’s Slipper Visor, visit http://www.ebcases.com/store/scripts/store.exe/.
For more information on Rondiana’s Visor case, visit http://www.rhodiana.com/products/palm/palm.html.
For more information on Vaja’s CE781-N Visor series Flip Top Case, visit http://www.vaja.com.ar/Vaja/Catalogo.nsf/MoreProds?OpenView&Cat=Fundas+Palm.
For more information on RhinoSkin’s Ti Slider Hardcase, visit http://rhinoskin.com/ti_slider_visor_page.htm.
For more information about Palm computers, visit http://www.palm.com.
.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.
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