.KEYWORD cases1000
.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT SHOOTOUT
.TITLE On the case: 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 a two-part series, Craig Bobchin will evaluate the pros and cons of six very different Visor cases. This month, he discusses RhinoSkin’s ShockSuit SportsCase, Covertec’s Cobra Case, and E&B Company’s Slipper Visor.
.AUTHOR Craig M. Bobchin
If you own a Handspring Visor, then you know it’s an excellent PDA with few faults. However you’ve also come face to face with its one major flaw on a regular basis. No, it’s not the software or the screen. It’s the cover. Unlike the Palm series, the Visor has a cover that snaps off and then gets re-snapped to the back of the unit. If you have a large Springboard module in place, this may prove to be impossible. Also the cover may crack at the top, as mine did, requiring a replacement. So what’s a person to do?
If you look on the Web, you’ll see a growing number of cases for the Visor. They’re almost as numerous as those for the Palm III series. In this series of articles, I’m going to take a look at six cases designed for the Visor. They are RhinoSkin’s ShockSuit SportsCase and Ti Slider Hardcase, Rhodiana’s Visor case, E&B Company’s Slipper Visor, Vaja’s CE781-N Visor series Flip Top Case, and Covertec’s Cobra 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 them in daily use. All of the cases had belt clips, and I wore them as a regular part of my wardrobe.
In part one of this series, we’ll look at RhinoSkin’s ShockSuit SportsCase, Covertec’s Cobra Case, and E&B Company’s Slipper Visor.
.H1 RhinoSkin’s ShockSuit SportCase
Rhinoskin is a well-known PDA case manufacturer. They have a complete line that covers just about any handheld you can imagine. Their ShockSuit SportsCase can be found at http://rhinoskin.com/shocksuit_visor_page.htm.
.H2 Visor unfriendly
When I received the ShockSuit, pictured in Figure A, my first thought was that it wasn’t really designed with the Visor in mind.
.FIGPAIR A The ShockSuit didn’t really seem to be designed with the Visor in mind.
While the Web site made it sound like there was a version for the Handspring Visor, the unit I received was clearly designed for a Palm device. There’s no hole cut for the IR port, which is on the left side of the Visor rather than the top as the Palm unit has it. There’s also no way to perform a HotSync operation with the Visor while it’s in the case.
The case is made out of sturdy foam, covered in neoprene, and was about half an inch to an inch wider than it needs to be. There’s a lot of room for the unit to slide around, so even if there were an IR port, chances are that the IR port on the Visor wouldn’t coincide with the hole in the case. The case isn’t really designed for Springboard use, as it’s impossible to change Springboards without removing the Visor from the case. Also, some of the larger Springboards may not fit.
The most important area, the belt clip that comes with the case, was also one of the weakest. I had many problems with the latch that’s supposed to hold the case to the belt clip. In many instances, the latch wouldn’t be fully engaged after I removed the case for use. This had the effect of causing the case to fall off the belt clip with alarming regularity. I spent almost as much time pushing the spring up so the latch would reseat itself as I did using my Visor. If the case had not been as good and protective as it was, I’m sure my Visor would be long dead.
.H2 On the plus side
A plastic frame around the front of the unit has a small extension that interferes with the power button on the Visor. If this had been the only problem, I could have filed it down and been fine. The lid is held closed by a couple of strips of Velcro. They work well in keeping the lid closed. I would have liked to see a bit more stiffness in the lid and back of the ShockSuit, but they worked fine and offered plenty of protection. Since it can be a problem to get the stylus out of the ShockSuit, there’s a stylus clip on the outside of the case that you can use to hold the stylus. I had my PalmGear HQ titanium stylus, which was for my original PalmPilot, clipped in there.
I liked the idea of the ShockSuit. It offers great protection and is fairly lightweight. However the size, Visor incompatibilities, and belt clip problems make this a case with which you may not be entirely happy.
.H1 Covertec’s Cobra Case
Covertec’s Cobra Case at http://www.covertec.com/us/xvisor/index.html takes another path to protect your Visor. Instead of the whole unit covering offered by the rest of the cases reviewed in this article, the Cobra Case is more of a wraparound, as you can see in Figure B.
.FIGPAIR B The Cobra Case wraps around the Visor.
The Visor’s plastic cover is inserted under an elastic band on the case’s bottom. The Visor is then snapped into the cover as in normal use. There’s a matching band on the inside of the top part of the cover that can be used to hold some business cards. The cover has a snap on the bottom side and a bit of Velcro around the snap for extra security. When closed, the Visor’s sides and bottom are exposed, but they’re surrounded by about an extra quarter inch of cover, so it offers a slight amount of protection. The case is made of a leather-like material with some ballistic nylon-like material thrown in as well.
Due to the use of the Visor’s cover, you can’t perform a HotSync operation while the Visor is in the case. You’re also unable to use many Springboard modules. Take this into consideration before you purchase this case.
The top section is moderately padded, but I would’ve liked to see a bit more stiffness in it. There’s one really neat feature about the case that, if used, helps add some extra protection to it. There’s a small slot in the front of the case that can be used to hold an extra stylus. I have an extra Visor Deluxe metal stylus in there, and it really helps increase the protection the case provides.
.H2 The belt clip
The belt clip, pictured in Figure C, is one of the best I’ve seen, requiring two buttons on the side to be pressed at the same time before you can pull the Visor out.
.FIG C The belt clip is one of the best I’ve seen.
There’s no spring to hold the clip closed. The placement of the case in the clip also means the unit hangs upside down. Both of these require a little bit of time to get used to. My only minor complaint is the fact that the part that clips onto your belt or clothes is held in place by friction alone.
If you’re not planning to use many Springboards, or if you don’t mind the slight exposure or the need to remove the case to perform a HotSync operation, then Covertec’s Cobra Case may be for you. It’s a very good-looking case and easy to use, plus it has one of the best belt clips of all the cases I looked at.
.H1 E&B Company’s Slipper Visor
In the realm of form-fitting cases, few come close to the E&B Company’s Slipper series at http://www.ebcases.com/store/scripts/store.exe/. Their Slipper Visor, pictured in Figure D, is no exception.
.FIGPAIR D E&B Company’s Slipper Visor is a nice, snug fit.
It’s made of thin leather, and the Visor slips inside it. The case gives a nice snug fit but offers minimal protection to the Visor. The flip-up lid has some slight stiffness, but you may want to add an old credit card-sized piece of plastic (such as an old hotel keycard) into the pocket on the inside of the lid. This will add some additional screen protection.
The Slipper Visor has holes in the case for the IR port and HotSync connection. That’s right, this case is one you can keep your Visor in and still perform a HotSync operation, and it’s the only one in this review that can do it.
The belt clip is good, and I had no trouble with the case falling off the clip or the clip coming off my belt. The case can be slipped into the front pants pocket with little trouble, and the small metal button for the belt clip won’t be noticed at all. The belt clip itself has a single button on the top that, when pressed, allows the case to come out. It was a bit stiff at first, but it soon became easier.
.H2 Problem areas
However, all is not perfect with this case. For starters, the lid is held closed by two small strips of Velcro. This might not have been the best choice, since in my case, the lid kept coming open. It would be nice if there were a hole in the back for a reset pin to be used, but you can add one yourself if you desire. There’s also a clear plastic film that covers the buttons on the Visor. This can take some getting used to, but after a few days, I hardly noticed it. Since the top part is open, you can use some of the larger Springboards without problems.
E&B Company’s Slipper Visor is also available without the belt clip, but I’d advise getting the clip version because it’s the same size and you might just want to keep the Visor on your belt in the future. It’s a nice looking case as well, and if you don’t mind the occasional open lid, it might be for you.
.H1 More to come
In part two of this series, we’ll continue our look at Visor cases by trying out Rondiana’s Visor case, Vaja’s CE781-N Visor series Flip Top Case, and RhinoSkin’s Ti Slider Hardcase.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.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/visor_page.htm.
.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
.DISCUSS http://powerboards.zatz.com/cgi-bin/webx?50@@.ee6e9b4
