Inooch iPAQ Leather Case Review

Product Requirements:
Device:
Compaq iPAQ 3100, 3600, 3700 and 3800 series Pocket PCs

You know that you’ve got a really great product when other products that come on the
scene are more or less exact replicas of your original idea. Going by this
axiom, it is obvious that Vaja has reached super-stardom status with their iPAQ line of cases.
As an example, I recently reviewed the Piel Frama leather cases from Spain.
These are very similar to Vaja’s slipper style cases for various PDAs. Soon I
will be reviewing the Marware iPAQ case, which is another Vaja clone.  But
first, here’s a review of yet another iPAQ case from a company called
Inooch.

I have to say that this case is so close in style, form, and function to the
Vaja iPAQ
Sync-able case, that anyone halfway familiar with Vaja cases might easily
mistake it for one upon first glance. You’re probably asking then, "why would I
want to buy this case over a Vaja case?" The first answer that pops into my mind
is of course: price. Complaints about the high price tag on Vaja cases have been
voiced since their inception. But, like anything, you get what you pay for. So,
I’ll bet your next question is, "how does the Inooch case compare to the Vaja
case?" Let me answer that question…

First of all, there are two versions of the Inooch leather case available.
A version for the 3600/3700 series and another version for the 3800 series. It has been created specifically for the naked iPAQ, meaning that it will not
work with any expansion sleeves. They come in several color styles, with and
without a belt clip. The color styles available are: Classic Black, Classic Two
Toned Brown, Blue-Green Fusion and Black-Maroon Fusion. I was sent the 3600
series Classic Two Toned Brown and the 3800 series Black-Maroon Fusion versions
for review.

The leather used in this case is softer than Vaja cases. It feels somewhat
thinner but is more padded. It is ‘poofy’ like the Piel Frama iPAQ case.

Like I said, the style of this case is Vaja-like in all respects except for
the leather stripe and logo badge stitched on the front of the cover. I do not
personally care much for this style, as it reminds me of the purses that my Mother
used to carry. It ‘feels’ more feminine to me than most cases do. But hey, this
is just the vibe I get from it… I
think I’d like the case a lot more, if they removed the logo badge… But, as we
know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :o)

The rest of the case is pretty plain and standard. You have your 2 card slots
and 1 larger slot behind them, and you have your holster area where the PDA
slides into. The iPAQ fits snuggly into the holster. The application and joy pad
buttons cutout is even and matches up fine with the appropriate area. If you are
a gamer, you might have problems pressing the joy pad button in the down
direction. This is the same issue that you would have with a Vaja case though,
as the
leather comes up a little too close to the bottom edge of the button. At the top of the holster
there is a cut out for the power button and status LED. On the 3600 series case that I
reviewed, the cutout was a little too high and blocked the lower part of the
power button. Not a ‘make or break’ flaw, but something to point out…

However, as you can see below, the 3800 series Inooch case cutout lines up
perfectly.

One noticeable difference between the Inooch case as opposed to the Vaja case, is the
fact that the Inooch has what I think is a thicker and stiffer screen protector
insert. There’s also a similar insert in the back of the case. This is something
that Vaja cases don’t have.

The Inooch cover is held closed with VERY strong magnets. They are quite a
bit stronger than similar magnets on the Vaja cases that I have reviewed. Like
other cases that utilize this method to hold their covers closed, you must be
careful not to store credit cards or other cards that have magnetic strips on
them in the card slots provided in the cover. If you do, it is highly likely that they will be destroyed.

Like the Vaja sync-able case, this case will also allow you to sync and
charge with the iPAQ cradle without requiring you to remove the PDA from the
case.

The bottom line is that the Inooch iPAQ leather case is a good alternative to
the same style Vaja case, if your main issue with Vaja is its price. If you like the style of these
case, I think
you’ll be happy with your purchase. If you prefer a larger selection of colors
and options for your iPAQ case, then I suggest you look to Vaja.

Price: $49.95 without belt clip 3600/3700 series,
$54.95 with  belt clip 3600/3700 series
           $54.95 without belt
clip 3800 series, $59.95 with  belt clip 3800 series

Pros:
Thick screen cover and back insert
Can fit in cradle for syncing and charging

Cons:
Price difference between the 36/3700 and 3800 series seems unnecessary