Product Requirements:
Device:
Compaq iPAQ 3600, 3700, 3800, 3900
and 5000 series.

If you are an iPAQ owner worth your salt, the initials GM will not mean
General Motors to you! Instead, you’ll immediately think of George Mosquera and
his hugely popular customized Compact Flash and PC Card sleeves called
Silver
Sliders.

He started out taking
original sleeves as sold by Compaq, cut them down,
sanded them smooth and
gave them a coat of silver paint. It’s been over 2yrs since I first took a
look
at George’s creations, so let’s see how they’ve evolved…

In the beginning, George worked his magic on the stock sleeves by doing
everything painstakingly by hand. He told me that he’s probably made 1000′s by
hand in the last 2 yrs. These days, they are machine made. This means the
sleeves are all exactly the same, and there’s not as long to wait for an order.

As you can see below, the Silver Slider 3 is quite a bit thinner than my 2
year old Silver Slider 2.

[Left to Right: Original Silver Slider 2, Silver Slider 3]

The sleeve is so slim that from above, all you can see are the arms that wrap
around the top of the PDA. The sides are cut out so that you feel like you’re
holding a naked PDA instead of one with a CF sleeve attached.

The arms that hold the SS3 onto the iPAQ are pretty small. But, they feel
strong and not the least bit fragile. They hold the iPAQ securely so that the
Silver Slider does not wiggle while in use. The left arm is shaped so that you
can still easily use the record button when needed.

Silver Sliders get their name from their color. The finish on the sleeves
match the color of the iPAQ beautifully. It blends in so well, that people might
believe that the Silver Slider is actually part of the iPAQ, and not a separate
peripheral.

I only found one small thing that I can complain about regarding the finished
product. At the bottom of the CF box area on the back, there are 2 rectangular
openings. My original Silver Slider 2 does not have them. In my opinion the
openings should be filled in.

Update 12/04/02: George informed me that those two
slots are for a snap on screen cover option that is in the works for the future.

If would like an even nicer looking finish on your sleeve, you can request to
have your Silver Slider clear coated. This is something that George will do by
hand himself for an additional $10. The results are quite nice, and give you a
very glossy sleeve.

[Sleeve with optional clear coat added]

Another option that you might consider for the SS3 (as well as the SS2) is a leather cover. This
turns your SilverSlider into a case that will not only give you a CF slot, but will also
protect your iPAQ’s screen from typical abuse.

Available in black leather, the cover is nicely padded on both the front and
back. The front has a stiffener as well as 2 card slots on the inside. It is
held closed with a magnetic snap and has a belt clip which protrudes out the
back.

This cover does not protect the sides of the iPAQ, but it does protect the
front and back. It makes the PDA comfortable to hold, but does add some bulk to
the unit.

The cover is affixed onto the sleeve by a very strong adhesive. So, you had
better make sure that this is really an option that you want when you order the
SS3 as it can not be removed once it has been added. If you order the cover when
you order the sleeve, George will install it himself. Otherwise, it can be
installed later by removing the adhesive backing and sticking it to the back of
the slider yourself.

I was very surprised at how strong the adhesive is on the leather cover. I
tried prying it away from the sleeve with medium pressure and it would not
budge. I think with normal use, it should stay put without any problems. The
only problem with the cover that I could see is that oversized CF cards will not
allow you to close the cover.

The Silver Slider continues to be a great alternative to the stock Compact
Flash sleeve sold by HP/Compaq. Of course, it’s more expensive, but it also
looks a heck of a lot better and is not as bulky.

Price: $56.00 SS3 without clear coat, $66.00 SS3
with clear coat, $15.00 Leather cover

Pros:
Thinner, smaller than original sleeve
Matches iPAQ color and style

Cons:
Optional leather cover can’t be removed once attached

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Expansion, Pocket PC

Silver Slider 3 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 3, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
size=2>Device:
HP iPAQ Pocket PC
Requires ANY iPAQ Style/ Expansion Sleeve

I love my Pocket PC’s.  Please notice the plural state of that last
sentence.  Yes, I have more than one.  I have more than one so that I
can have the specific ability to examine and review a number of different
accessories for a number of different PPC models.  When Julie asked me to
take a look at some products from Nite Ize, I was certain she was talking about
the Pocket Bungie.  However, I was wrong.  One of the products she
asked me to look at was the Nite Ize Pack Strap.

Let me put your curiosity at ease…I wasn’t impressed by this product, nor
does it in my mind, command the $20 price tag that it sports.  But I’m
getting a bit ahead of myself.

Nite Ize Pack Strap attached to my iPAQ in the cradle

The Nite Ize Pack Strap is a wide, black, elastic band with a black plastic
hook on one end.  You attach it to any iPAQ Expansion Sleeve or Style Paq
by wrapping 2 thin, grey straps around the wings of your Expansion Sleeve. 
Then, insert your iPAQ into your Expansion Sleeve as you normally would. 
The Pack Strap can be reversed 108 degrees so you can put the hook at either
the top or bottom of your device.

You can hang your iPAQ on a belt loop, from a neck strap, or any thing else
that might support the weight.  You can also use the strap to secure the
iPAQ to the back or palm of your hand by placing your hand into the large, black
elastic loop that is now on the back of your Expansion Sleeve. This is where I
begin to have some realistic difficulty with the product.

Rear view of the device with the Pack Strap Attached

The Nite Ize Pack Strap is well made; but the strap used to secure your
device to the back or palm of your hand is tight.  Long term use of it
transferred the straps "grain" to the back of my hand.  My hand also fell
asleep a few times while I had the unit on my hand, the thing was so tight.

Practically, in a real life, honest to goodness consumer setting, using the
Nite Ize Pack Strap in a Corporate setting elevated my Geek Coefficient to an
uncomfortable level, even for me.  Hooking the device to my belt was ok,
but the latch on the hook is quite stiff (and that’s not necessarily a bad
thing…) and always required to hands to unhook from a belt buckle.  While
the product literature does show it being used three different ways, I honestly
see this product only being used in an industrial (read Inventory Clerk,
Warehouse Supervisor/ Purchasing Agent/ Buyer) or Logics (read FedEx/ UPS
Delivery Guy) setting.  Even in those situations, I’d have a great deal of
trouble continually wearing the Strap on the back of my hand due to its tight
fit, and wouldn’t want to if I were moving boxes around in a binned warehouse.

However, I can think of one really good use for the Nite Ize Pack Strap,
now that I think of it.  I’ve just ordered CoPilot 3.0 with a free Navman
GPS Jacket for my iPAQ 3835.  When you’re out and about traveling/ walking
around a new city, the Nite Ize Pack Strap would be a good way to attach your
device to your belt.  With the hook placed at the bottom of your device,
walking around downtown with your Navman leading you where you want to go, you
cool look at the directions without having to constantly hold on to your device. 
That would be a big help.  I don’t know of a third party case, leather or
otherwise, that is made for the iPAQ with Navman GPS Sleeve combination.

I also had some trouble when I tried to use this product with my iPAQ 3765. 
When I used it with my 3835, the device fit in my PC Card Sleeve without a
problem.  When I tried using it with my 3765, for some reason I had a
really hard time getting the device to fit in the sleeve.  In fact, I
couldn’t get it to fit at all.  It got about 90% of the way into the sleeve
and then just stopped.  I tried applying a little bit of elbow grease, but
it wouldn’t move, and I didn’t want to really force it for fear that I wouldn’t
be able to get the device out of the sleeve later.  This didn’t, and still
doesn’t, make any sense to me.  All iPAQ’s are supposed to fit exactly the
same in all of the Expansion Sleeves.

It wouldn’t quite fit with the 3765

Compared to their similar Pocket Bungee, the Nite Ize Pack Strap seems a
bit of an afterthought product  (What else can we do with these clips and a
bunch of elastic..?); but that’s just my opinion.  I wasn’t very impressed
with this product and personally, wouldn’t spend half the cost of the product to
purchase it; but that’s just me, I guess.  You might have a different
opinion, or perhaps you own the Nite Ize Pack Strap and have had a better time
and experience using it.  If so, I’d really love for you to leave me some
feedback in the Discussion Forum.  I’d love to hear the "Counter Point" to
my discussion; however, please don’t start your post with, "Chris you
ignorant…" 

Price: $19.95

Pros:
No Special Equipment or Attachments
Required
Works with ALL iPAQ Expansion Sleeves

Cons: 
Elastic, Attachment Straps fit
Differently with iPAQ 3835 and 3765 using Same PC Card Sleeve
Limited Practical, Consumer Uses
Seems Expensive for What it Does

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Expansion, Pocket PC

Nite Ize Pack Strap Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 21, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Device:
COMPAQ iPAQ Pocket PC running Pocket PC 2000 or Pocket PC 2002
2 MB Storage Memory

What’s in the Box?

Package contains:
- FlyJacket expansion sleeve
- Pen-sized remote control/laser pointer (6 button type batteries included)
- Y-type power adapter cable
- 4-way AV cable
- S-Cable
- User Guide
- 1-year limited warranty
- IA Style PowerMedia Suite user’s guide.

CD-ROM contains:
- FlyJacket drivers. (Don’t forget to download new ones at LifeView website)
- LifeView PowerShow utility.
- LifeView Shadow display utility
- IA Style PowerMedia Suite software: IA Album, IA Presenter, IA Screen Mirror, IA Image Capture.

ICAM Package contains:
- ICAM camera module.
- 4 N-type batteries.

Preview

 

The FlyJacket expansion sleeve lies somewhere between the single PCMCIA expansion sleeve and the double PCMCIA expansion sleeve, as you can already understand, it is
anything but a sleek sleeve. Surprisingly, but with all the features inside (those will be discussed later) it weighs less than the Dual PCMCIA sleeve.
The exact dimensions are 12.8cm (W) x 8.6cm (H) x 1.7cm(D) and the sleeve weighs only 159 gr. If you are interested in a thorough
comparison between the FlyJacket and Compaq iPAQ original sleeves, it may be found here.

 
 

On the right side of the FlyJacket you can notice two types of connectors. The first is a typical VGA female 15 pin connector which is responsible for the video output on a VGA screen or a projector. The second connector is a special 9 pin connector where you insert the attached 4-way AV cable. On the left side of the FlyJacket you can notice
an infra red eye which gets information from the remote control. The pen-sized remote control is made of two parts. The first is a 2 button remote control which can be used during a slideshow and performs the task of Page Up\Page Down. The opposite end is equipped with a laser pointer which is a nice add-on to any presentation. The remote control\laser pointer uses 6 cell batteries (which
are included).

On the top of the unit you can find a Compact Flash slot. This is very helpful if you don’t have any space left on your iPAQ or Secure Digital memory card. The card sticks out when in the sleeve, not as the usual Compact Flash sleeve. On the bottom, you
will find a charging connector to charge the FlyJacket’s internal rechargeable 1400mAh battery. You may use the Y adapter which comes with the handheld to charge both the iPAQ and the
FlyJacket simultaneously. However, when keeping them attached, you may charge both, while connecting only one. Additional information may be found in the FlyJacket manual.

Setup

The FlyJacket drivers must be installed before sliding the iPAQ into the sleeve. The whole process of the installation took me less than five minutes. You may also install the IA Style PowerMedia Suite which costs nearly $55 when buying as a bunch of standalone programs. I’ve installed the software and it took me 2 MB space. After ActiveSync, I slid the iPAQ inside and the FlyJacket was recognized immediately. Each of the software titles which are included with the FlyJacket deserves its own review, however, since this is a FlyJacket review, I won’t pay too much attention to the software pack. The software bundle may be divided in two. The earlier mentioned IA Style PowerMedia Suite makes the first part, while the second consists of two programs which are FlyJacket drivers: LifeView Shadow and LifeView PowerShow.

The LifeView Shadow application is responsible for the configuration of the video input. You can choose here, whether the iPAQ is connected to a VGA monitor, projector or a TV. You can configure the output resolution (640X480, 800X600, 1024X768), magnification ratio (1, 1.5, 2) and the position of the output on the screen. You may also choose whether the iPAQ will make a sound when a button is pressed on the remote control. I usually use 800X600 resolution at 64 bit color depth, with sounds off, since usually I’m far away from the iPAQ anyway, when using the remote control. Other resolutions may not be supported by old projectors and small screen. Pay attention you can only choose the Ratio while working with TV. LifeView PowerShow on the other hand, monitors the internal battery of the FlyJacket. This is also the program which checks whether your drivers are installed correctly and the FlyJacket is present. If you can’t enter the program and see the battery level, your FlyJacket isn’t attached or something is wrong.

Software Bundle

The IA Style PowerMedia Suite is a special bundle available for FlyJacket users only. It consists of three IA Style programs and one IA Style special driver for the FlyJacket. The Programs are: IA Album, IA Presenter and IA Capture. I recommend downloading a new version of IA Capture (Version 2) which
gives the FlyJacket the ability of capturing video.

IA Album is an improved Pocket PC image viewer utility. It allows you view, organize, edit and show images quickly and easily. You may download the pictures from the PC via ActiveSync or insert a memory card, taken directly from a digital camera.
If you are interested in a screen capture utility you can find it here too, along with a nice handy utility which allows you
to frame your favorite pictures into curvy and color shapes. IA Style has an explorer based shell which makes it easy to navigate
through the pictures. You may choose to see the pictures as thumbnails or one at a time. A voice record or a note can be added to any picture to capture your
favorite moments in the best way.

IA Presenter is IA Style’s answer to PowerPoint’s absence in PocketPC 2000/2002. IA Presenter comes with a desktop conversion utility which can convert PowerPoint slides via ActiveSync using the specifications you chose. Although the only thing you can choose is the resolution of the Mobile Slides, it is nice to have a small program rather
than a converter which does it all automatically. Some of IA Presenter’s key features which should be mentioned are: digital ink annotation during slideshow, multiple Undo/Redo and Auto resize feature for VGA screens, when the programs detects incompatible dimensions. Some other functions include hiding slides, deleting slides, merging slideshows and preview option which
shows the actual transition effects before assigning them.

IA Screen Mirror is an improved version of LifeView PowerShow, and is responsible for the video output of the FlyJacket. This program projects the emulation of your PocketPc screen on the VGA screen, TV or projector. IA Mirror can display up to 9 multiple screens simultaneously, this allows you freeze all but one screen in a desired state and maintain one active. In addition, you may choose the refresh rates, change the output mode, choose a background and the resolution.

IA Capture is an image and video capture application which is designed to utilize the video input option of the FlyJacket. IA Image features a video preview area which can be expanded to a full screen, where one can see the active video stream, a capture button which allows one capture the current image or video viewed in the preview area. The program is fully integrated with IA Album, so images can be browsed, viewed and managed there.
Please notice that the FlyJacket comes with an old version of IA Capture (1.00), which doesn’t allow video capture nor supports advanced image configurations. IA Capture 2, which I described is free to download for FlyJacket owners.

Presentation Setup

After installing the drivers, original software bundle and updated programs, and finally after charging the iPAQ it’s
showtime. Before you drag and drop the presentation to your Mobile Device, you should configure the ActiveSync IA Presenter conversion program. I would recommend SVGA 800X600 resolution which is more than fine for your TV, VGA or any projector you may find. Take in mind, FlyJacket supports SVGA at 64bit depth, while at 1024X768 can only support 256 colors.
Remember the built-in Compact Flash slot? It really comes in handy now. I do have the iPAQ 3850 with a built in Secure Digital slot, however it is full with Destinator maps of Israel and other programs which were just too much for my RAM. My Sandisk 128 Ultra Flash Compact Flash did fine with my family pictures album and some presentations I dragged there after ActiveSyncing.
iPAQ 36xx/37xx owners or users who do not have a Secure Digital card, would be really happy not to place their presentations in RAM memory.

I used two TV Sets (21″ United\ 25″ Sony) and a VGA monitor (19″ MAG 810FD) while reviewing the FlyJacket. The TV sets used an additional S-Video cable I found at home. The VGA monitor didn’t need anything but its own VGA cable. Laptop owners, read this twice, the whole stuff for my presentation took a medium sized pouch and included an iPAQ 3850, a FlyJacket module, a small pen sized remote control and a S-Video cable (Which is mainly used with TV sets). One more thing, now you can forget about the boot time, the laptop battery, additional software configurations etc. Configuring a working presentation take no more than a minute, and you are on the go with a remote control/laser pointer. Working with VGA monitor or a projector is much easier since VGA output is more customizable and the output is way better. I’ve been using the IA Mirror instead of the original FlyJacket driver, LifeView Shadow. You may see the results on the left. Pay attention that the output may be seen full screen, when working with landscape (normal) slides. I’ve noticed a problem with FlyJacket drivers while trying to output games. I’ve tried to show on screen, Tennis Addict, Soccer Addict, Pocket Bass Pro and Chopper Alley, however, neither of them was shown on the VGA screen/TV. I can’t think of a reason for that.

I must say that these games were the only thing I couldn’t project properly. I don’t think you will have a problem using the vast majority of programs written for the Pocket PC platform, however if your main use of the FlyJacket will be with one specific utility self programmed, check it before you buy. Sometimes I
had two pictures interlaced one on the other. It was because I’ve used two drivers simultaneously, the LifeView Shadow and the IA Mirror. Don’t use the first one and everything will be fine. I’ve noticed a real drop
in speed while using the FlyJacket. The reason is the drivers which are loaded each time you slide the iPAQ into the sleeve. It doesn’t disturb your presentation, be sure, however if you wish to play mp3 in Media Player while the iPAQ is in the FlyJacket sleeve, forget about it. You’ll be interrupted once a while.
This is the only reason I don’t use my FlyJacker 24/7, since the built-in Compact Flash slot and the built-in VGA make my iPAQ an
irresistible Pocket PC.

ICAM add-on

 

Pictures courtesy of the LifeView website.

The FlyJacket ICAM is a digital video and still camera add-on to the FlyJacket which turns the iPAQ into a low-level digital camera. The ICAM has a sleek design which hardly reminds
you of a digital camera and it gets its power from 4 N-type (LR1) 1.5V batteries. You can choose between PAL or NTSC and even adjust the focus.
The most exciting feature is the lens, which can be adjusted up to 180° in portrait mode (90° in landscape). The resolution
is similar to a cheap web camera, 0.3 MegaPixel. I can’t even place it near my Olympus 2100UZ or any other semi-professional digital camera. The pictures are grainy and they have interlaced lines as you can see below. However if you do have the FlyJacket, you can pay
the extra bucks and take a fast snapshot camera for your kids. The maximum resolution can be changed between 640X480 and 720X480.

(Click the
thumbnails to see the original pictures)

Bottom Line

The LifeView FlyJacket is definitely the most fascinating iPAQ sleeve I’ve ever met. Its usability is almost infinite, starting with presentations and slide-shows, video out, video in and even the add-on which makes the iPAQ a low-end digital still and video camera. If you ask me, this sleeve is not intended for everyone.
The average iPAQ user, who already has a digital camera and uses a DiskOnKey for transferring his family album, isn’t one of those who will fall in love with the FlyJacket. The last are businessmen, students or teachers, anyone who needs a handy presentation device for his iPAQ, instead of taking his Laptop with him.
Let’s see what we get here. The software bundle itself costs $55, if you buy it alone. A CF Expansion sleeve costs $45 more,
and the additional remote control which can be also used as a laser pointer will cost $15 more. That leaves you with the FlyJacket VGA\Video options and the whole deal costs $199. It has its cons, which can’t be overlooked, but the pros make the case clear.
If you need a multi-purpose video and presentation solution, you’ve found it in the FlyJacket, a perfect fit for your iPAQ Pocket PC.

Price: $199

Pros: 
Built-in Compact Flash Slot
Built-in long lasting rechargeable Lithium Ion 1400mAh battery
Remote Control\Laser Pointer
VGA Output
Video Input\Output
Handy software bundle
ICAM add-on (not included) turns the FlyJacket to a video and still digital camera.

Cons: 
Slows downs iPAQ while attached. Can’t play music without disturbances while slide-showing.
Somewhat heavy when compared to other presentation solutions.
Compact Flash card sticks out of the unit.
Some games can’t be shown trough the VGA\Video output.

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Expansion, Pocket PC

LifeView FlyJacket i3800 and ICAM Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 9, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Compaq iPAQ 3100, 3600 series

What do you get when you take a popular custom iPAQ accessory and combine it
with an equally popular case manufacture’s iPAQ case? You get one must-have iPAQ item! What am I talking about? I’m talking about merging the
Whitney CompactFlash sleeve mod with a sync-able
Vaja iPAQ case. The combination
results in the absolute slimmest CF solution yet for the Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC.

If you’re an iPAQ maniac, you’ll already be aware of several different
alternatives to the stock CF sleeve bulk. First there was the
SilverSlider by
George Mosquera This was a modification performed on the stock CF expansion sleeve that involved
cutting out the sides and thinning down the back to make the sleeve much
thinner. It eventually evolved into a very thin solution that could be used
without a case, or with special cases made by Vaja and others.

Next came the Whitney CF / Vaja case mod. This modification performed by
Whitney LuBean was unusual in that Whitney took a CF sleeve, pulled out the guts
and then implanted them into a Vaja case.

Then came Whitney’s CF and PC Card
BackPacks which were extremely slimmed
down versions of original CF and PC Card expansion sleeves covered in
leather.

Now we have Whitney’s latest product: the Whitney CF Sleeve Case. This is
actually a totally revamped version of Whitney’s first Vaja case mod. But,
instead of having to do all of the leather case modification work on his own,
Whitney has teamed up with Vaja and they have designed an iPAQ case that makes
using a CF card a total joy! This case marries a form fitting leather slipper
case with the Compact Flash sleeve essentials into a very slim solution.

You can buy this case directly from Whitney, or from Vaja. You will
actually get a much better price if you order thru Whitney. But, you won’t get as
big of a selection of case colors and options. At this time, the cases are
available in the following colors directly from Whitney: Palermo black, Vitelino Olive, Vitelino Azabache,
and Palermo Brown. These cases come with the following options: a magnetic closure, CF access without
a cover, slim screen cover without credit card

slots, and a belt clip.

When you order the case directly from Vaja, you will not receive a complete
Whitney CF Sleeve case. You will just get the Vaja case sans electronics… The CF sleeve guts are
inserted by Whitney. That is why it is probably a better idea to just order the
complete product from Whitney. I was sent the Vitelino Olive and Palermo Brown cases for review.
The only difference between the two cases is that the Palermo Brown has a snap
cover over the CF slot while the Vitelino Olive case does not.

These cases are your typical Vaja quality cases. They have been made
with excellent
leather materials, construction, and stitching. I was unable to find any
workmanship defects on either case I was given to evaluate.

The cases look like your regular Vaja slipper style case. But, when you look
at the bottom, you’ll see that it has been entirely cut out and that there is a
connector that the iPAQ expansion port connects to. This connector was
originally part of a CF sleeve. Whitney has dismantled such a sleeve to remove
all the necessary parts. When he receives the cases from Vaja, he inserts the
expertly thinned down CF sleeve, into the back of the case and is left with a
remarkably thin CF sleeve. Actually, it is so thin and light that you might not
even realize that it is more than just a case. I took one of my regular Vaja
iPAQ Sync-able cases with a belt clip and one of these new Whitney cases and
weighted them. The Whitney case only weighed 2oz. more than the regular case.

Inserting your iPAQ into this case is a simple matter of sliding it in,
lining up and engaging the connectors. Removing the iPAQ from the case is
slightly more difficult due to the fact that it is hard to get a grip on the PDA
in order to disengage it from the connector. It takes a bit of wrestling, but
it’s not too bad. Luckily, you really don’t need to remove the iPAQ from the
case very often because it can sync with the cradle or a cable very easily.

In the past, I’ve reviewed and used various Vaja sync-able cases. Quite often
they require some ‘breaking in’ time where you have to press the PDA into the
cradle in order to stretch the leather so that the connectors make contact.
With this case, a breaking in period is not necessary because the bottom of the case has been
removed. There is nothing to get in the way, you just slide it in the cradle and
it syncs!

The CF slot is on the back of the case and depending on which style
you buy, it will either be exposed or have a protective snap cover over it. The
snap cover version has a leather flap with one snap that secures to the top of
the screen cover flap. Snapping and unsnapping the cover is easy, as is inserting
and removing CF cards. The only bad thing about this cover is that sometimes
when you open the screen cover to far, it will cause the cover to unsnap. You
also can’t fold the screen cover completely back behind the PDA with this
version.

In my opinion, the version without the flap looks nicer and is easier to use.
The CF card does stick out a bit, but I don’t see this as a problem. You can
even open the screen cover and completely fold it back behind the PDA if you
desire.

Both versions of this case give you the same result: A protective, great looking
leather case that just happens to give you the ability to use CF cards with your
Compaq iPAQ PDA.

There were no surprises in actually using CF cards in this sleeve. I never had
an access problems or any other types of problems with it.

I know this product is expensive… But, if you were already thinking about
getting a Vaja case for your iPAQ, then I would definitely go ahead and spring
for this version. You won’t regret it.

Price: $169 ($69 if you send a Custom Vaja case and
CF sleeve) $10 extra for Vitalino cases

Pros:
Slimmest CF solution yet
Syncs easily with cradle

Cons:
Expensive
CF slot cover version comes unsnapped semi-easily

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Case, Expansion, Leather, Pocket PC

Whitney CF Sleeve Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 25, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Compaq iPAQ

I have been wanting a Dual Slot PCMCIA sleeve since they
were first shown at COMDEX last December. Being able to use a memory card while
accessing the internet and e-mail wirelessly, was a mighty attractive
prospect. 

Since that time, I have been on someone or
another’s waiting list, hoping to receive this sleeve. It seemed like every time
a release date was eminent, something would come up that would push that date
back, further and further.

Then there was the fact that I had actually purchased a Type III PC Card Cellular
Modem back in January. That piece of equipment has been sitting all this
time, while I have been waiting to finally use it in my iPAQ like I had
originally intended when I bought it. 

In late June I was, at long last, able to get my hands on a Compaq
Dual PC Card Sleeve. It was a thrill to finally see this screen displayed on
my iPAQ:

However, after I got over my initial excitement of acquisition, I realized
that there was a reason that the Dual PC Sleeve is also referred to as "The
Brick"…there just isn’t any kind way to put it: the Dual PC Sleeve is
humongous, heavy, and just this side of fugly. I have to admit: I was
completely non-fazed about the size, because I had already made plans to send
the Dual Sleeve to Whitney LuBean for modifications
before I had ever received it. 

Since I had already waited six months to receive the Dual Sleeve, it was no
problem to wait an additional week or so for Whitney to work his magic. I had
already seen what he could accomplish by modifying both the CF
& PC sleeves, so I was confident that he would find some way to tame
this beast, and make the Brick, less, well….bricklike.

On the off chance that you are not familiar with Whitney’s work, let me fill
you in on what you have been missing… 

Whitney takes the regular sleeves that Compaq puts out, and pares them down -
until they are a mere shadow of their former selves. He then covers the result
with luxurious, soft, smooth-grained black leather. His result is a modification that sits easily in hand, and feels wonderful to
touch. 

The Whitney modification is an item
that while beautiful and much smaller than original, remains quite strong and
durable. These creations are meant to be used everyday, and you don’t have to
worry about babying them.

When I sent my Dual Sleeve to Whitney, he offered me the choice of keeping
both batteries in the modification; or going for the maximum possible space
savings by eliminating one of the batteries. I opted to go "small".
Therefore, all of the resulting pictures that you will see in my review are of
the single-battery Dual PC BackPack.

First, I will post a table of weights and measurements. Since you are going
to be looking at pictures that were taken weeks apart, and since the
perspectives are slightly different in some of them, I want you to have an idea
of what I am showing you.

Well, enough talk. Take a look for yourself, and see what you think about his
results:

	Here is the unmodified Compaq Dual PC Card Sleeve. As you can see – there is quite a bit of bulk added to the normally svelte iPAQ when it is attached.
	Next, you see the Whitney Dually. I am not going to kid you…this is still a large sleeve; however, it is much less cumbersome and much more portable after Whitney has had his way with it.

The Dually is held in place by the serial port located at the bottom of the
PDA. I do want to mention right here, that unless you are going to carry this
combo inside a case, you really should attach either some double-sided
tape or Velcro to secure the Dually to your iPAQ. The Dually is a bit too
heavy to stay attached without this help.
       

As you saw, Whitney has done away with the side rails that formerly held the
sleeve to the iPAQ. You might be wondering what else he had to do away with to
achieve these results?

Well, to begin with, the little swinging door that covered the PCMCIA slot
access area, is now MIA. You won’t miss it.

Also, the charge indicator light is now gone from the back
corner of the sleeve…

All this means is that you will have to look under Power in QUtilities
to see when it is fully charged. 

From this side, you’ll notice that the dual ejectors are also missing. What this means is that you will have to grasp the PCMCIA cards from their sides for removal from now on. This is not difficult to do, but it is a little less convenient – especially as there are two cards stacked together and people with larger fingers might not be able to easily do this easily. I found that the simplest way to get either card out, was to remove the Dually from the back of the iPAQ. Theoretically, since you have two slots in this sleeve, you might never even need to switch out your PC cards.

As you can see, all PCMCIA cards will stick out a minimum of .4" (10.2mm) when installed. This makes it possible to remove them in the manner I previously described.

Looking at the bottom of the iPAQ in both sleeves, you will see that the power jack is also gone. As the Dually will also charge when the iPAQ is plugged in, this should not pose a problem for anyone.

I would like to mention here, that I have heard of some people finding that with the Compaq Dual PC Card Sleeve installed, they were having trouble getting their car-chargers to supply enough power to refill both the batteries in the sleeve, and the battery in the iPAQ when the power levels were down. If you think about it, three batteries simultaneously would most likely be a huge power drain. This should not be a consideration with this single battery Dually, as it is should be no different than a regular PC sleeve in regards to power draw when charging.

Here is a view of the iPAQ in both sleeves from the top. Although the
original sleeve fit in my hand just fine, the more pronounced curves of the
Whitney Dually are easy to grasp, and quite comfortable to hold.

Looking at my iPAQ head-on, you can see that there is no added thickness to
its sides when the Dually is installed.

Here is my iPAQ with the cellular modem that I was mentioning before installed.  I was pleased to see that the iPAQ immediately recognized this modem, and without the need for additional drivers. Yes folks, that is a working Type III PCMCIA Card sticking out of the back of my iPAQ. Quite impressive!

Here is yet another view of the Dually BackPack on my iPAQ.

Any way you look at it, gravity is really working against this duo when they are out of a case. This picture better illustrates what I meant when I mentioned that the iPAQ and Dually really need something added to keep them together safely.  This problem can be easily solved by adding Velcro or double-sided tape between the two components, or by keeping the duo in a case.

I realize that it was a bit unrealistic – but I was kind-of hoping that the
single battery Dually might fit inside the Vaja #805 case, which holds the iPAQ
and CF sleeve. The PC BackPack fits the Vaja #805 a bit loosely, and so I
figured there might be a chance. 

Well, I was wrong – but I am not too disappointed, as the iPAQ and Dually
will fit perfectly in the Vaja #807, which is designed for the iPAQ and
single PC card sleeve.

There is only one area where the Dually is a little bit unfinished, and I can’t honestly say that there is anything that Whitney could have done to fix this: There is a .18" (4.7mm) gap of dead space between the circuit board and where the first PC card will rest when installed.  I have been staring at it for a bit, and I can’t think of any way to remedy it. I imagine that Whitney probably felt the same way when he was looking at it, too.  This is a very minor thing to point out in an otherwise completely impressive modification, but you know how picky I can be…

Here is a picture of the Dually taken next to an unmodified Compaq PC Card Sleeve. As you can see, they are essentially the same height, and as such, the Dually mod should fit into almost any case that is made to fit the regular PC sleeve when installed on the iPAQ.

All in all, I am thrilled with what Whitney accomplished with my Dual
PC Sleeve. While having the Dually attached to your iPAQ still makes it a bit of
a hand-full, the Dual PC Card Sleeve becomes much more manageable once Whitney
has modified it.

Price: $149 for the single battery Dually
Modification (You must supply a Dual PC Sleeve for the Mod)

Pros:
Whitney has managed to make "The Brick" about the same
size as an unmodified Single PC Sleeve  
Professionally done with superior materials and craftsmanship

Cons:

Expensive
Must use either double-sided tape or Velcro to attach Dually to iPAQ if you
don’t intend to use a case

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Expansion, Pocket PC

Whitney\’s Dual PC Back Pack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 15, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements: 
Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC
Compact Flash Card Sleeve or PC Card Sleeve

What do you consider sexy? How about leather and tight curves, fitting
seductively in the palm of your hand? If you are a gadgeteer, then you’ll know
that I am not necessarily speaking of leather covering flesh…I am thinking of
leather covering components that have been slimmed down to the bare necessities;
to the point where they fit in the hand like they were meant to be cradled
there. 

Whitney LuBean, an imaginative designer, 
has created a site filled with items that will make an iPAQ owner swoon. Two of
his newest additions are the CF (Compact Flash sleeve) and the PC (PCMCIA
sleeve) Baqpaqs.

For those of you that are not familiar with Whitney and his iPAQ sleeve adaptations,
let me give you a little bit of background. Whitney LuBean has an iPAQ.  He evidently wasn’t too thrilled about the size that his iPAQ
became when attached to its bulky expansion sleeves. Like some other PDA owners
out there, he solved his own problem and then posted
his results on a bulletin board, testing what kind of public interest there
might be in his new creation. 

Whitney’s first conversion involved slimming down a CF sleeve, and modifying
a Vaja #801 or #804 naked iPAQ case so that the added bulk of the CF
modification was negligible. He soon managed to top himself when he performed
this same feat with an iPAQ and PCMCIA sleeve – still fitting everything, including
the extra battery – in those same Vaja cases. 

Not only did Whitney tell others how he performed his modifications, he also
was available to answer
questions for those inspired enough to attempt them. As you can imagine,
there were those that preferred to pay for Whitney’s work, rather than
perform the necessary acts of surgery themselves. 

Although this first modification that Whitney performed caught my eye, it was
his newest creation that really got me excited. 

Instead of using the Vaja case as a part of the new version, Whitney now
slims the CF or PC sleeves down to the bare essentials, and then covers them in
an incredibly soft, grained black leather. With these new designs, you can now
fit the iPAQ with its attached sleeve in the case of your choosing.

Julie and I were thrilled to be able to review these beauties, and we think that
you will agree that they are really something special, and yes…quite sexy. ;0)

The CF BaqPaq by Julie Strietelmeier

I want my PDA to be as small and thin as possible. So when I first received
the CF sleeve for the iPAQ, I
was really disappointed in how large it made my formerly svelte PDA. Weight doesn’t really
bother me, it’s how comfortable an object is when its held that makes the difference to
me. The CF sleeve really made the iPAQ a handful which to me equaled
uncomfortable.

I put up with the bulk of the CF sleeve till I started hearing about a
modification being done by George Mosquera.
George cut down existing CF sleeves, sanded and painted them and then resold
them as Silver Sliders. At the time, they
were the ultimate in a slim profile CF sleeve and I loved mine.

Of course, it wasn’t long before people were wanting an even slimmer CF
solution. Whitney LuBean came to the rescue with a CF sleeve incorporated into a
Vaja iPAQ case. Although this looked very interesting, I decided not to buy it
as I sometimes prefer not to even use a case with my iPAQ. The thoughts of
having to ALWAYS use a case with it didn’t appeal to me. 

Weeks passed and then I heard about Whitney’s CF BaqPaq and I just HAD to have one
that very second. Like George, Whitney also takes an existing CF sleeve and cuts away everything but
what is absolutely needed, but then Whitney goes a step further and then covers what is left in leather. The result
has to be the smallest / thinnest CF solution for the iPAQ available now and I’m
assuming for a long while to come.

The BaqPaq is very very thin! The thinnest part is only .15in (4mm) thick. It
really doesn’t seem to add much at all to the size of the iPAQ. Let’s compare
the size and weight of a naked iPAQ, the iPAQ CF Sleeve, the Silver Slider and
the CF BaqPaq:

* Measured at thickest part

The leather covering the BaqPaq is very soft and I am amazed at the job
Whitney did applying it to the mod. There are no bubbles, ravels, seams etc. It
looks and feels fantastic. I really prefer the feel of the BaqPaq to the feel of
the naked iPAQ. The naked iPAQ is almost slippery. With the BaqPaq, the leather
gives you a very secure hold on the PDA. 

Attaching and removing the BaqPaq is easy. Once it is attached, it feels very
secure. Although it is only attached by the expansion connector, I don’t worry
at all about it falling off. The assembly lays flat against the back of the iPAQ
and although Whitney says that you can use double sided tape to hold the mod
on if you don’t use a case, I don’t find this to be necessary. 

The BaqPaq works just as well as the CF sleeve. I didn’t have any problems
accessing the information on CF cards while testing this mod. Also, battery life
is the same with the BaqPaq as it was with the CF sleeve and Silver Slider.

As far as using a case with the iPAQ and the BaqPaq, right now I’m using the Vaja
Silver Slider case as my other cases all fit too snug. The Vaja Silver
Slider case is just a bit too large, but not that bad.

There are only 2 things about the BaqPaq that I can nitpick with. One is that
I wish the CF cards didn’t stick out of the top of BaqPaq so far. As you can see
below, cards stick out a little more than .5in (13mm). I would prefer to see the
‘sleeve’ length to be at least .25in (6mm) longer. 

Due to the gap between the top of the CF card and the body of the iPAQ, I get
a little worried that I could somehow snag the card on something causing me to
break the BaqPaq. 

The other nitpick is that I wish the BaqPaq had a more symmetrical shape. I
know that this is just a personal preference type thing, though… 

Other than those 2 things, I think the CF BaqPaq is fantastic. However, it is
also quite expensive. You can either have an existing CF sleeve modified, or
purchase a ready made BaqPaq from Whitney. Either way, it’s going to be a whole
lot more expensive than an original CF sleeve. Is it worth it? It really depends
if you feel that the stock CF sleeve is too large for you. Some people might not
mind it at all and for those people, that’s great. But for those of us that like
things skinny, the BaqPaq is the ultimate in thin.  

Price: $129 for complete modification, $89
if you send in your own CF sleeve

Pros:
Very thin CF card solution
Soft leather makes the iPAQ less slippery

Cons:

Expensive
CF card sticks out about .5in

The PC BaqPaq by Judie Clark
If you are tired of lugging around a brick when you wish to carry your
AirCard or your DataPak, the PC BaqPaq will be exactly what you have been
looking for. This thing seems tiny when compared to the regular Compaq PC
sleeve, and that is saying a lot.

As you can see, Whitney has completely removed the side rails of the PC
sleeve and has left just the bottom serial port plug to hold the BaqPaq sleeve in
place. This might seem a little scary to some of you, and that is
understandable. While this does provide the right amount of tension and grip for
using the combo inside a case, it can be a little bit "wiggly" when it
is used without one. I believe that the reason this happens with the PC
modification and not with the CF BaqPaq is due to the added weight from the
extra battery in the PC sleeve.

If you are not carrying your iPAQ with PC BaqPaq combo in a case,
Whitney advises
that you might want to use a little bit of clear tape or even Velcro to make
sure that your components stay firmly joined together. As much as I hate
Velcro, I think that in this case it would be a good idea to use it.

Here are some views of the regular PC sleeve, and the PC BaqPaq…

 
  
 This is the front of the iPAQ as seen with the PC sleeve,
then the PC BaqPaq. The iPAQ looks naked, doesn’t it? :0)    

                 
 
Here is the rear view. It makes the PC sleeve look like it has
been on a successful diet!

This is a side view of the PC BaqPaq when on the iPAQ. As you can see, there
is a small bit of space between the two components; so if you do decide to use
Velcro or tape to secure the two together, it should work just fine.

It is almost inconceivable that Whitney was able to shave so much bulk off of
the standard PCMCIA sleeve, and turn it into such a petite package – while still
keeping the PC sleeve’s extra battery intact! 

There are a couple major changes to the PC sleeve, other than just the
fact that it is smaller, lighter, and now covered in sumptuous leather.
The LED light that indicates that the battery is charging or is done charging is
now gone, as is the PCMCIA card ejector. 

What you’re giving up:
 

What you get in return:

Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it??

For the amount of bulk you wind up saving, neither will be sorely missed. You
can always tell exactly how much "juice" is left in your sleeve by
checking out your Power under Settings, so that is no biggie. You
can also remove PC cards by grasping their sides and pulling with a smooth
motion. It is especially important to remove the DataPak in this manner, rather
than squeezing its end when removing. You would never want to crush the
DataPak’s internal disk.

As you can see, any inserted PCMCIA card will stick out a minimum of ½"
(12.7mm), facilitating its removal in the manner I mentioned previously. 

The external charger jack has also been done away with, but this is yet
another item that you shouldn’t miss. I always charge my iPAQ and sleeve
together either in the cradle, with my wall jack (when traveling), or with my
car charger, so I have never actually even needed the extra jack.

Here are some comparisons to let you see exactly what you will be
"missing", should you decide to get a Whitney PC BaqPaq:

You can easily sync your iPAQ while it is in the PC BaqPaq. As a matter of
fact, the iPAQ seems to sit in the cradle much better than usual, since you can
extend the cradle’s "stabilizers", just as you would with the naked
iPAQ.

Because this modification is made by hand, there might a couple spots on the
sleeve where one could tell that a machine did not stamp out the finished
product. On my PC BaqPaq, I found a miniscule spot where the plastic had been
worked away a bit more on one side than on the opposite side. This is the only
imperfection that I found on my modification, and it didn’t even photograph
well enough for me to include a photo. Please realize that I am being extremely
picky here, for your benefit. If I hadn’t been scouring the BaqPaq looking
for blemishes, I would likely have never even seen this spot. If this is par for
the course with Whitney’s work, then I think everyone will be pleased with his
results!

So there are the basics of the Whitney PC BaqPaq modification. The question
that might be in your mind at this point is, "How does it feel either in
a case or out of one?" Well, I can answer that in one word: FAB!!! 

The BaqPaq is soft and fits comfortably in your palm. If you are right
handed, your left thumb will rest to the left side of the BaqPaq, and under the
iPAQ’s left back side. Your fingers will curl upward on the right side of the
iPAQ. This feels very natural and secure. 

I have an E&B
iPAQ SlipperPAQ (the one with the stretchy sides) and it accepts this combo
beautifully. I should mention that the case’s recorder button window doesn’t quite
line up, but that is a mere quibble…

Because of its price, the PC BaqPaq modification is not going to appeal to
everyone, and that is probably a good thing. Whitney does still have a "day
job", and he is in enough demand that I would imagine his free time is
steadily disappearing as people catch on to what he’s creating. 

Should you get the modification done? I can’t answer that for you, but I will
tell you this: I love mine, and I can’t imagine going back to using a
full-size PC sleeve. I like the feel of the BaqPaq in my hand, and I can totally
appreciate the amount of creativity and effort that went into bringing out this
miniature piece of art.

For those of us that are anticipating the Dual Slot Expansion Sleeve, Whitney is
already planning a special design just for it. Hopefully I’ll be able to bring you
more details on this, as that sleeve modification becomes available.

Price: $299 for complete modification, $149
if you send in your own PC sleeve

Pros:

Cuts unnecessary bulk and weight from PCMCIA sleeve
Professionally done with superior materials and craftsmanship

Cons:

Expensive
Wiggles a little bit when out of a case – can correct with Velcro or clear tape

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Expansion, Pocket PC

Whitney\’s CF and PC BaqPaq Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 18, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC

The iPAQ Pocket PC is a very cool PDA. It is the
smallest, sleekest, and sexiest unit currently available. But, if you want a
compact flash card slot for it, you must purchase a CF
Expansion sleeve which turns your iPAQ into the heaviest and thickest Pocket
PC currently available. Eck! 

Enter the Silver
Slider by George Mosquera. George is
an iPAQ user that also did not like the size of the stock CF sleeve. He used his
experience of doing body work on limousines to come up with a solution to make
the sleeve more compact. George takes an original CF Expansion sleeve and turns it into a
much sleeker version
which he calls the Silver Slider. 

When I first heard about this modification, I knew I had to get one. I waited
a couple months while George perfected his modification process. I then
contacted him and was told that I would need to send in my original CF sleeve
for the mod. Although I didn’t want to be without my sleeve, I went ahead and
sent it in. 2 weeks later, I received the Slider.

It was a very cold day when FedEx delivered it, and my first impression after
taking it out of the box was that it was a brand new sleeve made entirely of metal. But, it
only felt like metal due to the fact that it was really cold and painted in a silver
metallic paint.

The new sleeve fit the iPAQ like a glove and worked perfectly. I had absolutely no
problems inserting or removing my iPAQ from the sleeve or with inserting and
removing CF cards from the sleeve.

This sleeve feels quite a bit thinner than the original sleeve but of course
it still adds some bulk and size to your iPAQ. Check out the stats below:

What is involved in the modification? George basically cuts out the sides of the original sleeve, and strips the
back to make the new sleeve as thin as possible. He then first paints the
modified sleeve with primer and then with 2 coats of silver paint. He allows the
paint to dry thoroughly between coats. He finishes with several clear coats
which gives the paint job a nice hard finish. During the whole process, he has
to be very careful with the amount of paint that he uses as this could effect
how the iPAQ slides into the sleeve.

The quality of the paint job is really terrific. It was better than what I
had expected. It is very smooth and looks very
professional. I’ve had my Silver Slider for over a week now and so far I have no
scratches on it at all. It really feels very durable. If it does scratch, touchup
paint can be used to fix small scratches. Such paint can be found at auto supply
stores. 

As you can see from the pictures above, the original sleeve on the left is
quite thick. If you look at the Compaq logo, you can see that on the original
case, the plastic near the logo is the same thickness along the whole backside
of the sleeve. On the Silver Slider, the back is cut out and is quite a bit
thinner. This really makes a difference with the way the sleeve feels in your
hand. It is much more comfortable and easier to hold.

Here’s a close up of the page job. As you can tell, it is quite smooth. There
were absolutely no figure prints or smudges on my Slider. The silver paint also
perfectly matches the iPAQ’s silver color case so that the two blend
together. 

The iPAQ would almost be perfect if the CF slot were built into the PDA, but
the Silver Slider is the next best thing. Even though the mod for this sleeve
costs about twice as much as the original sleeve, I think it is well worth the
price. George does a great job, you won’t be disappointed.

Price: $75.00 (Shipping included)
Serious inquiries can contact George via email.

Pros:
Much thinner CF sleeve design
Terrific craftsmanship

Cons:

Must send your original sleeve to George for modification
2 week turn around

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Expansion, Pocket PC

Silver Slider Custom iPAQ CF Sleeve Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 12, 2000 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC

The Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC is the most unique
Pocket PC available today. What makes it unique is its sleeve expansion feature.
The iPAQ can be expanded by purchasing various sleeves such as the Compact
Flash Expansion Sleeve, a PC Card Expansion sleeve, or even a Dual PC Card
Expansion sleeve. This feature is very
exciting because it gives the user the choice of which options they want for
their PDA. Of course, there is a downside to this… Alone, the iPAQ is small
and thin. But once you add an expansion sleeve, it becomes larger and heavier
than most people would prefer.

Luckily the iPAQ has a really imaginative community of users and not long
after the CF Sleeve became available, the Silver
Slider by George Mosquera
came to be. He used his automobile body work experience to come up with a solution
that would make
the sleeve more compact. George took an original CF Expansion sleeve and turned it into a
much sleeker version
which he called the Silver Slider.

I used the Sliver Slider with my iPAQ for quite a while until another
creative person came up with an even smaller CF sleeve modification. This person
was Whitney LuBean. His CF BackPack
mod became my next favorite. But George Mosquera, not being content with the size
of his original Silver Slider, has now created a new version which he calls the
Silver Slider III.

The Silver Slider III differs from the original slider in the thickness,
width and
the choice of an arms or no arms version. The arms are the small plastic hooks
that wrap around the iPAQ body and keep the Silver Slider from shifting position
or becoming detached. George sent me the version with the arms to review. 

To give you an idea of the size differences between the SS, SS3 and Whitney
CF BackPack, you can check out the picture below. As you can see, the Whitney
mod does look to be the smallest and most compact of the three. 

The SS3 feels thinner than the original Silver Slider but of course
it still adds some bulk and size to your iPAQ. Check out the stats below:

*Thickness measurements taken at thinnest part.

You will notice in the pictures below that the SS3 is quite a bit more narrow
than the SS.

Silver Slider III

Original Silver Slider

I found that the new width and thickness really doesn’t translate to a noticeable
difference when you are holding the iPAQ in the SS3. I think that the reason why
it doesn’t feel that much thinner is that the boxy edges of the compact flash
area are still there. It’s possible that if that area was more tapered that it
might make the iPAQ, SS3 combo feel smaller. I feel that the
Whitney CF BackPack Mod is more contoured and feels much thinner in my
hand.

The addition of the little arms is an interesting touch. They keep the SS3
from accidentally getting dislodged from the iPAQ. However, they are small 
and feel somewhat fragile to me. I keep expecting to break one off. 

If you notice, the left arm (as you are looking at the iPAQ screen side up),
has been created and attached somehow to the rest of the Slider. The CF
Expansion Sleeve does not have a little arm that wraps around the very top of
the iPAQ due to the voice recorder button. So my question is, how strong is this
joint where the new material has been added? So far the unit that I’m reviewing
has shown no sign of breaking, but it might a concern worth pointing out. I
actually like the wider arms on my original SS better. 

I’ve got to hand it to George, he does a great job modifying the CF expansion
sleeve. The paint job on the SS3 is beautifully done. It’s smooth to the touch
and blemish free. All the edges are perfectly sanded and smooth. Nothing about
this product sticks out as ‘home brew’. It looks and feels totally
professional. 

Hardware-wise, the SS3 works just as well as the regular CF expansion sleeve
or the original SS. It fits fine on the iPAQ, and CF cards fit fine in the slot.

The Silver Slider III is a very nice modification to the stock Compact Flash
Expansion Sleeve. However, it is quite a bit more expensive that just buying the
regular CF sleeve. So, should you buy the SS3? If you already have the original
SS or even the slightly updated SS2 (not sure how this model differs from the SS
that I reviewed… all pictures have it looking just like my SS), I would say
that the differences in this new SS3 really don’t warrant an upgrade. 

If you don’t have a CF sleeve at all and want the smallest solution
available, I still prefer the Whitney CF BackPack. It feels smaller to me than
the SS3. It is a little more expensive though and there isn’t a version with
arms to keep it from accidentally being knocked off the iPAQ. That said, I would
take a look at the SS review, the Whitney
CF mod review and this review. Check out the pictures and prices and go from
there. All of these products work equally well. It’s just a matter of which one
looks best to you.

Price:  
$115.00 with arms (direct price without sending in sleeve to be modified)
$75.00 with arms (if you send in your sleeve to be modified)
$95.00 without arms (direct price without sending in sleeve to be modified)
$55.00 without arms (if you send in your sleeve to be modified)
$10.00 additional for all international orders

Pros:
Much thinner CF sleeve design than stock CF Expansion Sleeve
Terrific craftsmanship

Cons:

More expensive than stock CF Expansion Sleeve

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Expansion, Pocket PC

Silver Slider III Custom iPAQ CF Sleeve Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 30, 2000 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC

The Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC is a terrific PDA. It is really fast, and at the
same time is really compact in size. After switching to the iPAQ as my main PDA,
the only thing I really missed was a CF slot. So, when the CF Expansion Pack became available, I ordered
one right away. My enthusiasm for the Compaq iPAQ is waning now that I have
received this product. Why? Because it is HUGE! It converts my sleek iPAQ into a
PDA that is larger and heavier than my Casio E-115. Check out the specs
below.

Weight for iPAQ and CF Expansion Pack was done via a scale where I work. I
took the weight data for the Casio and HP from the online specs for each
machine. The Dimension measurements for iPAQ and CF Expansion Pack were done via
a set of calipers where I work. I took the size data for the Casio and HP from
the online specs for each machine.

You can see from the pictures below, how the iPAQ compares in size to the
Casio E-115, and HP 548.

iPAQ, HP 548 and Casio E-115 stacked.

iPAQ, HP 548 and Casio E-115 stacked.

One thing to take note of is that with the CF Expansion Pack installed, your
iPAQ will no longer fit in the slip case that it came with. As a result, you’ll
have to find another case to protect your PDA.

Using this Expansion Pack is as easy as it gets. You just slide it on, pop in
a CF card, turn on the iPAQ and voila, you can now access your CF cards. No
drivers to install, and no other setup necessary. When you first turn on the iPAQ, a
popup comes on the display and just as quickly disappears. It happens so fast
that I never can read what it says. This happens every time you remove and
reinstall the pack.  

The CF sleeve is made from the same type of plastic as the Basic Expansion
Pack that came with the iPAQ. Just like the Basic Pack, this pack slides on to
the iPAQ from the bottom and snaps in place. I didn’t have any problems with it
scratching the paint on my iPAQ as some people have mentioned with the Basic
Style Pack. My CF sleeve has no sharp edges. One nice thing is that even with
this large Pack installed on your iPAQ, you can still fit it in the cradle for
charging and syncing with your PC.

A small plastic slug comes with the Expansion Pack. This can be inserted when
you’re not using a CF card in the Pack. I’m sure it will end up lost quickly
since I don’t know why you would use the Pack without a CF card installed. As
you can see in the picture below, when the CF card is installed, it sticks out
just a little bit. The top of the card is even with the top of the PDA
though. 

I tested the CF sleeve with 6 different cards that I have and they all worked
fine. Even my 96MB Sandisk card worked fine. I didn’t have access to any
non-memory CF cards for the review. Compaq has a compatibility
web page
with various cards listed. If your card doesn’t show up on this list, that
doesn’t mean it won’t work as not all of my cards show up on this list and they
work fine. The CF Expansion Pack can
accept Type I or Type II CF cards. So, you can use cards like the IBM Microdrive with your
iPAQ. 

The CF Expansion Pack works well and is made well. The price is reasonable
especially if you use the $39 rebate coupon that came with your iPAQ. I don’t have
any complaints about the unit except that it makes the iPAQ larger and heavier
than I personally care for. If you have already purchased the iPAQ and need a CF
slot, then by all means, buy this sleeve. If you’re trying to figure out which
Pocket PC to buy and you need a CF slot, then you might want to look closer at
the Casio E-115 and HP 548.

Price: $69.99 (not sure about the list price)

Pros:
Allows you to use Compact Flash cards with your iPAQ.
Doesn’t require installing drivers to use.

Cons:
Makes your iPAQ large and heavy.
Included slipcase no longer fits.

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Expansion, Pocket PC

CompactFlash Expansion Pack for the iPAQ Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 23, 2000 at 12:00 am.