RhinoSkin Ti Slider Hardcases Review

The Titanium Cockpit case by RhinoSkin has been known for quite awhile as the extreme case for the PalmPilot. Well, RhinoSkin has created two new cases that take this design even farther. These new cases are called Ti Slider Hardcases and are made of titanium; a metal which has a slight yellow or golden haze to it with a smooth matte finish. There is a case for the Palm V and one for the PalmPilot or Palm III.On the inside of the right half of the case there is a neoprene lining to hold the PDA in place. This is a nice switch from using Velcro. The lining is cut in such a way as to have a place to put a couple credit cards under the Pilot. The Pilot easily slides into the right half of the case. The neoprene holds onto the Pilot even if you turn the case upside down while open. I even tried shaking the case while open and upside down. The Pilot didn’t budge. When the case is closed, the neoprene pads keep the Pilot from shifting.

Opening and closing the Slider takes a bit of practice. There are dimple snaps on the
top, bottom and sides that hold the cover closed. Cut out grooves on these sides help you
to grab the cover and open it. Being a lefty, I found that I would sometimes get my right
fingers pinched in the opening between the two halves of the case.

top and bottom views.

closure and hinge views.

While the Palm V is in the case, the IR port, power button, application buttons, and
scroll buttons are all easily accessed. But, the contrast button at the top of the unit is
not accessible at all and you can not remove the stylus when the cover is fully slid under
the case. With an original PalmPilot, the power button, application buttons, can be easily
accessed. But, the contrast wheel on the left side of the unit is not accessible and you
can not remove the stylus when the cover is fully slid under the case.

If you are using a Palm III with this case, the power button, application buttons, can
be easily accessed. But, the contrast wheel on the left side of the unit is not accessible
and you can not remove the stylus when the cover is fully slid under the case.

The Slider cases are constructed quite well. I found that all the edges were smooth to
the touch with no jagged or sharp edges. The cases consists of two halves. Each half has
been folded and riveted into the finished shape. The two halves are held together with a
sliding pin hinge. This hinge allows you to open the cover like a book and then slide it
under the Pilot so that you can easily hold the unit in one hand while using it. The only
thing that I don’t like about Titanium is that the finish is a fingerprint magnet.
They seem to attract smudges very easily.

The Slider cases will protect your Palm PDA very well. That said, I’ll have to add that
this probably isn’t the ideal case for everyone. One reason is the price. One hundred
dollars is a lot of money to spend on a case. Is it worth it? That depends on the person.
I would highly recommend this case to people that take their Pilot with them camping,
hiking or work in an industrial environment. The Slider is also great for traveling.
Putting your Pilot in this case will take away all the worries of crushing it in your
luggage. The second reason is that the case is heavy. As far as size and weight, the
Slider for the Palm V is 4.7″ x 3.3″ x 0.6″ and the weight is approx.
4.7oz. It is actually about the size of the original PalmPilot in thickness and only a bit
wider. The PalmPilot/Palm III Slider is 5″ x 3.3″ x 0.8″ and weight is
approx. 5 oz.  Actually the cases weight about as much as the PDAs that they are made
for. Because of this, you probably wouldn’t want to carry this case in your shirt pocket.

In summary, if you are looking for the ultimate protection for your Palm V, PalmPilot
or Palm III and don’t mind paying for it, this could be the case for you.

Price: $99.95 for either model

Pros:
Strong protection for your PDA.
Cover slides under case for easy one handed use.

Cons:
Expensive.
Contrast button/wheels are not accessible while in the case.
Have to remove from case to hotsync.