Product Requirements:
Device:
Compaq iPAQ series Pocket PC
The worst thing about getting a new PDA is waiting for cases to start coming
out for it. Vaja, currently one of my favorite PDA
case makers, have just come out with an iPAQ specific screen cover. Notice
that I said cover and not case. The iFLIP cover is just that, a leather
flip cover. And as such, it’s main function is to protect the PDA screen. So
don’t rely on this cover to protect the PDA from a fall onto a hard surface. The
iFLIP is available in a belt clip or non-belt clip version.
The iFLIP attaches to the back of the basic style pack, Compact
Flash expansion pack or PC Card expansion pack via a very strong adhesive.
It is not made for attaching directly to your bare iPAQ. I doubt if you’d really
want to stick the iFLIP to your bare iPAQ anyway… if you decided to later
remove it, I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t take quite a bit of paint along
with it. It should also be noted that this cover also will not work with the Silver
Slider (modified CF expansion sleeve).
I tested the iFLIP with my basic expansion pack and it fit just fine. A nice
feature of the iFLIP is the double snaps. They allow you to use the cover with
the different sized expansion packs. The screen cover is held closed with a
leather strap that wraps around the bottom of the PDA and snaps onto one of the
two snaps on the back of the cover. The snaps feel pretty sturdy so I don’t
think the cover would come open accidentally.
The screen cover has a ABS stiffener in it that helps protect the screen from
bumps. On the inside of the cover there are 2 card slots. There is also an cut
out for the earphone jack.
The belt clip version uses the same plastic clip over the belt type clip that
Vaja’s other cases use. I find that this clip works great for me.
The iFLIP is made well, looks stylish, is easy to use and serves its intended
purpose. That said, I personally wouldn’t buy it… I don’t like the idea of
sticking it to my style pack. I just don’t like adhesives… This cover also
doesn’t offer enough protect to be worth the $50+ price tag. For that price, I
think you should get a full leather case and not just a cover. It should be
noted that a basic design cover is also available for a lower price. The
difference is with the stainless steel V design on the screen cover. The basic
design does not have this. In my opinion even the basic design is over priced.
If you don’t mind adhesive, and the price, this cover might be for you. But at
this time, I think I’ll pass…
Price: $54.90 with belt clip / $52.90 without belt
clip (limited edition), $39.90 with belt clip / $37.90 without belt clip (basic
design)
Pros:
Looks nice
Can fit the either Basic, CF or PC card style packs
Cons:
Expensive!
Doesn’t protect the entire PDA
Product Information
| Price: | $54.90 |
| Manufacturer: | Vaja |
| Pros: |
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| Cons: |
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Nice diamond ring.
Why thank you! Someone really special gave that to me. 😉
Judie :0)
Great job on this review.
I’ve been shopping around for a bullet-proof bag for my laptop and before I read this review I was 90% sure that this bag was it – and now I’m probably going to get it.
One worrying detail…I didn’t realize how much room the monolith takes up. I am a student with plenty of books to carry around. That overhead photo makes it look like my chem text book would never fit in there.:x
I would say you could fit about a 4″ thick book in there – but not much else when the monolith is installed.
Judie :0)
i received my smart alec, outfitted with a size 4 monolith and a freudian slip this week, and i am absolutely thrilled with it. i am using it to carry my apple powerbook 15″ (aluminum).
i had some concerns about the bag when i first received it — about the padding in the shoulder straps and the back, but after using it for a couple of days, i find it very comfortable to carry.
the size 4 monolith provides a tight fit for my powerbook, and i hope that future revisions of this product will be modified to accommodate the larger aluminum powerbook design. and i do wish that the main zipper extended down the length of the smart alec to provide easier access to the gear at the bottom of the pack.
overall, an excellent backpack. i have not looked at solutions from other online vendors like booq, spire, and waterfield — the smart alec sounded better than the solutions from these other companies. and the smart alec is better than anything i’ve seen in the stores from brenthaven, tumi, incase, or briggs & riley.
maverick