Product Requirements:
Device:
Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC
My favorite style PDA case has always been the play-through. Why? Basically
because once you’ve inserted your device, you don’t need to remove it every time you want to use it.
Typically, the slipper style case has been the most popular of this genre.
Rhinoskin, the company that that made
a name for themselves with their titanium and aluminum series of Slider cases, have recently come out
with the Leather Flip-Case for the Compaq iPAQ which is available in black or
brown.
You might think that the Flip-Case is your average "run of the mill" slipper
case, but Rhinoskin has given their customers a few extra features to make this
case more appealing than some. Let’s take a detailed look…
The first thing that you’ll notice about this case is that it is made of two
types of leather: regular full-grained leather and a soft, suede leather. The
addition of suede gives you a couple bonuses. One, it is attractive and two, it
allows you to have a better grip on your PDA while you’re holding the closed
case in your hand. Besides having the suede on the outside screen cover, suede
is also used to line the holster portion of the case that the PDA is cradled in.
The screen cover is held closed with a strong leather covered brass
snap. The inside of the cover has one large slot. This slot is more suited
for papers than business cards as they would probably slide to the bottom and be
hard to retrieve when needed.
The holster portion of the case is made of leather and has one large cut-out
that gives you access to the joy-pad and application buttons. All the buttons
can be easily pressed; the holster does not get in the way. Another cut-out at
the top allows you to access the power button. There is also access to the
record button on the left side of the PDA. The bottom of the holster has a cut-out for the AC adapter connector and the serial port. By
the way, the Flip-Case is NOT a sync-able case. You’ll need to remove your iPAQ
in order to sync and charge. You can however sync with an optional cable and
charge by plugging the AC power cord directly into the bottom of the PDA.
There are two things about this case that I don’t like. The first is that
you can’t use this case with a naked iPAQ. The holster is just too large. The
packaging for the case and the website description do not reflect this. However, if you use
the basic style pack that came with your iPAQ, it will fit just fine. Some
people might like this because the addition of the style pack will give the iPAQ
even more protection.
I, on the other hand, like to keep things as small as possible – so I feel
that adding the sleeve just adds
more bulk and weight.
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(Note: The Flip-Case works great with the original Silver
Slider and the Whitney
CF BackPack mod)
The second thing that I don’t like about the Flip-Case is that there isn’t a
cut-out for the reset switch. This is only a small gripe because I could
probably easily punch a hole for the reset switch myself. But, I really think
that I should not be expected to do that….
The back of the case has a slot for a belt-clip post. This is one of the
first cases that I’ve seen with a removable post which I think is pretty nifty!
The post is plastic and slides into a slot on the back. This post could stand to
be just a little bit larger though, because it tends to slide side-to-side a bit.
The belt-clip is a plastic squeeze type with a one touch release on the top.
It can accommodate a belt as wide as 1.5", or you can simply clip it on your waist
band. To attach the PDA to your belt-clip, you have to slide the post
into the clip at a 90 degree angle and snap it down. Then you can just let it
swivel as needed. To remove it from the clip: you have to rotate the case 90
degrees, press the release button at the top of the clip and pull up. Both
procedures are simple to do.
Overall the Flip-Case is an economical way to carry the iPAQ. It looks nice and
gives you the option of making it a belt case should you desire.
Price: $39.95
Pros:
Removable belt clip
Two tone leather construction
Cons:
Must use the Basic style sleeve with this case
No reset switch cut out
Product Information
| Price: | 39.95 |
| Manufacturer: | Rhinoskin |
| Pros: |
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| Cons: |
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