Handspring Slim Leather Case

Rating:
Summary: LONG review: Superb quality, little bulk, a few annoyances
Review: I bought this case several months ago, but I wanted to give it some use before I submitted a review. I required a well-made and stylish leather case that added as *little* bulk as possible to my (original) Visor, while providing some basic protection. I didn't want a case that used hook & pile fastener to attach the Handspring - I wanted a case that took advantage of Handsprings unique top-and-bottom cover attachment system.

DESCRIPTION: This is a black leather fold-over case with a leather strap (2 1/2-in long, 3/4-in wide) that wraps from the back edge and fastens to the front (when closed) using a quality hook & pile fastener (probably Velcro). The pile is sewn into the full length of the leather strap, and a 1-in by 3/4-in hook pad is sewn onto the front. There is a small Handspring logo (about 3/4-in square) stamp-embossed on the lower right-hand corner of the front. Closed and containing the Visor only, it measures 5 1/8-in tall, 3 3/8-in wide and 1 1/8-in thick (not including the extra width of the attached strap). The front and back panels contain sewn-in cardboard for form and added protection. It's a tight-fitting case.

POCKETS: There are four pockets on the inside left. Three are credit card sized and will leave exposed the top 1/8-in of any credit cards you have inserted. These pockets are snug but can stretch to fit about three credit cards each (and maybe more). Each "end" about 3 1/4-in deep, so you won't lose any cards in the pockets. Be careful if you stretch out the pockets with more than just a couple of cards - although cards normally fit snugly, there's not much that will stop a card from slipping out of a loose pocket. The side pocket (still on the inside left, under the credit card pockets) is bigger and "ends" at 2 3/8-in deep. It's 4 3/4-in wide, and items placed inside will be somewhat protected (by the strap) from falling out.

QUALITY: This case seems very well made. The leather is free from scars and the stitching is practically perfect. After months of daily use, all stitches remain very tight, and there are no dangling threads, fraying edges or anything of the sort. Stitching and cuts are very uniform and beginning and ending points (of stitches) are well reinforced. There are no places where the stitches have "missed" their intended target - for example, the stitches around the edges and corners never miss the folded edges they intend to fasten. To hold the Visor in place, there is a hard plastic cover that is both tightly stitched and glued into place under a thin layer of leather on the right-hand side. This holds my Visor in place very snugly.

PROTECTION: When the visor is in the case, there's about a 1/8-in leather "edge" around it for a bit of protection. For a leather case, it provides good protection, but I certainly wouldn't go drop kicking it across the living room. I've accidentally dropped the Visor a couple of times (onto hard airport floors), and the case has successfully protected it (though the stylus flew out once). There are about three layers of leather a couple layers of sewn-in thin cloth (for the pockets) and a sewn-in piece of cardboard that protect the front of the visor. There are two layers of leather, the hard plastic holder, and a piece of sewn-in cardboard protecting the back. It's a good SOFT case, providing basic protection - don't play football with it or step on it and you'll probably be okay.

USABILITY: The strap tends to get in the way - it tends to curl right on top of the screen when you open the case up. Also, the open-like-a-book design requires a little more manipulation than a flip-top design, but with a little practice, you'll be able to open it quite quickly with one hand. I tend to pull the strap to the back, and then fold the front cover to the back as well. The cover then re-fastens onto the strap on the back of the case (a good side-effect of the strap design) and the Visor is exposed and very easy to use - just don't drop it now, because it's not well protected. I basically use the pockets for frequent flyer cards and for the ProxCard that gets me into the parking structure at work. (I can just wave the Visor case in front of the sensor and the gate opens up.)

WEAR & TEAR: The case has held up very well so far - probably because of the durability of the leather and the quality construction. The hook & pile fastener used in construction seems to be of high quality. The pile sewn onto the strap has not buckled or separated, and the fabric shows little sign of wear. The hook part of the fastener is still very firm and effective. The only place the case really shows wear is on the strap - close to where it goes into the back edge of the case. This is probably due mostly to the way I fold the strap to the back. Otherwise the case is still in excellent condition.

OVERALL RATING: I rate this product with four stars mainly because of the sometimes-annoying strap, but I can't think of a way they could have remedied the annoyance. And, though the hook and pile fastener has some positive side effects, I bet it'll be the first to wear out, and when it does it'll basically render the case useless. That said I'm extremely satisfied with the quality, style and lack of bulk, which were my initial requirements. It's probably the smallest quality case you can get for the Visor.

If you want a good balance of bulk, protection, style and quality, than this is the case for you. If you're clumsy or work around heave machinery all day, you might opt for a hard case instead.

Hope this was helpful!

Rating:
Summary: Too "slim" to be usable
Review: I bought this with my first PDA...a Visor Pro...and didn't give a the design of the case a lot of thought as I was caught up in the excitement of ordering my new toy.

When my items arrived, I found the cover for the PDA can't be used with this case. That wouldn't bother me, but without the cover, the buttons on the PDA get pushed, or something, with normal usage (just carrying it around my office). I found I lost data--the dreaded re-set--and had to restore the PDA every couple of days.

At first, I thought something was wrong with the PDA but I found that if I keep the cover on it, everything's fine. So I purchased a soft sport case, keep the cover on the Visor, and voila...life is good! My 7 year old now carries this case with "her" PDA (a ($$$) calculator) inside and it seems to work fine for that.

Rating:
Summary: If you have a Visor, you'll want this case
Review: I ordered this case at the same time I ordered my Visor.

I have workmates that use Visors, and seeing them slip the Visor in and out of those slip covers that come with the Visor, and then pop off that plastic face shield every time they use their Visor just looked awful. Looks awkward, and knowing me, I'd end up droping the thing one day just getting it out of the case.

So, onto this case. I like how it's made specifically for the Visor. It clips into the case very easily, and is very secure. But, at the same time, it also comes out easy enough when you want to sync.

The leather is not cheap, but rather very nice. It's soft, black, and does not look tacky at all. And I'm really into product design stuff. It's easy to hold in your hand, and even fits in your pocket, should you find the need.

The Velcro strap worries me a little, because I'm sure it'll wear out eventually, but at that point, the case itself will probably be beat up as well. I figure if the case lasts a year or so, you're in good shape.

The strap does kind get in my way when I have the case open and I'm tapping away. But, I've found that I can just tuck the strap under the Visor and it's out of my way.

I do not put any credit cards in the slots. I think cards would scratch the screen. I don't use this as a wallet, but of course, you're free to use your own judgement.

The Visor is a little exposed in this case (on the edges), and I'm not sure how much protection you'd get in a fall, but I guess it would be more than if you had no case at all, or even if you used the case that comes w/ the Visor.

Also, the stylus is a little hard to get to with this case, but it's not that big a deal.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this case. I ordered it based on the picture and the reviews written here. I am a tough customer when it comes to stuff like this . . . stuff I use everyday, and expect good fucationality out of, and this product does not disapoint.

If you need a case, or are just now buying a Visor, I think this is the first add-on you should buy.

Rating:
Summary: Well made but design could be better
Review: This s a well-made case, nice leather, and has the advantage that all real Visor cases have that it holds the Visor with a clip, not velcro on the back which can interfere with using the Visor out of the case. But the design should be better. These are shortcomings which made me return the one I bought: *If it were about 1/4" taller it would hold standard 3x5 cards, replacing a jotter pad. As it is, it does not hold any standard size card or paper. *When the case is open, the velcro tab keeps flopping over the Visor itself. I would have preferred an internal velcro closure, or a magnetic one. *The velcro tab interferes with slipping the case into a suit pocket...it invariabley catches on the pocket edge. See the comment above as to a solution. *The case is about 1/8" less in depth than it needs to be to close smoothly and flat over the Visor. With credit cards or business cards in the left-hand pockets, this is even more of a problem. I suggest a thin but stiff plastic sheet be bound into the next edition of this case to separate the left side of the case from the screen of the Visor.