Rating: Summary: Pick the right case for your needs Review: A case protects your handheld only as much as you use it. Pay close attention to what your needs are before deciding which case to buy. My own experience may be instructive:When I bought my Palm m505 last July, I liked the fact that it was thin enough to fit in my pocket. So in it went, along with my keys and workplace ID -- and its back and sides got scratched up nicely. A protective case was clearly in order. First, I picked up Palm Leather Zippered Case. I thought that the closed case would provide ample protection, and that the pockets for business cards and expansion cards would come in handy. The Palm fit well into the rail and could easily be used inside the case. But the overall package was too bulky to fit in a jacket or pants pocket, and I ended up buying fewer expansion cards than I originally expected. So, except for lengthy trips, the zippered case stayed home more and more often, and I ended up tucking in my Palm, its front-cover flap attached, into my jacket pocket (where at least it wouldn't get scratched by my keys). So things stood throughout the winter. Switch to this spring. Temperatures are rising, I'm going increasingly jacketless, and suddenly I'm faced with having to put my Palm in my pocket and scratching it up again. So I buy another case -- this time the Palm Leather Belt Clip Case. And it turns out to be exactly what I need. The Palm fits in the case snugly; you will have to remove the front-cover flap. And it's just for the Palm: no room for expansion cards, et cetera. The top flap is lose and the snap magnetic, which means that you don't have to risk pushing against your Palm's screen when you close the case up. It's a little impractical to wear sitting down, but absolutely ideal if you're going to be on your feet for an extended period.
Rating: Summary: Horrible Case! Review: I bought this case to fit my palm m515. Firstly, the palm is secured to the case via a pole to slip in on the left of the case. Not at all secure. My palm actually fell out of the case. Thank goodness it fell on my bed. Also, the front cover has two leather strips (the purpose of which i have no idea) that are exactly in line with the front buttons, and every time i put the palm in my pocket, the case presses the leather strips onto the buttons and turns on the palm. The case really does not offer any form of protection for the palm. Only if it falls flat on it's back or front that it may offer some protection. But if it falls on its right side, top or bottom, you're in trouble. The plam is exactly aligned with the case, and at some places actually protrodues by a couple of millimeters. I sent the case back.
Rating: Summary: Finally, THE case for my Palm Review: I have gone through several cases designed for Palms, from a snug-fitting neoprene case to a large Coach case that held a dozen credit cards and a note pad. This case, however, is the perfect one for me. The leather is high quality with a tough (hard at first) finish. As you use the case for a few weeks, however, the surface softens a bit. It is great for business use, but if you are hard on your cases, a nylon or metal one might be a better choice. Inside, the storage is very handy, and designed specifically for a 505 and SD/MMC cards, so the space is very efficiently laid out. I can fit two credit cards in the slots and two in the clear pocket for a total of three credit cards and my driver's license. There is also a hidden slash pocket for cash. I took the advice of another reviewer and left the note pad out of my case. It is tiny - smaller than a normal PostIt note - and adds to the bulk of the case. Since the M505 has the notepad function, I figured the paper was redundant anyway. One reviewer noted that he was expecting a metal zipper, based upon the photograph of the case. The only difference in the picture and the production unit is the metal zipper pull. The production unit has a leather sewn pull. The nylon zipper is actually preferable as a metal zipper could scratch the Palm unit and would most likely be less reliable over time. The only minor annoyance I found with the case is that the plastic rail that connects the unit to the case is very snug once inserted. To remove the unit for HotSync/charge takes a bit of effort. Be careful of your fingernails. Once Palm actually delivers a travel HotSync cable and travel charger (whomever was in charge of bringing Palm's accessory hardware to market should be sacked) this will not be a problem as you won't need to remove the unit at all. This issue aside, this is the best case so far for a 505 if size and utility are an issue.
Rating: Summary: Expensive, but there is no substitute Review: I have the Palm m500 and while the flipcover that came with the package is nice, it doesn't protect the back of the heldheld from stratches. Since I just got my heldheld, I want to keep it looking as new as possible. With a leather case, you can protect you handheld from stratches and possible minor drops (if the case is thick, or padded) If you look at other leather cases out there, especially the universial cases and worst, the Iconcepts and (generic brand) cases, they make you sleek m500 look (bad). The original Palm leather cases actually custom-fit into the left side rail of the m500 series handheld. While the (Palm) leather wallet and zippered case holds more stuff, I prefer to have to smallest case possible (to fit into my pocket), that's why I like the Slim Leather Case the best. Nonetheless, don't get the universial cases because they do not custom fit into your m500 rail and your m500 won't look as sleek. If the Palm leather cases weren't so overpriced, I'd give it a five.
Rating: Summary: Great Multi-functional Case! Review: I was debating between this and the Palm Slim Leather case, but I chose the Palm Leather Wallet Case since I wanted to avoid the hassle of bringing my pda and wallet separately. I don't regret the investment at all! First and foremost, the pda fits snugly in the case using the left-rail. Some reviewers have mentioned that their pdas have fallen out of the case, but this hasn't happened to me. The case also has many an assortment of compartments you can use to organize your things, though I had to be selective in the items I transferred from my real wallet to this one. It couldn't fit everything, such as pictures and other minor membership cards, but it ably handled the necessecities. In the end, this case with the pda and all the other items inside it become rather bulky compared to the Slim Leather Case or the Hard Case, but considering the function, it's well worth it. Of course, this won't do for guys who plan on placing the "wallet" in their back pocket, but girls will find it just right for their purses.
Rating: Summary: I'm trying the zippered version next Review: I've used this case for my Palm 500 for several months now; it suffices, but could be improved upon. Here are a few things that bug me: Over time the slots that hold the expansion cards loosen and the cards fall out easily. Since the case isn't completely closed, this could be a problem. I've also found that the design of the case causes the front buttons to be depressed if only a little pressure in applied to the case, for example, I couldn't put it in the cargo pocket of my work pants - I'm a RN and a paramedic - without hearing the distinctive clicking from a depressed button just from the movement of my legs. If you're a bit less active with the Palm, then that's probably not a big deal. Aside from those concerns the case looks great, protects the screen quite well (I usually just toss it into my backpack and it's been fine) and does hold all that Palm claims. My biggest problem has been the expansion card slots loosening too much. I'm ordering the closed zippered version; that should resolve my concerns.
Rating: Summary: Slim Leather Case Review: If you like a leather case with a professional look for your Palm, ths is the best one for the money in my opinion. It contains convenient slots for expansion cards and and extra stylus. A velcro closure might be better than the slip closure currently used. This would help it be able to open and close easier. You can also hotsync easily with this case without having to take the unit out.
Rating: Summary: Design Flaw Review: The Leather Palm case has a design flaw that does not allow you to place another stylus in the case securely. The note pad is un-necessary and cumbersome. The case does not allow you to use the Palm's own cover to attach the Palm to the inside of the case, since the case has a rediculous built in attachment for connecting the palm to the interior. The palm is included with it's own cover that is supposed to be used for securring it to the case, which cannot be used with this case. You then have an extra part that ends up left in your desk. Illogical!
Rating: Summary: Best hands-free way to carry around the Palm m50X Review: There are a lot of people at work with PDAs, and they all carry them around in some kind of portfolio-style case. This was not acceptable to me--I wanted a hands-free way of keeping my Palm m505 with me. This case is the answer. The black leather is stylish and durable. And this case is low profile--I bought the m505 partly because it's so small, and I wanted a case that's small too. The Palm fits real snugly into this case, and the case is narrow so that you're not always banging it into things as you walk around. The only complaint that kept me from giving it five stars are that I wish Palm built some compartments into the flap cover of the case for carrying extra memory cards. But that's being nit-picky. This is the best way I've seen of keeping your Palm at your side without having to carry it around with your hands.
Rating: Summary: Not secure. Review: This case looks good and that is about it. Zero thought was put into the design of this case. The belt-clip is very difficult to clip on due to its design. The back of the clip is only a third as long as the front. When clipping onto your belt the back gets caught every time. To fully put it on the clip needs to be stretched open. No. It is not spring loaded or hinged. Once it is on, it is clamped there. Watch you don't tear your pants trying to remove it. The swivel? Ho-hum. The magnetic closure is a nice idea but badly executed. The clasp on this case holds the flap out a full centimeter (3/8"+) from the body of the case. Not practical at all for something you're wearing on your belt and don't wan't flapping in the breeze or catching your arm or anything else in close quarters. This case is also just small enough that the flip cover does not fit. Not good. If there were zero stars, this case would earn them.
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