PalmOne 3175WW Hard Case for Palm Tungsten T5

Rating:
Summary: Wait for a Kensington
Review: I agree with all the negative comments thus far and will make a comparison with a Kensington product for the M500 series hoping that the company follows with a similar T5 unit. With the exception of 1 issue, I loved the Kensington M515 hard case and assumed the Palm T5 case would be similar.

The Kensington case had a rubberized coating that allowed a solid grip on the unit with very little finger pressure. This is a key feature for people working in process or production industries where gloves are used or climate conditions vary. The Palm case has a nice finish but is very slippery. Additionally, one has to fold the rear cover back away from the unit to remove the pen and power the unit on. Very annoying after using the Kensington (K) case, which allowed access to the card slot, pen, and power button when opened.

I have the same complaints as others with rattling as well as concerns about marring the LCD with the memory card clips in the T5 case. The M515 slid securly into Kensington's design, which was all metal with fuzzy material on the inside to dampen shock. The K-case was smaller with no plastic inner sleeve like the Palm T5 case, which makes the unit too large for comfortable shirt pocket storage. The K-unit closed via a magnetic latch, so it would never wear out. The latch on the T5 is plastic and a little annoying to use becasue I have to think about which cover slides back to open: an arrow on the back cover provides direction.

The only thing I didn't like about Kensington's unit was that the cover did not fold completely back behind itself. The M515 also had to be removed for synching but this did not bother me. I sincerely hope that Kensington Co. is working on a T5 case that's similar to the model released for the Palm M500 series units.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Case for T5
Review: I bought the palm case before I saw this one, which I purchased as well, and the case listed here is 10 times better. It has a screw on/off belt clip which is nice when you do not want to put it on your belt, there is no clip hanging on the side of the metal. It also allows access to the stylus without having to pull the T5 out, as well as you can turn the T5 on and off the same way. Great product!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Palm T5 Hard Case: So-so
Review: I have the new Palm T5 and the hard case from Palm. It is a little big for the T5 and so it rattles if you carry the case in your jacket pocket ( I am a physician and so I carry it in my lab coat pocket). The latch on the case is plastic and is difficult to fasten and looks like it will wear out with time. The two clips inside for storing your digital media cards are too big for the cards supplied by Palm and so they do not stay in place. Overall, a poor product for my use.

Rating:
Summary: poor design and execution
Review: I heartily agree with a previous reviewer in many respects. This product should have been a repeat of the utility, lightness, and compactness of the Palm V hard case but it's not. This is simply a clamshell hard case that may be good for protecting the device during shipment, but certainly over-protective for everyday usefulness. It's more like a Palm "suitcase". I also have noticed and am irritated by the rattling around of the device inside the case as I carry it in my shirt pocket or pants pocket. Rather embarrassing to be heard coming down the corridors at my clients' offices...

The physical dimensions of this case seem to hearken back to the "tank-like" aspect of the Palm III series. I wanted a quicker up-to-date form of my old slim Palm Vx (with hard case!) after spending the last year hating my Tungsten T. I drop my devices fairly often so have always used hard cases but I'm thinking I'll need to use a leather case and risk the damage for the time being until a better hard case is released.

The 180 degree hinge was a much needed feature on these cases but has been implemented rather poorly.

Rating:
Summary: Card holders can damage your T5 screen
Review: I tried checking how far away the memory card holders are from the screen, and came to a conclusion: one hard knock on the case when the case is closed and your T5 lcd will need to be replaced. If you did take advantage of Palm's promo - got the case free, my recommendation would be to cut/file off the card holders. Better safe than sorry.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointment
Review: I was very happy to get back to a Palm hardcase, in the past they have alway been excellent. I carry mine in my front pocket, but the bulk of the Tungsten T (m550) made me opt for the slimmer leather case, a decision I believe hastened its demise.

The good: The case is nice looking and very durable, has nice slits for storing cards (It fits the dummy card nicely, thats all I tried). The finish itself is subject to scratching, and the cover does fold behind the case for ease of handling.

The bad: Cannot be sync'ed or charged in the case; The back of the case does not fold vary far away from the Palm, so the only way to accomplish it would be to prop the Palm up at an angle, where the multi-connector is holding the weight of the unit, not a wise idea. The Palm is loose in the case, as others mentioned it rattles with every step. I solved this using a peice of foam that presses against the screen, but I have to track that square of foam while I'm using the Palm. If you can keep it in a shirt or jacket pocket its a minor problem, but its a bit large and unweildy in the case for that. Cutouts for IR ports, headphone jacks, stylus access, and hotsync cables would be nice, but aren't there. And best of all, its uses a fairly weak plastic clip to hold the case closed, which can easily break in the course of daily use.

I really hope they stop making this case and actually employ some designers to make a useful case.

Rating:
Summary: Good idea--weak implementation
Review: The hard case is a good idea--it protects the T5 as I carry it in a cargo pocket or toss it in a briefcase. As someone mentioned, it rattles inside the case, and the rattling in the cargo pocket is annoying. Having to flip the T5 back and forth to turn on, plug in, or Hot Sync, is annoying. And the strongest drawback is the weak plastic closure. As someone was afraid it would do, mine has broken already, less than a month after purchase. They were prompt at getting the rebate out. I got my rebate check days before the clasp broke. I'm going to have to find another case. This one still closes, but I don't think I'll get more than one or two more uses out of it.

Rating:
Summary: Crap!
Review: This is probably the worst case sold by Palm. It has no access to any ports, buttons, stylus, etc., so every time you wanna use the T5 you have to take it out of the case. It is way too big. And finally, the hinge can rub against the unit!

And $40???

No wonder Palm has been giving them away for free with purchase... I miss the old Palm high-quality cases, such as Palm V, etc.