The Case For A Treo Case
In a recent comment someone suggested to me that owning a Treo case from our Treo Accessory Shop was not quite as ‘essential’ an accessory as I have recommended on many occasions… I wholeheartedly disagree.
It is a fact that cases are the single most popular type of accessory owned by Treonauts to carry and protect their Treo. Individual needs and tastes do vary greatly and it is therefore natural that not everyone will own the same case and that some like me will own more than one as well.
In my particular instance it is evident that I have countless cases since I review pretty much every single one that is available for the Treo. However, the important thing is perhaps the number of cases that I use regularly, which ones they are and why I have chosen these in particular.
There are currently twelve types of cases to choose from within which I have selected four below that are my favourites but again everyone will have their own choice:
Holsters: My current choice is the Cellet Elite RH7 Rubberized Holster (read my review) which I consider to be the best designed and most elegant of all. Before this for a very long time I was extremely happy with the Seidio Shield Holster.
Why this type of case?: It is the best choice when I want to have the slimmest possible case to carry my Treo around my waist and it also offers me the fastest – in my opinion most practical – method for quickly answering a call or accessing my Treo as well as listening to my music.Pouches (Side Horizontal): My current choice is the RexRegina Stanton Nouveau cases because I like the overall construction and specifically the leather. I own two of these cases in brown and black – the black is for ‘formal’ occasions while the brown is for more ‘relaxed’ moments.
Why this type of case?: While I consider holsters to be my favourite all-round and most practical case type the fact is that there are moments when the occasion calls for a more elegant and refined leather case.Pocket Pouches: My current favourite is undoubtedly the P5 UltraSlim which I previewed last week and which I am extremely excited about (for the same reasons as the pouches above I will own one in black and another in brown). In this same category I have greatly enjoyed using the foofpod pouch (read my review) because it is possibly the most ‘funky’ and unusual that you will find. [Separately, women have increasingly found the RexRegina Harrison Avant-Garde cases to be an ideal and stylish solution for carrying and protecting their Treo in a bag.]
Why this type of case?: I simply love this type of case because I can easily use it to fit and protect the Treo in my pants (as well as a jacket or briefcase) with as little additional bulk as possible since there is no belt clip or other protrusion of any kind.Weather Resistant: My choice here is the Aquapac Form Fit case (read my review) which provides a unique waterproof seal to protect my Treo in outdoor environments.
Why this type of case?: While this is evidently not a case which I use frequently it is nonetheless without a doubt one that I consider essential in situations such as the beach, boating, fishing, hiking or any other outdoor activity where my Treo could get damaged by water and/or dirt/sand and such.
There is also one type of case currently missing from my mix. Namely a ‘sport’ case with a neoprene waistband and/or armband that I could use to run with my Treo in the mornings. However, I am told that one will be released soon though…
Overall, when it comes to choosing a case I would simply make the following recommendation:
- If you can only afford to purchase a single case get one that has a belt clip such as a holster or pouch because it will prove to be the most versatile to use in all situations.
- If you need and can afford to purchase two or more cases get one with a belt clip and another without such as the pocket pouches.
- If you have the luxury to afford as many cases as you want get one in each category to fit your needs because they will help you to make the most of your Treo.
Of course I’d like to hear about what your experiences with cases has been and about the particular types that you have found to best suit your needs. Below is a short survey to help you and your fellow Treonauts better understand the many types that are available.
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Comments
ditto on btn there - I'd have one dead-as-a-doorknob treo if it weren't for my hard shell. I have the half-front metal hard shell, and I'm extremely happy with it. It does add bulk, but everything is still accessible and my treo lives on despite ridiculously heavy use (and drops...)
Anyone remembers the Newton? This grandfather of PDA had an integrated lid that was easily folded to the back of the unit and did not get in the way while using the device. With that lid closed I was able to keep my Newton in the front pocket of my pants (yes I am a big guy) or in my briefcase with no extra protection ever needed. Designed to work.
The newer Treo seems to be designed to make you buy more stuff before you can safely take it out of the box. I still believe it is the best available PDA today.
Every case I had seen so far is either to bulky or somehow gets in the way. So I have combined the bottom part of an aluminum case with the top part of a leather flip case and created my "own" design. With the lid flipped to the back nothing gets in the way when using the keyboard or touchscreen. And the camera lens is covered when not used. Sure my case does not look as elegant as I would like it to look but it has the best overall value to me.
Werner - your case sounds interesting... Could you please email me a picture to treonauts [at] pobox.com
Cheers, A.
Actually as far as I am concerned a case is the best accesory you can buy if you own a Treo. It allows you to take your Treo with you as often as possible, giving you more opportunity to actually use the Treo and all your other accesories more!
I own multiple Treo cases, and a lot more Palm cases and my favorite by very far is the Magnesium hardcase (there is only one magnesium case although it is sold under many names). It offers more protection, has better design (especially in folding) and looks a lot classier then all other metal/hard cases. Only negative is the added bulk compared to non-metal cases. Absolutely recommend!
For me...cases are THE essential accessory. I beat the hell out of my electronics. Often times I'm surprised they last as long as they do. My previous Palm, a Tungsten T3, was dropped, kicked across the floor and more. My cell phones suffer even more.
I currently own two cases for my new Treo (less than a month old, one drop so far); a Cellet rubberized holster, which I love, and a Cellet wallet pouch. The holster is definitely my favorite of the two, but I do dislike that it leaves the back of the Treo exposed. While I'm at my desk or hacking Excel spreadsheets it's fine, but when I find myself on the road or in the warehouse it always makes me nervous.
That being said...I'm kind of a case/pouch/bag addict. I usually go through half a dozen cases for my regualarly carried electronics before I find THE perfect case. Often times...my electronic device is replaced before that moment.
My favorite case to date is the one I bought for my T3 from Vaja Leather. Beautiful. Sexy, smart, functional and a lot more money than I'd like to spend again. Still...highly recommended for the high end snob user. And there's a lot of us out there.
I hate to burst the bubble on the Rubberized Holster, but I used one for a month and at first it is awesome, but after about a month, where it "clicks" onto the Treo, it had wore it down so that the Treo wasn't as secure and did start to fall out on the slightest bumps. I would highley advise against this holster now. I really wanted to love it because it does look great.
I definitely have to weigh in on the "essential" side.... For me, my case ranks alongside the charger and the SD card for things I can't do without. When I decided to trade my Kyocera 7135 smartphone for a Treo 650, I started case-shopping before I even got the Treo. And though I don't know that I would consider myself a "high end snob user" ;>) I also ended up with a Vaja leather case (fully customized flip - $100). If you want a quality case that will last, and can afford to pay for it, Vaja is definitely the way to go. Now my Vaja protects my 700p, while my husband uses my 650 with a metal case.
Happy Treo-ing
Tina
Yep, a case is the first necessity for me. I just couldn't stand holding my naked Treo650 in my hand and not having a safe place to keep/carry it without worrying about it while doing other things.
For protection, for ease of movement... now, as to the TYPE of case, that's just a celebration of individuality as well as functionality.
I used a holster until the knob that slides into the belt clip broke. Then I got a form-fit leather case that has holes for all the ports as well as keeps the SD card from falling out. I do not like the way the plastic screen feels, and end up taking the Treo out of the case more often than I'd like, but at least I know my Treo screen is protected.
Dean- Ya know, that was a concern of mine. Especially as often as I've my Treo in and out of its case. I'll keep an extra close eye on this as I break it in.
Tina- I used my Vaja case on my T3 for about three(?) years and it served me very well. It was well worth the money. Although I've decried shelling out the moolah for another one for my Treo...we'll see. I can resist everything except temptation...
Ya know, the one thing I wish Palm would've done was put a lanyard hole in the corner of the Treo. I found it to be a bit odd that they didn't.
I had a problem with the Cellet Elite RH7 Rubberized Holster as well. After 3 weeks, the rubber started wearing off on the corners and it left a horizontal scratch mark on the back of my Treo. I'm back to my Seidio Shield Holster.
Andrew -
I just picked up a sports armband case for my 650. I have been waiting for one of these for 2 years now!!! It's a tight fit, and the plastic cover may make using the buttons a bit trickier. But the big no-no is there's no cut-out for the volume control!!! I'll be getting out my scissors shortly to create one of my own. Still, it looks like there's actually something for us exercising treonauts to use. You can find it at www.itzkitz.com .
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