Vaja Releases iPAQ 1910 Case [Archive]

Jason Dunn

12-16-2002, 08:07 PM

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.vajacases.com/vaja/catalogo.nsf/(ViewPPEN)?OpenView&Cat=h1910' target='_blank'>http://www.vajacases.com/vaja/catal...nView&Cat=h1910</a><br /><br /></div>There's nothing quite like the fine leather of a Vaja case, so if you've got the $$$ to spend on a premium case for your new iPAQ 1910, you'll want to go take a look. Such pretty colours...<br /><br /><img src="http://www.vajacases.com/Vaja/catalogo.nsf/ProdsPadrelkp/930/$file/930foto.jpg" />

entropy1980

12-16-2002, 08:18 PM

Now where are their 5450 cases... gimme gimme!! :D

willkess71

12-16-2002, 08:20 PM

Now where are their 5450 cases... gimme gimme!! :D

Come on Vaja! Can't wait to get a Billfold case that Fits Perfectly! :D

Bearjaw

12-16-2002, 08:24 PM

I hope they make an Axim case soon! I love the look of these cases. They look top shelf all the way! Jeff

GoldKey

12-16-2002, 08:26 PM

And how about some Dell cases. I know a few companies are "working on it". I will probably buy the first decent one that is available.

torring

12-16-2002, 09:14 PM

I was personally hoping for something a little more creative from Vaja.
I've had a Vaja-Case for my 3660 for 18 months now, and loving it, but shouldn't it be possible to make something VERY small, to compliment a VERY small PDA?:
http://www.pdamed.dk/pictures/etuier/openipaq.jpg
As you can see, Vaja has kept the basic design, which I do love, but would like to see innovated.

Sunnyone

12-16-2002, 09:20 PM

I sent an e-mail inquiring about when an Axim case would be available from Vaja. I was told that they have no current plans to make cases for the Dell Axims. :( Maybe if other Axim users express interest, Vaja will change their plans.

egads

12-16-2002, 09:21 PM

And how about some Dell cases. I know a few companies are "working on it". I will probably buy the first decent one that is available.

I email Vaja and they said they were working on a X5 case but could not tell me when it would be available :? Would have thought the Dell case would have been out before the IPAQ 1910 seeing how the Dell was available first !!!

jngold_me

12-16-2002, 09:24 PM

Sorry, but $100 for a case made for a $299 PDA is rediculous! The case is 1/3 the price of the actual device! I know the quality of the Vaja is excellent ( I have one for my 568).

I Vaja has alot of nerve charging and extra $14-$16 dollars over the "base" price of $79 just for color/type of leather.

Why couldn't they just sell the case for $79?

GoldKey

12-16-2002, 09:42 PM

jngold_me

12-16-2002, 10:10 PM

Point taken about the wallet analogy. However, to charge $74.90 then having the nerve to charge extra $14-$16 for different types of leather. I can understand the charges for other "custom" features (ie. slots, embossing, etc).

Heck, I paid over $100 for my Jornada case. I have owned cases by EB, Vaja and Handheld planet. While the quality of the Vaja is above the others, it is not $50-$75 worth. IMHO.

Janak Parekh

12-16-2002, 10:12 PM

I was personally hoping for something a little more creative from Vaja.
I've had a Vaja-Case for my 3660 for 18 months now, and loving it, but shouldn't it be possible to make something VERY small, to compliment a VERY small PDA?:
It's a compromise between protection and size. Vaja has come out with a number of unique "solutions" for the 3600 series to reduce the size (including the cover version that works with any expansion pack). You can also often get custom cases from them without the extra padding.

--janak

Kati Compton

12-16-2002, 10:29 PM

And how about some Dell cases. I know a few companies are "working on it". I will probably buy the first decent one that is available.

Some of the less form-fitting cases will already fit the Axim, but they require using Velcro. :(

Sena Cases (http://www.senacases.com/) is supposed to be coming out with a case for the Axim soon....

Anyone had any experience with those?

paris

12-16-2002, 10:51 PM

i hope they come out with a case that has magnetic closure. I did ask them before for a 5450 case and they said that they will notify me when its available.

good news is that they do shipping to the UK for only $20, and i give them a 300% credit on that!

Paul P

12-16-2002, 10:58 PM

Sorry, but $100 for a case made for a $299 PDA is rediculous! The case is 1/3 the price of the actual device! I know the quality of the Vaja is excellent ( I have one for my 568).

Why is that ridiculous? What does the price paid for the items have to do with it? If Dell charged $499 for the same PDA (they would still probably sell at least some) would $100 then not seem ridiculous? Is $75 for a nice wallet ridiculous? Or does it depend what I put in it? What about someone that buys a purse for a few hundred just to put some makeup, car keys, ID, and a cel phone in? As you said, the Vaja quality is excellent, that combined with some peoples desire to express their own personal style explains why it is worth the price.

The price has everything to do with it because 1910 is marketed as an affordable PocketPC. The price is little ridiculous considering that most people who will buy the 1910 will do so because of the price of the device (unless someone is willing to sacrifice functionality simply in favor of the smaller size). Someone buying a purse for a few hundred dollars can afford to pay a premium. Someone buying 1910 does not necessarily want to spend any more money on the device, as that would defeat the purpose of buying it in the first place.

Janak Parekh

12-16-2002, 11:14 PM

The price has everything to do with it because 1910 is marketed as an affordable PocketPC.
It's not only an affordable Pocket PC, but a small and sexy one. People buying on that premise might be willing to splurge.

Explain to me why people buy rich, expensive leather cases for their Nokia 8290 then... or a $150 case for their Palm Vx...

In any case, if people don't think it's worth the money, wait for the prices to drop. So far Vaja has had sufficient demand to keep their prices up.

--janak

Paul P

12-16-2002, 11:35 PM

Explain to me why people buy rich, expensive leather cases for their Nokia 8290 then... or a $150 case for their Palm Vx...

Prices of Nokia and Motorola phones have always remained in similiar price ranges, around $200- 300 dollars or so when initially introduced. On the other side of the spectrum, there are always phones that cost around $50 bucks or so (in some cases free with activation). I don't see someone buying an expensive case for their low priced cell phone. Just doesn't make any sense. Someone buying a much more expensive phone, once again, can probably afford the premium.

I remember almost buying Vx for something like $499, or somewhere around that crazy price (maybe not so crazy at that time). A $75 dollar case for a $499 device is still unreasonable, but probably worth buying considering the price tag of the device itself (of course now, those $150 cases are worth more than the Palms they hold inside :) )

yawanag

12-16-2002, 11:59 PM

"Sorry, but $100 for a case made for a $299 PDA is rediculous!"

I'm with you all the way! I wanted one badly for my T-Mobile. Checked out the price before I even received it. After adding belt clip, color, etc. the $79 case came to $114. After I received it, I went back to replace the order and it was then $124. I decided that for that amount of money I didn't need it no matter how pretty it was.

The way I've been upgrading lately, the case would far outlast my PDA. :lol:

I got the EB case instead. What I like about it more than the Vaja that it comes up higher on the unit than Vaja and you can see the charging light when it's closed.

GoldKey

12-17-2002, 12:33 AM

Explain to me why people buy rich, expensive leather cases for their Nokia 8290 then... or a $150 case for their Palm Vx...

Or why people put rims on a car that are worth more than the car.

[Prices of Nokia and Motorola phones have always remained in similiar price ranges, around $200- 300 dollars or so when initially introduced. On the other side of the spectrum, there are always phones that cost around $50 bucks or so (in some cases free with activation). I don't see someone buying an expensive case for their low priced cell phone. Just doesn't make any sense. Someone buying a much more expensive phone, once again, can probably afford the premium.

I remember almost buying Vx for something like $499, or somewhere around that crazy price (maybe not so crazy at that time). A $75 dollar case for a $499 device is still unreasonable, but probably worth buying considering the price tag of the device itself (of course now, those $150 cases are worth more than the Palms they hold inside :) )

Again, what does the value of the device have to do with how much a case is worth? You get the same functionality out of a case whether you put a Zire or a 5450 in it. The case is not for everyone.

What you are suggesting is that Vaja tiers their prices based on the cost of the device going in it. It seems that the belief is that it is OK to spend $100 on a case for a $500 device (ie the case should cost 20% of the device). So the case for the Axim should be $60 (for the 400mhz) and $40 for the 300 (of course they are the same size device :wink: ). Price is based on the cost of what it takes to make the case. I would expect at least a 100% markup on these. I don't imagine that the cost is much different between any of the cases to make.

What something is worth is completely relative. My parents can't understand why I would spend $299 on a PDA. It is ridiculous to them yet a bargain to me. Of course, the $3-4 K PC's we bought years ago seem ridiculous compared to PC's today.

Paragon

12-17-2002, 12:47 AM

Well, what I'm suggesting is that

$100.00 for a case is far too much.

Particularly if you look at similar cases EB and others have been putting out as of late. Vaja's prices have become way out of line as of late.

Dave

DeskDog

12-17-2002, 02:29 AM

The Vaja case looks great, but I still prefer to pop the thing in my pocket most of the time. The 1910 is the first PPC I've had that I've been able to pocket easily. I took the advice from another thread and picked up a Zire sleeve. Cool translucent blue, feels pretty durable, fits rather nicely considering it's not custom. Belt loop, wrist loop (which can be removed and put on the 1910 if you have a mind to), can use the earbuds with the unit in the sleeve. For $18, the Zire sleeve was a deal. OK, so call me cheap. By the way, after one week I love the 1910 in every respect.

Janak Parekh

12-17-2002, 03:50 AM

$100.00 for a case is far too much.
That may or may not be true, but enough people don't agree with you such that Vaja is making a decent profit. If they didn't, they wouldn't charge that much. Also - Vaja may be charging a premium because they're the first out of the gate.

If someone doesn't feel that a $100 case is worth it to them, wait for the E&B. I do agree that the E&B cases are very nice considering the price, but my when I bought my Vaja for my 3650 years ago, people oohed and aahed at it, while they never glanced at the E&B I bought later on. (Don't ask how many cases I bought for my original iPaq. ;))

--janak

Paul P

12-17-2002, 04:14 AM

Or why people put rims on a car that are worth more than the car.

Because what you're talking about is completely different. Putting 10k under the hood of a Civic is not the same thing as buying an already powerful car such as an Altima. People love to work on their cars and buy cool accessories for them. My point was that most of the H1910 market consists of people looking to purchase affordable PocketPCs. Instead of buying a $100 dollar case, why not add another $60 or $80 on top of what it would cost to buy the case and buy a 3950?

Again, what does the value of the device have to do with how much a case is worth? You get the same functionality out of a case whether you put a Zire or a 5450 in it. The case is not for everyone.

I have to repeat myself. Again, defeats the purpose of buying the device in the first place. The fact that the case is not for everyone is exactly my point. More specifically, the case was not priced accordingly to the market, where 'most' of the people who will buy the H1910 will do so because of the price. The value/price of the device dictates the market that it will be targeted for.

What you are suggesting is that Vaja tiers their prices based on the cost of the device going in it. It seems that the belief is that it is OK to spend $100 on a case for a $500 device (ie the case should cost 20% of the device). So the case for the Axim should be $60 (for the 400mhz) and $40 for the 300 (of course they are the same size device :wink: ). Price is based on the cost of what it takes to make the case. I would expect at least a 100% markup on these. I don't imagine that the cost is much different between any of the cases to make.

No, what I am suggesting is that it makes more sense to spend $100 on a case for a more expensive device. I would definitely consider spending that much on a case for the H5450. With respect to Vaja, I highly doubt their cases for H1910 will reach the same sales as those for other devices. I don't think their prices are based on the cost of the particular device they are designing the case for. They are simply charging a premium because they can. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame them. I just think that their sales will suffer on this particular H1910 case. One plus in all of this is that they are maintaining their current cost and sustaining the same quality that was always expected from Vaja.

Paragon

12-17-2002, 04:17 AM

Well, janak, I think that Vaja better be careful because there are a growing number of people who agree with the statement that their prices are too high. I have seen several threads on different forums as of late discussing this very fact.

Any of their new releases seem to be price considerably higher. They recently announce a new case for the XDA, once you choose your leather, and a belt clip it's $144.00 dollars. It doesn't even have a lid. The case I have from EB for my XDA is as awe inspiring as any Vaja and it cost 40 bucks.

I think if they keep up the trend of pricing their product 200-400% higher then the rest of the competition discussions like this are going to increase, and their sales are going to decrease dramatically

IMHO

Dave

Janak Parekh

12-17-2002, 04:46 AM

Because what you're talking about is completely different. Putting 10k under the hood of a Civic is not the same thing as buying an already powerful car such as an Altima. People love to work on their cars and buy cool accessories for them. My point was that most of the H1910 market consists of people looking to purchase affordable PocketPCs.
While that may be true to some extent, we don't have numbers on this. There may be enough purchasers who don't care about the price yet care about the size. The Vaja caters to them.

Otherwise, explain to me why Orbino cases for the Palm Vx, the m500, and the m505 currently cost between $150 and $200. See http://store.yahoo.com/ondata/forpalvconor.html. This is the online store component of the official Orbino homepage (e.g., www.orbino.com).

I think if they keep up the trend of pricing their product 200-400% higher then the rest of the competition discussions like this are going to increase, and their sales are going to decrease dramatically
Dave - that's market forces there at work - no complaints for me. :)

I'm not trying to argue with you guys - I'd find it galling spending $100 on a case for a $299 handheld too (not that you really have choices right now) - but as long as there is demand from some sector they have every right to charge as much as they want.

--janak

Paragon

12-17-2002, 04:56 AM

I'm not trying to argue with you guys - I'd find it galling spending $100 on a case for a $299 handheld too (not that you really have choices right now) - but as long as there is demand from some sector they have every right to charge as much as they want.

--janak

Yeh, I know. I would hate to see you get fired on your first day. :D I think the point that most of us are trying to make is that if they try to keep their prices up this high then demand will go down.

Dave

Janak Parekh

12-17-2002, 06:28 AM

Yeh, I know. I would hate to see you get fired on your first day. :D
Mean, mean, to imply that I'd get fired so quickly! :D

If I did, at least it would be a record.

I got about 10.5 hours left in day 1...

--janak

DeskDog

12-17-2002, 07:32 AM

There is a thread on Brighthand that shows a case for a Palm V/M500 that looks almost as nice as the Vaja for about $10 at Dartek.

http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=422278#post422278

Looks pretty nice and can't beat the price.

GoldKey

12-17-2002, 02:19 PM

Because what you're talking about is completely different. Putting 10k under the hood of a Civic is not the same thing as buying an already powerful car such as an Altima. People love to work on their cars and buy cool accessories for them. My point was that most of the H1910 market consists of people looking to purchase affordable PocketPCs.

It is the same thing. People like their PC's or PPC's, like to work on them, and like to buy cool accessories for them. I disagree on the market for the H1910. While affordable, I believe anyone who was strictly looking for the most affordable PPC would be purchasing the 300mhz Axim. I think it is clearly the best bang for buck device. The 1910 is definitely picking up market from those who want a cool looking small device. Exactly the market this is going for.

I think we actually agree. The Vaja case is not for everyone, it is not for most people. They are definitely priced outside of what the mainstream is for a case. But there are lots of products priced that way. I am sure some high-end handbag manufacturers probably make a PDA case as an accessory for their customers. Imagine what Prada charges for a case.

Janak Parekh

12-17-2002, 04:35 PM

I think we actually agree.
That's the irony, eh? ;)

I think the debate was on whether the Vaja is overpriced. It's certainly not cheap, but I don't think it's overpriced per se, if people find it a worthwhile purchase.

Anyhow, talk about the proverbial kicking a dead horse... ;)

--janak

Jason Dunn

12-17-2002, 05:09 PM

It's fine to say "I will not buy this product because I don't think it's worth what they're charging" - that's your right as a consumer. But it's Vaja's right as a seller to charge whatever the heck they want to charge - no offense guys, but it's really silly to say that Vaja cases "should" be cheaper. It's called the "free market economy". :wink: :lol:

Ultimately there are cases coming from other companies that will be cheaper, like HandHeld Planet (usually 50%+ cheaper than Vaja), so it's not like you won't have options. :D

Sunnyone

12-17-2002, 05:24 PM

There are some people who like to have the best, regardless of cost. It is a matter of personal opinion, as to whether Vaja cases are indeed, "the best." But, just like some women that I know pay US $250 + for a "Coach" or "Dooney and Bourke" purse, there will be some people who won't blink at paying over $100 for a Vaja case.

Can't speak from the male perspective, but there's gotta be a parallel for you guys out there. Be honest, aren't some of you into purchasing items for the "status" factor?

Again, Vaja cases aren't for everyone, but they do have a market in the luxury catagory, IMHO.

Janak Parekh

12-17-2002, 05:31 PM

Can't speak from the male perspective, but there's gotta be a parallel for you guys out there. Be honest, aren't some of you into purchasing items for the "status" factor?
Yes - watches. I have a customer who wears a $3,000 watch. I don't see how I could ever do that. I'd have a heart attack every time I hit it against my desk.

--janak

Paragon

12-17-2002, 05:31 PM

Aw geez you guys. You totally missed the point. :) At least my point anyway. I can't speak for the others.

Yes, Vaja has the right to choose any price they like. The point being, that by choosing to go with much higher prices, they are narrowing their market considerably. Myself, I was debating the wisdom in that.

Dave

Sunnyone

12-17-2002, 05:35 PM

Paragon

12-17-2002, 05:40 PM

Aw geez, I guess I get your point :wink:

If it were "my" business, I probably wouldn't charge so much because I think you're right. You do limit your customer base with the higher-priced items. But maybe the increased revenue per item makes it worth their while....

That's the real trick isn't it.....knowing when you have crossed that line. Knowing what price level gives you the highest "net profit" isn't an easy thing to do.

None of us are in business for higher profit margins, higher gross sales, or too sale as many items as we can. We are all in business for the highest net profit.

Dave

Janak Parekh

12-17-2002, 05:55 PM

Aw geez you guys. You totally missed the point. :) At least my point anyway. I can't speak for the others.
Of course we understand. We just love to debate 'ya. :P

--janak

GoldKey

12-17-2002, 08:38 PM

Kati Compton

12-17-2002, 10:39 PM

Can't speak from the male perspective, but there's gotta be a parallel for you guys out there. Be honest, aren't some of you into purchasing items for the "status" factor?

Men and cars. ;)

Paragon

12-17-2002, 10:41 PM

Aw geez you guys. You totally missed the point. :) At least my point anyway. I can't speak for the others.
Of course we understand. We just love to debate 'ya. :P

--janak

You the Big Daddy!! :D

Paragon

12-26-2002, 05:26 PM

I was discussing cases at pPCp and answered a question relating to Vaja cases. I think I stated there what I was trying to say here but the words didn't see to be there at the time.

My quote
Vaja......forget it! I find their pricing policies to be completely arrogant, and foolish. Especially when you consider the fact that you can buy any one of the above cases for about 40 bucks and Vaja's cases of similar quality and function can cost upwards of three times as much. The other three case manufacturers even with their success continue to offer extremely good value to their customers. I would much rather reward someone like that with my business then I would give it to someone who IMHO is trying to take advantage of their past success by overpricing their product.

The three other manufactures I mentioned were EB, Krussel, and Covertec.

It IS my opinion whether anyone agrees with it or not. :)

Dave