04-11-2003, 07:00 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,213
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Vaja I-Volution Morpheus III for HP iPAQ h5400 Series Reviewed
The Vaja I-Volution Morpheus III case for the HP iPAQ h5400 series is truly a work of art. With perfect craftsmanship, a form-fitting design, and excellent protection, the Morpheus III is quite possibly the perfect case for a "naked" HP h5400 series iPAQ. However, Vaja cases are often some of the most expensive cases you can buy for your Pocket PC. Is the Morpheus III worth its three-digit price? Check out my review of this case to find out!
The Vaja I-Volution Morpheus III case for the HP iPAQ h5400 series is truly a work of art. With perfect craftsmanship, a form-fitting design, and excellent protection, the Morpheus III is quite possibly the perfect case for a "naked" HP h5400 series iPAQ. However, Vaja cases are often some of the most expensive cases you can buy for your Pocket PC. Is the Morpheus III worth its three-digit price? Read on to find out!
Case Description and Features
The I-Volution Morpheus III case is designed to be used with a "naked" iPAQ -- one with no expansion sleeves attached. In fact, since the case is designed to fit every curve and contour of the h5400 series iPAQ, it's impossible to use the case with any type of sleeve attached. If you use a sleeve with your iPAQ most of the time, this probably isn't the ideal case for you. Accessories such as snap-on thumb keyboards that are designed to be used over a sleeve might actually work, though I was unable to test this since I don't currently own such an accessory.
The case combines the best features of a soft leather case and a hard shell case into one. The shell of the Morpheus III is made up of three layers of rigid ABS plastic to protect against impacts. The inside front flap of the case features two slots for holding spare SecureDigital cards, which will come in handy for those of us who don't yet have 512 MB or larger SD cards and have to swap cards in order to carry all our data. 
When the case was announced, many readers here at Pocket PC Thoughts and other sites were concerned that it would make the slim h5400 iPAQs big and bulky. While the case does add some amount of bulk, I don't consider it to be excessive, and the level of protection provided by this case is hard to beat. The raised, curved portion of the outside front flap, the rounded edges, and sweeping curved ridges along the sides of the SD slots inside give the case a very sleek appearance. The lines and curves of the case even line up perfectly with those of the iPAQ.
Figure 1: Top view of the Morpheus III and iPAQ h5455 side-by-side to show relative sizes.
Figure 2: End view to show the relative thickness of the case compared to the iPAQ h5455. This is a slightly deceptive photo since the belt clip post makes the case appear to be much "taller" than is actually is.
Figure 3: Top view of the Morpheus III and iPAQ h5455 side-by-side to show relative sizes.
The leather is of outstanding quality with absolutely no visible flaws or imperfections. I think this is important for a case that costs as much as this one does and it truly shows that you get what you pay for in terms of craftsmanship.
Perhaps the best feature of this case, though, is the fact that you can dock your iPAQ in its cradle while it's in the case! (The case must be open, of course, since the magnetic "latch" covers the sync port on the bottom when closed.) This is the first case I've used which has this feature, and I have to say, it's wonderful! All the leather cases I'd used with previous Pocket PCs required me to remove the PPC from the case prior to docking in a cradle. It is so much more convenient to be able to simply slip the iPAQ in a cradle while still in the case! The first two or three days I used the case, the leather "hinge" was not broken in yet and the case wanted to flip closed while docked. Within a week, however, the leather has given enough that the case now stays open easily.
Figure 4: An iPAQ h5455 docked in the Morpheus III case.
You can order the case with or without an UltraClip belt clip according to your preferences. Personally, I prefer to carry my Pocket PCs on my belt, so the case I reviewed includes the UltraClip. I have used UltraClips on cases in the past, but the Vaja is the first that has used a metal post on the back instead of plastic. This adds more security to the clip and eliminates the wear that occurs over time on the plastic posts.
This photo, borrowed from the product page at Vaja Cases' Web site, illustrates the construction of the case better than I can explain it in words.
General Observations
The case arrived from Vaja in a nice white box with the Vaja logo printed in shiny letters on top. Inside the box was a very nice leather bag with a metal-tipped drawstring. Nice touch! The bag can be used for any number of things such as carrying cables and power adapters, spare styli, etc. Upon opening the leather bag, I expected to be greeted with a rush of the fine leather smell that Vaja is famous for. Instead, I got what smelled like epoxy or some other high-bond adhesive. I assume this came from whatever adhesive Vaja uses to bond the leather to the ABS plastic shell underneath. After a few hours, the smell went away and now all I can smell is the nice aroma of high quality leather.
The first time I put my h5455 in the Morpheus III, it was a pretty tight fit. I don't consider this to be a problem, however, because there is virtually no risk of the iPAQ accidentally sliding out of the case even if you shake it. It also seems to have loosened a bit during the week or so that I've had the case, which will be nice for those of you who occasionally use a sleeve of some sort and have to remove the iPAQ from its case. It is still tight enough that the iPAQ won't accidentally slip out of the case.
The first thing I noticed after the iPAQ was in the case was just how comfortable the case felt in my hand. The smooth, curved surface of the leather is very nice to hold. Also, since the case opens up instead of to the side like a book, it fits your hand about as well as a naked iPAQ. Unlike the CoverPAQ that I used until now, the flap doesn't get in the way while holding the case.
The iPAQ slides into the Morpheus III the same way it slides into an expansion sleeve. In fact, the case looks remarkably like a sleeve, right down to the raised area where the sleeve docking connector is located. This makes for a very secure, custom fit.
Figure 5: Bottom edge of empty case.
Figure 6: Bottom edge of the iPAQ in the case. Note how the shape of the case and the iPAQ match almost perfectly under to the sync connector.
Even when closed, the case allows for access to the headphone/microphone jack, the bottom microphone opening, and reset button. When open, obviously the sync port is uncovered, allowing you to dock or attach a sync cable of some sort. On the top of the case, the antenna protrudes and you can remove the stylus with the case closed. The SD slot is covered while the case is closed, so if you have an SDIO card that protrudes from the top of the iPAQ, you will need to remove it before closing the case. The power button is also covered when closed, preventing accidental power on. There are some "gotchas" here, however, which I will address below.
Figure 7: Bottom edge of the case when closed. Note the headphone jack is fully accessible.
When the case is empty, the two halves are held tightly together with the magnets on each half. Interestingly, once the iPAQ is in the case, the magnets cannot physically touch each other. In fact, the front flap of the case could easily be held closed by its contact with the bottom end of the iPAQ. (The magnet in the front flap creates a ridge that fits almost perfectly under an edge of the iPAQ, holding the case closed. I find it curious that they even use magnets in this case.
Figure 8: Note the relatively large gap between the two magnets.
Gotchas
While I really have no major issues with this case, I do want to point out a few things. First of all, when the case is closed, the speaker is muffled significantly by the front cover. Unless you keep your volume turned up quite a bit, you may or may not hear alarms or other audio alerts. Additionally, the status LEDs are also not visible when the case is closed, so if you didn't hear the alarm, you won't see the blinking light, either. This is not a problem for me personally since I rarely use alarms, but it could be a substantial drawback for many of you. I consider this to be the case's most serious flaw, though I can't think of a way to make holes for the speaker that would not make the front of the case look ugly.
Secondly, when docking the iPAQ in the Morpheus III case, be certain that the sliding portions of the cradle arms are locked in the down position. I had trouble getting the iPAQ to dock properly until I noticed that one of the two arms was not sliding down far enough to lock down. Pressing it down with my finger fixed the problem and the iPAQ and case fit perfectly now. Also note that the first few times you dock, it may be somewhat difficult to get the iPAQ in, though after a few insertions/removals this will become easier as the leather conforms to the arms of the dock. I should mention that the dock does leave very faint impressions in the leather after a few uses, mostly on the back of the case. This does not significantly detract from the appearance of the case, however, and actually makes it easier to dock. If you look carefully, you may be able to see one of these marks on the right side of the case in Figure 6 above.
Third, due to the design of the front flap of the case, I find it difficult to press the record button at times. The back portion of the case does not cover the button, but when closed, the front flap does partially covers it, making is a little harder to press. This does have the nice side effect of preventing accidental presses, though. This is certainly not a major problem, but an issue I felt was worth mentioning.
Figure 9: Note the way the volume/record button is partially blocked by the front of the case.
This is not a problem, exactly; it's more of a suggestion. The back of the case is totally flat and empty. Even with the UltraClip option, there is still plenty of room to add a pocket for a couple business cards. If the magnets were removed from the case, you could even safely carry cards with magnetic strips. The pocket would probably need to have a side opening since the UltraClip post would be above it and things could fall out the bottom. Since the inside of the front flap has SD card pockets there's really nowhere else to securely store a business card or two. Because the h5400 series iPAQ is often marketed more toward enterprise users, this could be a useful addition to the case.
Finally, since the "latch" on the case flap physically drags across the very bottom front edge of the iPAQ when opening and closing the case, I worry that over time the silver paint on the iPAQ may wear off. This is a purely cosmetic issue, though, and people less ... um... "retentive" than me may not worry about such things.
Where To Buy
The Vaja I-Volution Morpheus III can be purchased directly from the Vaja Cases Web site. Prices start at US$149.90 for the base model. You can select from a large variety of leather finishes and colors, choose whether or not to have a belt clip, and even have the case personalized with a laser engraving method which they show on their site. (Amusingly, the sample photo on their site shows a case belonging to "Fox Mulder." 0X) The case as reviewed here would cost US$153.90 plus shipping.
Specifications
The case measures 3.37 inches wide, by 5.37 inches tall, by 1.13 inches thick. It is designed for use with Hewlett-Packard h5400 series iPAQs and cannot be used with expansion sleeves of any kind.
Conclusions
Though expensive, the I-Volution Morpheus III illustrates perfectly the old adage, you get what you pay for. This case is perfect in just about every way, but there is still room for minor improvements, in my opinion. It's a shame to see the nice, flat back of the case go unused, and the muffled speaker could be a serious problem for those who use alarms or just wish to listen to some music without headphones -- especially in noisy office environments. Aside from those two issues, however, I can't really think of anything this case is lacking, and I feel that if you are looking for the best case for your h5400 series iPAQ, you won't regret purchasing the I-Volution Morpheus III!
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04-11-2003, 07:13 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,185
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2 questions Dave. Is the blue case shown at the top of your review suede or is it a polished leather as well? It looks softer and I don't really like polished leather personally. Also, what's in the center of the case? Is there some sort of metal frame that keeps it rigid or is it the leather only?
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04-11-2003, 09:15 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 383
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I never did understand cases, at least not at this price range. Is it the Rolls Royce -kind of satisfaction: You buy the most expensive PPC out there and a three-digit case to go with it.. I wouldn't know, but then again I am a cheap skank 
/jizmo (happy nekkid Toshiba owner)
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04-12-2003, 03:00 AM
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Theorist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 300
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I got this very case 2 weeks ago. I promised myself I would never spend that much money on a case, but as it happens, I did it anyways. With each day, I like the case more and more. It sort of grows on you. Quality is exceptional. Actually, this is my replacement case. The first case I ordered had a minor defect. Vaja sent me a new case right away (within a week). I was very pleased with the quick turnaround and great support.
Some pics of my case
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04-12-2003, 03:03 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by jizmo
I never did understand cases, at least not at this price range. Is it the Rolls Royce -kind of satisfaction: You buy the most expensive PPC out there and a three-digit case to go with it.. I wouldn't know, but then again I am a cheap skank |
It's something about the feel... when you have a Pocket PC in a case like this, you want to pet it. 8) They've done a great job with the I-Volution cases... although, make sure you aren't feeling your wallet at the same time :cry:
--janak
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04-12-2003, 04:19 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 533
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After owning a iPaq 3630 (the first month they were availible), a 3835, and now a 5455, I had always head about the luxurious Vaja cases (and therefore have always wanted one). With the purchase of my 5455 (which cost as much as some desktops), I figured why not give one of the finest PDA's availible one of the finest cases availible, so I purchased this case and recieved it about three weeks ago.
Needless to say, I am one VERY happy man :sunny:
-Brian
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04-12-2003, 06:11 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,213
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by bdegroodt
... Is the blue case shown at the top of your review suede or is it a polished leather as well? It looks softer and I don't really like polished leather personally.
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That is a slightly edited image that I, uh, "borrowed" from the Vaja site. I didn't have a photo of my own that made a good, clean intro image to the article, so I edited some lines and text out of their image. The color shown in that photo is "Sapphire" and the leather finish is called "Caterina." The case I reviewed is "Caterina Black," which is just the black version of the one in that photo. They do have several other leather finishes, though. This page at their site shows close-up views of the various leather options they offer. Clicking on each finish gives you a page with a description of the leather and images of the available colors in that finish. The Morpheus cases appear to be available only in Floater, Caterina, and Earth Apache finishes.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by bdegroodt
... Also, what's in the center of the case? Is there some sort of metal frame that keeps it rigid or is it the leather only?
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The structure of the case is formed with multiple layers of a rigid plastic, shaped to fit the contours of the iPAQ. The leather is bonded to that plastic shell. I linked to this image in the review (which just happens to be the image I edited for the intro photo) which illustrates the construction of the case. It does a very nice job of showing the layers that make up the case.
-- Dave
__________________
Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
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04-12-2003, 04:26 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 309
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Including S&H, more than $170 for a case? you all must be nuts, my friends. Better buy an axim and give to someone if you can spend that money on a case.
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04-12-2003, 04:49 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by mv
Including S&H, more than $170 for a case? you all must be nuts, my friends. Better buy an axim and give to someone if you can spend that money on a case.
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If we weren't nuts, would we be here? 8)
Seriously - it's like asking why some people buy a BMW when a simple Toyota will do, or a house when a 2-bedroom apartment will do. It's a worthless argument!
--janak
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04-12-2003, 04:56 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 21
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It may not be a "case" -- but I can't seem to give up my Jornada 568 b/c it *comes with* a cover .. and the nifty blue replacement cover was ~$15 (eBay)..
I wonder why the manufacturers can't get this right anymore..
I mean, it's great to have the third party market - but triple digits for a *case* ?!
I thought I was insane... guess not.. :-p
-Bob
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