06-21-2006, 04:00 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 797
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Boxwave Active Case Reviewed
Product Category: Case
Manufacturer: Boxwave
Where to Buy: Boxwave
Price: $25.95 USD
Pros:- Looks great;
- Screen is visible when case is closed;
- Cutout for speaker.
Cons:- Feels somewhat flimsy;
- Opens upward (may not be a con for some) instead of left to right;
- Unreliable belt clip.
Summary:
One of the first things I bought for my 5 GB iPod was a clear case. I was so happy with it, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Active Case from Boxwave, figuring it would be great to have my handheld in a case that would highlight its svelte looks.
Read on for the full review!
First, The Good News.
The Active Case is undeniably beautiful. It holds your handheld nicely and securely inside its beautiful crystal clear exterior.
Figure 1: The Active Case from a top down view. It's a beautiful case that looks great on your handheld.
Unlike its sibling, the Armor Case, which I reviewed earlier, there is a cutout for the application buttons and speaker so you can actually use your device while the case is closed. That's a definite plus.
As far as how the case holds the handheld in place, I can only say it does an outstanding job. When you lay your unit inside the case, it snaps into place and is tightly held in position. Even if you were to flip the case over with the cover open, your Pocket PC would stay in. That's a reassuring thing, as I've popped a handheld out of a case accidentally numerous times. To put it gently, that isn't happening here.
Now, The Bad News.
Despite its good looks, the Active Case isn't as durable as I would've liked it to be. It's lightweight, but unfortunately that makes it feel flimsy, and the hinge mechanism is plastic inside of plastic, which is not something I feel terribly secure about.
Along with the crystal exterior comes the number one problem faced by clear cases - namely scratching. In the week I used the Active Case, it developed a lot of scratches just from hanging around in a pocket in my gearbag. Basically, it didn't inspire confidence. Add to the mix the same belt clip that was included with the Armor Case, which I already didn't like because it didn't stay on my belt well, and you have a recipe for potential disaster.
Figure 2: The back of the Active Case. The circular area that looks like a rotary phone dial is the area where the nub for the belt clip mounts.
In fairness to Boxwave, the case did not crack, although, I didn't subject it to any really harsh stress tests that would cause it to.
The overall plasticky feeling of the case was very unappealing, though, and made me leary about how it would perform in case I was my usual clumsy self and dropped my Axim on a tile or concrete floor.
Figure 3: The Active Case open. As you can see, there is no reinforcement of any kind on the plastic hinges at the top of the case.
Conclusions
Honestly, I was very disappointed with the Active Case. When the opportunity to review some Boxwave cases came up, I actually was looking most forward to the Active Case. In the end, I was left with a somewhat sour taste in my mouth. I expected similar build quality to the Armor Case I reviewed (which was excellent), but didn't get it. In the end, if your handheld is really taken care of and you're more about the look of the case than its function, this might be the one for you.
If, however, you're more about protection, take a look at Boxwave's Armor Case line, which offers vastly superior protection and construction for roughly the same price.
Vincent Ferrari is a Systems Analyst for a Cellular Master Agent in New York City. He enjoys photography, music, and cycling, and is an avid early adopter.
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06-22-2006, 05:50 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 172
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One thing I think is a problem with this case is that it, IIRC, covers the CF slot just a little, which makes extraction of microdrives slightly more difficult.... and of course, it scratches easily and doesn't provide much protection against drops and shocks, since a good drop could pop the lid open and send the Axim flying out. However, it does have one benefit - you don't have to open the lid to see what's on screen, and with WM5 (with the softkeys assigned to hardware buttons) lets you navigate without a stylus - and thus, without opening up the case.
Its primary purpose is, as far as I can figure, to let you use the PDA without providing it any more protection than the bare minimum against scratches... but it's not designed for 'heavy use'. But, however, it lets you keep the Axim scratch-free, and in that sense it succeeds.
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06-22-2006, 07:41 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 541
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I have such case for my HTC Himalaya and yes it looks flimsy. I even managed to break off the lock, so the lid can't be locked in place anymore.
But, after 2 years, and quite a few drops of the device (I even managed to drop it to a concrete road a couple of times), the device is still working and the case still serves it's purpose.
Yes it's scratched, but the hinge still works, and the case does what it has to - I don't have to worry what I carry in my pocket with the device and since the device is also the phone, I can see who is calling me and use the device without opening the case.
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