Screen Covers [Archive] - Thoughts Media Forums

Jason Dunn

11-21-2002, 09:01 AM

One of the things I liked the most about the HP 568 (and, indeed, all HP Jornadas) was the integrated screen protector. I like to keep my device as slim and light as possible, so while I love some of the great cases out there for Pocket PCs, quite often I carry my Pocket PC "naked". Curiously, the Jornada is the only Pocket PC that ever had an integrated screen cover - and now that it's deceased, there isn't a Pocket PC with a screen cover. What do you think about screen covers?

Ekkie Tepsupornchai

11-21-2002, 10:18 AM

It's baffling to me that more vendors don't utilize them. With almost all HP Jornada users, one of the positive points that comes up constantly is the screen cover. I agree... with the two 568's that I ended up returning, what I did like and miss most about it was its size and cover (I currently use an iPaq3835).

dma1965

11-21-2002, 11:23 AM

...Curiously, the Jornada is the only Pocket PC that ever had an integrated screen cover - and now that it's deceased, there isn't a Pocket PC with a screen cover. What do you think about screen covers?

The iPaqs since the 3800 series all come with the very cool clear cover pack screen cover, which I love. I also prefer the modular design, as it allows me to add other expansion packs which also have integrated screen covers. I happen to love the screen covers, but I do not think it is fair to say that the Jornadas are the only Pocket PC's which come with screen covers, and the iPaq with the cover pack is just as slim as the Jornada's. :idea:

Sslixtis

11-21-2002, 11:38 AM

Ok, the newer iPaqs do have a cover, however they are NOT "just as slim as the Jornada" I currently have both the HP 568 and an iPaq 3955. Naked the iPaq is much nicer but with the cover the Jornada kicks its butt :lol:

I miss the form factor of my Jornada immensely! :cry:

mobileMike

11-21-2002, 11:39 AM

There are too many issues with these gadgets.

One device (PDA+Phone) or two
Dual slot (CF & SD) or just SD
Wireless or not
PocketPC/Palm/Linux
Integrated keyboard or not.
Buy a keyboard or use the software input
Do I need my expansion sleeve today?
Naked, Case or built-in cover

I need a break....

Actually, I think an integrated cover which flips up would be great. I lost the cover that came with my iPAQ3850. I took it off so I could put on my PCMCIA sleeve in a taxi and didn't remember to take the cover pack with me. I guess I really didn't need to check my mail on the way home from a bar that night.

I like the size of the naked iPAQ but I use my sleeve a lot. I really don't want to buy two cases for the PDA to handle both instances.

- mike

Len Egan

11-21-2002, 12:31 PM

There is something about holding my "naked" ipaq that is lost with accessories, ie expansion pack, etc. Don't you agree?[/b]

Rirath

11-21-2002, 12:39 PM

The Jornada flipcovers are quite handy I'll admit, but I really don't find it quite as must have as most people. I've been removing the cover when I use the device, simply because it's getting in the way. From a protection standpoint, it works and looks great. But using a device with an open flipcover hanging over the top is just a pain. And as lj says above (or at least I think), there is just something good about holding a naked PPC.

jayman

11-21-2002, 12:53 PM

Has anybody tried this add-on?

I think it is value for money
but I have not bought one
because I have yet to find
any feed-back or reviews
The same goes for T-skins.

P.S. I saw some nice new
PPCPE case designs somewhere
recently - they were molded
with a zip round the side
can't remember which forum
or site I was on.

If you know what I am talking
about - which I rarely do -
give me a shout!

Jayman

noel_foster

11-21-2002, 01:13 PM

As far as I'm concerned, an integrated cover like the one on the Jornada is a must. I broke the cover on my keyboard, so now I work mostly without it so I can put the origional cover on. Too bad they don't have replacements!

Ekkie Tepsupornchai

11-21-2002, 01:42 PM

Ekkie Tepsupornchai

11-21-2002, 01:44 PM

Ainvar

11-21-2002, 01:51 PM

Out of all the protectors and cases out there. I think the iPAQ 3800 series and above are the best ones. Not only is it a small form factor when on the device but I do not feel like I am pull a star trek communicator out of my pocket to say beam me up. Also I can do a brief look through the case to see my appts with a simple push of the power button to see what is next on the list with the help of the usful today plugins.

Wish I had something like this case for the Toshiba e550G

rokitrod

11-21-2002, 02:19 PM

I almost always purchase a new unit when they come out but I think I'm going to pass on the latest batch. I use my jornada 568 everywhere and the cover is essential. You can compare dimensions and cases all day but the jornada is the ONLY true PocketPC. The cover makes it easy to slip in your pocket without damage and if you don't like it it is removable! The expandability of the IPAQ is nice but any case or cover solution still ends up too wide or too thick for carrying in your pocket comfortably. The IPAQ expansion option makes it the ONLY unit that make it difficult to add a cover, all the rest could easily have a removable cover like the jornada.

MooseMaster

11-21-2002, 02:24 PM

Built in screen covers are great, and the HP Jornada are the only ones that have made one yet. I have an iPaq H3955... that... that THING is not a screen cover. It's an annoyance. Whenever I really want to use my PocketPC for more than two seconds I fling that flip case across the room after sliding my iPaq gracefully free from that hideous monster's grasp. If only more pocketpc's had Jornada style metal top down flip cases (removeable of course, just incase).... *sigh*

EddieH28

11-21-2002, 02:25 PM

go to
www.thepocketsolution.com
there you will find the COVER UP, an aluminum screen cover that is designed for the ipaq, toshiba, or palm device that can even be engraved. i have one for the tosh e740 and it works great! all but the thumbpad is covered and it opens and closes very easy. the inner part of the cover has foam to protect the screen and the cover stickies on the back of the unit and velcrows on and off so you can take it off if you dont want it. cost is only $19.95. get yours today!

Perry Reed

11-21-2002, 02:27 PM

I was never happy about the flip cover on my old Jornada 548 because it didn't flip far enough back. It only went about 90 degrees from the face of the device. So I pulled it off and bought one of HP's leather holsters, which included it's own flip up cover that folded completely back (plus it looked really cool!)

With my 568, the plastic cover flips far enough back to be out of my way, and I love that I can slide the PPC into my pocket (even in my jeans) and not worry about it getting damaged.

Timothy Rapson

11-21-2002, 02:30 PM

I don't know how many times I have thought (and posted this at various places).

Virtually every low end PDA from $9.99 to $99.99 has a plastic flip cover to protect a device that I could afford to just replace every time one broke. But, a $500 Toshiba? Nope. Gotta' go find your own and put up with the floppies when you flip it up and down.

Dumb.

And the Jornada with the metal case had it just perfect in this area.

Paragon

11-21-2002, 02:31 PM

I have said this before....many times. I think the Jornada style flip cover is one of the most under-rated features of Pocket PCs. This is one thing that Palm has always gotten right. It doesn't matter much, how small a device is if you have to put it in a case to protect it when it's in your POCKET....remember it's a POCKET pc, then even devices like the new IPaq 1910 are going to be bulky.

I don't get this at all. This is not an expensive feature to add to a device. In fact it can be a money making addon. Look how HP sold coloured lids.

If you buy a device that has a lid such as the Jornada, and you are not a "lid" person, you simply remove it.

To all the Pocket PC manufacturers out there WAKE UP !!!

Dave

Mr. Anonymous

11-21-2002, 02:32 PM

I think the iPAQ 3800 series and above are the best ones. Not only is it a small form factor when on the device but I do not feel like I am pull a star trek communicator out of my pocket to say beam me up.

Gosh, looking like I had a Star Trek communicator was the thing I loved most about my Jornada!

RobertCF

11-21-2002, 02:37 PM

I always have my iPaq in the Vaja case, so why on earth would I want a stupid cover to get in my way? In my opinion there isn't the integrated flip cover in existence that comes close to the classy look of "fine corinthian leather" smartly enveloping my PocketPC....

Ken Mattern

11-21-2002, 02:48 PM

A flip cover is a must, especialy for my customer who will treat the unit with a slightly heavy hand. I love the cover on my Jornadas and so do my customers. It seems to be such a simple thing to incorporate.

I carry my 568 in my evest pocket all the time. When I go shopping I use it and it is nice to know that I can quickly flip down the cover and put it in the shopping basket between stops.

gliscameria

11-21-2002, 03:21 PM

First PDA = palm M100

Loved the built in protector.... wish my toshiba had the same thing.

Jimmy Dodd

11-21-2002, 03:22 PM

The thing I miss most about my Jornada 458 is the flip cover. IMHO it had the best form factor of any PPC out there. I've since upgraded to a Maestro (to get PPC 2002) and then to an e740 (to get wifi, extra expansion) but I still miss the solid feel of the Jornada and it's flip top. The curvature of the cover and the rounded bottom made it slide into the pocket of my pants really easy - nothing to snag, nothing to accidentally turn it on.

My e740 has a leather sleeve and I have a leather flip cover type case as well, but neither have the rigidity of the Jornada flip top and as such they don't prevent the occaisional pressing of buttons if I squat down or twist the wrong way with it in my pocket.

I also don't see why no other manufacturer didn't get this.

ledowning

11-21-2002, 03:45 PM

I agree with Jason, I still have my Jornada 568 and the flip cover is great and really saves the screen from getting dinged. The only inconvenient thing about the cover is, when using the extended battery, PC card pack and a wireless CF card, the cover does get in the way. Good thing that it can be removed easily.

8)

Life is what happens while you're making other plans....

JornadaJ

11-21-2002, 03:47 PM

Must have the cover. That's why I've had the Jornada series.

The metal case on the 548 was nice, too. Very good, solid feeling to it.

Wasp

11-21-2002, 03:51 PM

Having broken a Pocket PC LCD screen when I accidentally dropped it and the screen hit the foot of my computer desk, I would say a cover is Mandatory! I usually carry my pocketPC in my shirt pocket;and, like the above example shows, it occasionally falls out if I am bending over. The cover was the primary reason that I bought the Jornada 568 over the Compaq PocketPC. 8)

vincentsiaw

11-21-2002, 04:12 PM

i do like the idea of integrated screen protector, and i do hope somebody is going to make device with it !

possmann

11-21-2002, 04:19 PM

I guess I am pretty demanding when it comes to this subject - I am for a screen cover, but not like what the HP offers - doesn't work as well as I'd like it to - as others have pointed out in this thread.

Having one that total flips back - or around a side, slim sheet of metal (I'm thinking) would be the best for all situations. It has to look sleek yet retain the thin factor.

I do like some of the flip wallets that are coming out lately, but still, they add a bit of bulk to the whole device... I guess I'll keep waiting ;)

dlauri

11-21-2002, 05:11 PM

Perhaps having started with an iPaq 3650, I'm partial to iPaqs but when I got my 3950, I was glad to get the new cover pack. As someone else said, it's thin enough (at least for those of us used to iPaqs) and it's clear enough to catch a quick glance at the screen for an appointment or the time without opening it.

However, I like the flexibility of using my iPaq without the cover. If I'm reading an e-Book in bed, I don't like having the cover bent open behind it and just used the iPaq naked.

Also if I'm using my WiFi card, I have to use my expansion sleeve, and when I carry that, I have it in my Vaja leather case, the one I'd gotten when I had my 3650. If the 3950 had had a permanently attached screen cover, I'd have had to get a new leather case.

Of course if they came out with an SDIO WiFi card, I wouldn't need the expansison pack.

Jason Lee

11-21-2002, 05:16 PM

I would like an integrated screen cover as long as it is removable.

texeck

11-21-2002, 05:29 PM

Ok, this is the BIGGEST reason that I too have not replaced my 568 with one of the new offerings from Compaq, Toshiba or Dell. The flip cover is essential! How else can I relliably stuff my trusty Jornada in the front pocket of my jeans - or a suit jacket for that matter - and get all that lovely dust into my display? :twisted:

The fact that 80% of people (should I say power-users) from this sight would like an integrated cover - yet not a single manufacturer delivers one is completely insane! The cost would be negligable. Palm does seem to get this - why not the PPC manufacturers? Maybe it's because the quicker we damage the screens, the quicker we're off to CompUSA or Fry's to get a new one!

Now, if I could just replace that processor (X-Scale 400?) in my Jornada, add Wireless and get that dust problem fixed - I would have the PERFECT PDA! :D Why doesn't HP understand this? :?

dstrauss

11-21-2002, 05:56 PM

The thing I miss most about my Jornada 458 is the flip cover. IMHO it had the best form factor of any PPC out there. [quote]

If I'm not mistaken, the 458 was the HP with the articualting hinge so it folder over the top and laid FLAT on the back of the handheld. That was the best design ever for a cover! Even curren tflip lids like the 568 or Treo's area pain because they open like a Star Trek communicator; draw attention; and are harder to work around.

If someone ever desings a third party unit like that old HP, so it lies flat on the back of the PDA, they'll make a killing.

Jimmy Dodd

11-21-2002, 06:08 PM

The thing I miss most about my Jornada 458 is the flip cover. IMHO it had the best form factor of any PPC out there.

If I'm not mistaken, the 458 was the HP with the articualting hinge so it folder over the top and laid FLAT on the back of the handheld. That was the best design ever for a cover! Even curren tflip lids like the 568 or Treo's area pain because they open like a Star Trek communicator; draw attention; and are harder to work around.

If someone ever desings a third party unit like that old HP, so it lies flat on the back of the PDA, they'll make a killing.

Oops. I should have said 548 instead of 458. Sorry.

The 430se was the brick with the fold over cover that you are refering to. I had one of those too. It was really thick, but the cover had double hinges and it did indeed fold around to lay flat against the back of the device. I think the four app buttons were part of the screen, too, so they hid behind the cover when it was closed. Because the cover was clear you could still read the screen when the cover was closed.

It was a bit fragile, though. I traded mine in when the 12 bit color thing made HP offer to buy back the devices. That's when I got the 548.

Perry Reed

11-21-2002, 06:12 PM

Oops. I should have said 548 instead of 458. Sorry.

The 430se was the brick with the fold over cover that you are refering to. I had one of those too. It was really thick, but the cover had double hinges and it did indeed fold around to lay flat against the back of the device. I think the four app buttons were part of the screen, too, so they hid behind the cover when it was closed. Because the cover was clear you could still read the screen when the cover was closed.

It was a bit fragile, though. I traded mine in when the 12 bit color thing made HP offer to buy back the devices. That's when I got the 548.

Yep, definitely was the 430se. In fact, I've got one sitting on my desk right now, charging up (so we can sell it on eBay). Not a bad little device, really, but my 548 blew it away.

normaldude

11-21-2002, 07:40 PM

http://www.thepocketsolution.com has aluminum flip covers for Pocket PCs.

http://thepocketsolution.com/images/topcover.jpg

kevindaly

11-21-2002, 07:54 PM

I have both a Jornada 568 and my original 545 (couldn't part with it), and an iPAQ 3870 from work...after the Jornadas I find the latter seems huge and clumsy with its cover on (everything tells me this is just a subjective impression)...the iPAQ just seems incredibly bulky by comparison.
So no, I don't think iPAQ clip-on covers are as good as the Jornada's flip top.
Um, here's a strange thing...while the flip cover was unique AFAIK in the Pocket PC world, they're quite common among the recent representatives of that *other* operating system.
So it's weird...maybe it's because so many Pocket PC designs these days come from or are at least manufactured by HTC, and maybe someone at HTC was frightened by a flip cover as a child (fear of being swallowed by the toilet seat perhaps. Very common).
By the way, did anyone other than me get all gooey-eyed and nostalgic when they saw the power indicator on the iPAQ H1910?
It looked like a last sad reminder of Jornada visual design.

I really must get outside more.

Unreal32

11-21-2002, 08:20 PM

Look how HP sold coloured lids.

Not well, is how they sold them. They were originally nearly $20, and now you can get them -- if you are lucky and find one that still has them -- at Office Depot for about $5. The color cover packs were priced too high for users, and most people never lost or broke their original one... so no real market for them, either.

Jimmy Dodd

11-21-2002, 08:22 PM

Jimmy Dodd

11-21-2002, 08:27 PM

Since we're getting all nostalgic and weepy eyed over the Jornadas let me ask if anybody else is getting tired of reflective silver cases and yearning for the 548's dark gray color. I was trying to read my e740 screen a few days ago in bright sunlight. Turning the screen to reflect the sunlight (Mother Nature's very own frontlight) to brighten my screen I had to deal with the sunlight reflecting off my PPC's chasis, too. I think the e740 case reflects better than the screen. :?

Pete Teoh

11-21-2002, 09:01 PM

http://www.thepocketsolution.com has aluminum flip covers for Pocket PCs.

Have you tried these? It's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure from the pics just how far the cover folds. Does it wrap all the way around to the back? Does it just stick straight out like in the photos?

And the most important question: why would they make a cutout of the central positioner button on the e740? You can't even see the screen - what good is the toggle button with it closed???

Yes, I have one and I love it. It flips up to vertical just as the picture shows. That's my only complaint about this little doohickey. It would be even better if it flipped back all the way.

The cutout for the D-pad is a nice touch. It allows you to use the D-pad with WMP with the cover closed. You really don't need to see the screen if you're just listening to audio over headphones.

Jimmy Dodd

11-21-2002, 09:09 PM

Yes, I have one and I love it. It flips up to vertical just as the picture shows. That's my only complaint about this little doohickey. It would be even better if it flipped back all the way.

The cutout for the D-pad is a nice touch. It allows you to use the D-pad with WMP with the cover closed. You really don't need to see the screen if you're just listening to audio over headphones.

Ahh, point well taken. I had not considered using the D-pad with the screen closed while listening to music.

Thanks.