Marware CEO Holster

[egads]

Just received the Marware CEO Holster case for my Dell:
http://www.marware.com/Holster.html

I've been using my old case that came with my Casio EM500 till I decided on a case for my X5. I live near Chicago and I'm usually wearing a coat this time of year so I did not need the X5 hanging on my hip when I have coat pockets available. I was looking for a holster style case that I could easily whip out my X5 ( I like my X5 nekked :P ) I also wanted a nice belt clip, and a magnetic or snap latch. Here is a list of all the cases I've looked at:

Vaja Universal
http://www.vajacases.com/vaja/catalogo.nsf/(ViewPPEN)?OpenView&Cat=universal

EBCases Copilot-20
http://www.ebcases.com/Detail.bok/d8c8e03cf3526374c184?&category=Dell+Axim&start=1&total=9&no=3

Marware CEO Holster
http://www.marware.com/Holster.html

NutShell
http://www.tuff-as-nuts.com/Dell-axim-x5-holsters.html

I love the looks and features of the Vaja holster, but at $70US its not an option. The NutShell I did not think offered much for $40, plus I thought it was kinda ugly. That leaves me with the Copilot-20 of the CEO Holster.

I went with the CEO Holster because I thought the belt clip was kinda cool. You can remove the knob that the belt clip fastens to. This is nice for when your not using the belt clip, no knob sticking out. Plus the belt clip looked like it was much smaller than the Copilot-20's. Turns out the CEO's belt clip is a heck of a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. I can live with it, but I think it could be thinner. The web also page did not say how the case was lined, but I would have thought the CEO would have had a nice soft cotton or leather liner. The liner is nylon or something like it. The only advantage to this I can see is if something gets spilled into the case it could be easily wiped clean. Over all the CEO is kind of a let down, but for $25 I should not be too picky. Marware has a 30 day money back, I may order the Copilot-20 and see how it compares to the CEO and return the one I like the least.

Hope this helps someone else looking for the same thing !!!

[luebster]

Great breakdown of your impression with the CEO case and an extra thanks for providing links to the cases you were looking at.

My Axim is "In Production" and hopefully I'll have it next week. In the meantime, I've been looking at cases. I haven't found one that has all the features I want yet.

My ideal case would have a magnetic closure. Absolutely no velcro or snaps. UGH. It should be either leather or neoprene with a removable belt clip/knob. I wear a coat of some sort about 6 months out of the year and this is a must, because it is a POCKET PC, not a HIP PC...or is it?

Anyway, a bonus would be if it had slots for CF/SD storage as well.

I think I'd be willing to spend $40 or $50 for a case like that....

The CEO is close, but it lacks the magnetic closure.

[dbman]

I've posted several comments on this case. I like the Marware case for the same reasons you stated. In addition, it is possible to have a Wi-Fi card installed and the strap still reaches over it to the fastener. This makes it more versatile. The headphone jack is also accessible if you want music on the go.

My initial impression on the thickness of the belt clip was the same as yours. However, after wearing it for a week, given that half of the thichness is inside the belt and the thickness also makes the clip more rugged, I have decided that this is a non-issue.

The nylon lining doesn't bother me. There is nothing in there that could scratch the screen and it makes the surface slipperier so it rubs less on the surface of the PDA. I also think that an Axim with the 3500 battery would fit in this case due to the stretchy sides.

Yes, there are more stylish cases out there, but given the price, I am very pleased with this case and heartily recommend it to Axim users that need a belt-clip case.