Vaja I-Volution Morpheus III for HP iPAQ h5400 Series Reviewed [Archive]

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Dave Beauvais

04-11-2003, 07:00 PM

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! <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-00.jpg" /><!> 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. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-01.jpg" /> Figure 1: Top view of the Morpheus III and iPAQ h5455 side-by-side to show relative sizes. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-02.jpg" /> 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. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-03.jpg" /> 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. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-04.jpg" /> Figure 4: An iPAQ h5455 docked in the Morpheus III case. You can order the case with or without an <a href="http://www.theclip.com/">UltraClip</a> 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. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-10.jpg">This photo</a>, borrowed from the product page at Vaja Cases' Web site, illustrates the construction of the case better than I can explain it in words. <PAGEBREAK> 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. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-05.jpg" /> Figure 5: Bottom edge of empty case. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-06.jpg" /> 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. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-07.jpg" /> 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. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-08.jpg" /> 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. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-09.jpg" /> 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 <a href="http://www.vajacases.com/affiliate&ID=100">Vaja Cases Web site</a>. Prices start at US$149.90 for the base model. You can select from a large variety of leather finishes and colors, choose whether or not to have a belt clip, and even have the case personalized with a laser engraving method which they show on their site. (Amusingly, the <a href="http://www.vajacases.com/vaja/catalogo.nsf/htmlmedia/morpheusIII_images/$file/name.jpg">sample photo</a> 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!

bdegroodt

04-11-2003, 07:13 PM

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?

jizmo

04-11-2003, 09:15 PM

Paul P

04-12-2003, 03:00 AM

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 (http://members.verizon.net/~vze1pdnu/index.htm)

Janak Parekh

04-12-2003, 03:03 AM

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

brianchris

04-12-2003, 04:19 AM

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

Dave Beauvais

04-12-2003, 06:11 AM

... 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.
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 (http://www.vajacases.com/vajaweb/leather_tips/leather_tips.html) 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.

... 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?
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 (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/beauvais-mar03-vaja_morpheus_3-10.jpg) 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

04-12-2003, 04:26 PM

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.

Janak Parekh

04-12-2003, 04:49 PM

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.
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

bbell98

04-12-2003, 04:56 PM

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

04-12-2003, 10:44 PM

Janak Parekh

04-12-2003, 11:17 PM

well, this case cost more than 8 krusell cases! and a BMW only cost about the price of 2 o 3 toyotas...
What does that have to do with anything? A Krussell case costs more than 10 cardboard boxes. Or, for the cost of a Rolex, you could get 100 Casios. Is that better? :roll:

Look - if you feel it's too expensive, by all means, don't go for it. It's all market-driven -- Vaja is entitled to charge what they want, and since people perceive it to be a higher-end case than the alternatives, Vaja gets sufficient demand for the price. The cost of developing these low-quantity cases is substantial, and I'm glad at least someone out there is doing it.

--janak

whodat

04-13-2003, 02:39 PM

Steven Cedrone

04-13-2003, 02:50 PM

It's a facet of a much broader, very thorny, and critically important question

You mean a much broader, very thorny, and critically important Off-Topic question...

Please post in the off-topic forum...

Steven Cedrone
Community Moderator

04-13-2003, 04:17 PM

I think the issue isn't that Vaja is charging so much. I think that mv's concern is that people are willing to spend so much on a leather case in a society in which not everyone has shoes (or to be a bit more in keeping with the theme of this site, a computer or access to the web, which are becoming more & more of a necessity).

It's not at all a "worthless argument" (and I don't think that that response was particularly polite or appropriate, particularly from a site administrator). It's a facet of a much broader, very thorny, and critically important question-- When does enough become too much?

That´s the point. I can buy that case if i want to. But i will not. Why? Because then I will not be able to look at persons that does not have money to buy a pair of shoes, or even food... and where I live, I can find plenty of them. In fact, in Argentina, where this cases come from, 70% of the population lives with less that one dollar a day.

Anyway, if there are people who will buy this, fine, you may buy the rolex of leather cases, but I also think that vaja could make more money selling at a different price. That´s another problem.

ctmagnus

04-13-2003, 08:31 PM

but I also think that vaja could make more money selling at a different price. That´s another problem.

I concur. I'm almost anti-high-end cases for this reason. Almost, but if I had the dough, I'd probably have one, but probably not a Vaja, due to

In fact, in Argentina, where this cases come from, 70% of the population lives with less that one dollar a day.

Janak Parekh

04-13-2003, 09:54 PM

It's not at all a "worthless argument" (and I don't think that that response was particularly polite or appropriate, particularly from a site administrator).
I apologize if it came across as impolite. However, I maintain it's a "worthless argument" from a PDA-centric perspective. My point is that it's a generic social question, and the argument you'll make here will boil down to the exact same argument that you can make for apparel, for cars, or for anything else. If you walk in midtown NYC, as I do, you'll see people who are wearing a watch that costs more than all my clothes, plus my watch, my laptop, my PDA, and my PDA's case. And I think Steve nails it on the head that the greater social question is off-topic.

but I also think that vaja could make more money selling at a different price.
Of course, we don't know what their costs of design and manufacturing are. If someone has data for that, I'm all ears -- that's a perfectly "worthwhile" argument. Many people also strongly believe HP would make more money selling iPaq's cheaper, but they have their motives in pricing strategy.

--janak

Crystal Eitle

04-14-2003, 12:30 AM

I'm with Janak. If you're on this forum, you probably own a Pocket PC of some type. Which is, in itself, a luxury item. (Sure, I use mine every day, several times a day, but I still consider it a "luxury.") Given that, you can't really throw stones at other people here who want to indulge in other luxury items, whether it be a $170 case or whatever.

It is unfortunate that some can afford to spend $170 on cases while there are families that can't afford basic things like adequate dental care. It's a basic misallocation of resources, and it's a problem that every society has to deal with. Every economic system has to deal with how resources are allocated, and every one has various flaws in this regard.

(I think that's why almost every religion emphasizes the importance of tithing or giving alms to the poor. There will always be people worse-off than you, as well as better-off. If you donate a certain percentage of your money to charity - which I think is a good idea for everyone - than the rest of your money is yours to enjoy as you see fit. Anyone who can afford a Pocket PC should think twice before lobbing rhetorical bombs at someone who wants to outfit theirs with a luxurious case.)

(I don't have a Vaja case, btw. I got a $30 case from handheldplanet.net.)

(Feel free to delete this or move it off-topic.)

04-14-2003, 02:55 AM

Steven Cedrone

04-14-2003, 04:57 AM

I'm not going to delete or move any posts. however, I sincerely hope the last of the off-topic thoughts have been posted...

Steve

ctmagnus

04-14-2003, 05:55 AM

So I was walking the dog yesterday and saw this nifty colored butterfly...

(Sorry, couldn't resist :))

04-14-2003, 06:02 AM

The other side of the coin: Don't you feel happy that the people that make the Vaja cases can support their families by selling these? I wonder how many people they employ as well...

We don't have to jump on these people for "exploiting the masses", maybe they are "the masses" (with a good idea and a bit of leather working expertise)...

Just a thought...

JA

andrewlwood

04-16-2003, 05:55 AM

My Vaja flipcase just arrived - 10 days after I ordered it. I know that it's an insane amount of money to spend on a case for a pda - but I spend so much of my life holding/looking at my PDA that really, it's justifiable to me. If you watch a lot of TV, you buy a nice one - if you drive a lot, you buy a comfortable car.

I konw that it's decadent - but the morally justifiable line is not a line at all, it's a grey area. If we were to give up everything conceivably construable as a luxury, we'd be in unbranded clothes (not a bad thing), using paper diaries (definitely a bad thing). I agree with spacewaitress - a PDA is essentially a luxury

In all honesty, unless you've actually held one of these cases, it's hard to see what the fuss is about - it's quite a plunge to take to order one in the first place. But I think that all my PDA's in future will have Vaja houses.

szamot

04-18-2003, 06:22 AM

In my view it is not the price but simply the fact that the case, while it may enhance the looks of your already overpriced PDA, I think HP5450 is overpriced. It diminishes the operability and functionality of the said PDA. If you can't see the flashing led or hear your alarm why are you carrying your PDA? FORM follows FUNCTION it is the essence of any successful design, here Form takes precedence and in my view almost tries to assume higher importance than what it is housing inside. I think HP should have the same case they do for 38xx and 39xx available - it is practical and functional and most of all it was free.

PS. Rolex is far to pretentious and too Wal-Mart for me, want a nice time piece get a Piage or Patek Phillipe and really show them you have taste not just money?! Just a thought.

Janak Parekh

04-18-2003, 01:46 PM

I think HP should have the same case they do for 38xx and 39xx available - it is practical and functional and most of all it was free.
Huh? The 5450 ships with the same cover pack that the 3800 and 3900 do, AFAIK.

PS. Rolex is far to pretentious and too Wal-Mart for me, want a nice time piece get a Piage or Patek Phillipe and really show them you have taste not just money?! Just a thought.
It was just an illustrative point, pricewise. Point taken tho.

--janak

handheldplanet

04-18-2003, 02:17 PM

I have one question for those of you that own Vaja cases. What's your stance on the added thickness? I've been in the case business for as long as Pocket PCs have been around, and for the most part all I continue to hear is, "can you make a really thin case?" I personally seek thinness in both the cases we design and the Pocket PC I choose to carry.

I continue to wonder why people choose to add major thickness to the device with these thicker Vaja cases. What do you think?

I'm not trying to be rude or start a flame war, I'm just interested in your imput.

THANKS!

Dave Beauvais

04-18-2003, 06:14 PM

... I continue to wonder why people choose to add major thickness to the device with these thicker Vaja cases. What do you think? ...
The Vaja case I reviewed here really only adds a small amount of bulk to the front of the iPAQ. The back portion of the case doesn't add any more bulk than an expansion sleeve; the extra size comes from the front flap of the case, which is made up of three layers of material and is very ridid. Personally, I like the sheer amount of protection this case gives to the screen.

As part of evaluating the case, I did my patent-pending Screen Impact Tape Test, or SITT. :D I place a piece of Scotch tape -- sticky side up -- on the screen, close the case, and press on the front flap. If the tape sticks to the flap it means there was some amount of pressure on the screen. I had to press harder with the Morpheus III case than any other case I've used to get the tape to stick. This indicates to me that the added thickness is more than made up for in screen impact protection.

--Dave

thanos255

10-13-2003, 01:49 AM

Dave,

Here is a question I have been wondering since I have seen this case. How far back does the cover bend?

What is the flap made out of, just a piece of leather?? If so can you break it in enough to make it flip back?

Would something actually break if it was opened and say something like a 4 year old came by and leaned on it by mistake. :)

Do you find having the cover opened alot that it makes the Ipaq unbalanced?

Also can you feel the vibrate??

Thanks
Thanos

Dave Beauvais

10-13-2003, 04:47 AM

... How far back does the cover bend? ... What is the flap made out of, just a piece of leather?? If so can you break it in enough to make it flip back?
The "hinge" that connects the front flap to the body of the case is made of several layers of leather. The body of the case and the front flap are constructed of rigid -- but flexible -- molded plastic with high quality leather bonded to it.

When I first got the case, the hinge was so stiff that the flap wanted to flip closed while the iPAQ was docked in its cradle. After just a week or so of use during my evaluation period prior to writing the review, it broke in enough that it would stay open by itself. Now, after many months of use, it is very nicely broken in and sits at about a 150 degreee angle. (Assuming zero degrees is the closed position.) The flap can be pushed down to about a 300 degree angle, but due to the design of the case cannot go all the way down to 360 degrees.

Would something actually break if it was opened and say something like a 4 year old came by and leaned on it by mistake. :)
I'm not completely certain the plastic would not break or crack, but I would be a little surprised if it did. I believe the case would have to be subjected to some pretty serious trauma in order to actually break. :)

Do you find having the cover opened alot that it makes the Ipaq unbalanced?
Not at all. Because the iPAQ itself is much heavier than the flap of the case, it's actually very well-balanced when held in the hand. It's really quite comfortable to hold.

--Dave

thanos255

10-13-2003, 04:53 AM

Thanks for the answers.

One last thing....

Also can you feel the vibrate??

Thanks
Thanos

Dave Beauvais

10-13-2003, 04:55 AM

Also can you feel the vibrate??
Honestly I don't know. I never use that feature so it's never something that I thought to test. I'll give it a try and get back to you. :)

--Dave

thanos255

10-13-2003, 04:57 AM

Kewl thanks...I usually use vibrate versus sounds...so kinda important to me :)

Thanks
Thanos

Dave Beauvais

10-14-2003, 12:57 AM

Kewl thanks...I usually use vibrate versus sounds...so kinda important to me :)
Unfortunately, you may be disappointed, then. I showed a friend of mine how to change the time of an appointment and how to set a reminder. I asked her to set it for sometime between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM but to not tell me when it was so I wouldn't be expecting it. I set reminders to vibrate and went about my business. When the reminder went off, I heard the vibrating mechanism in the quiet room I was in, but couldn't feel it at all. :(

The h5450's vibrating feature is much, much weaker than my mobile phone's, which I have no problems feeling. Sorry to say, if vibrating reminders are a deciding factor for you, this case probably isn't for you. To be fair, I feel most of the blame goes to the designers of the iPAQ for not making a stronger vibrating mechanism. Even just holding the naked iPAQ in my hand, its vibrator is quite weak.

Incidentally, thank you for bringing this issue up. In all the case reviews I've written, it never occurred to me to test this feature! I'll be sure to include this in the reviews of any cases I do in the future.

(It's a good thing this isn't getting e-mailed to people; I suspect this message would trip quite a few spam filters, what with "naked" and "vibrator" in the same sentence. ;) )

--Dave

thanos255

10-14-2003, 04:14 AM

Dave,

Thanks for trying that out for me. Here is my other question. If you have a regular vaja case for the 5455/5550 could you put it in that case and try the vibrate again?

The reason I ask is that most people think the vibrate is horrible in those cases but for my purposes feels fine....so I am wondering if it is close to the same...then it is fine for me.

Does it seem like I am REALLY fishing for a reason to get this case?
What I am looking for is a snug fitting case with leather but offers great protection.

I am finding that in my old age and my son growing older that I am dropping it and he is stealing it and running off with it more often. Only a matter of time till he throws it :)

Thanks
Thanos

Dave Beauvais

10-14-2003, 05:39 AM

Thanks for trying that out for me. Here is my other question. If you have a regular vaja case for the 5455/5550 could you put it in that case and try the vibrate again?
Actually this is the only case I have right now that's designed for the iPAQ, so I used an E&B Cases Casio E-200 case just for testing purposes. I still could feel nothing. And I do mean nothing. I knew it was vibrating because I could hear it, and if I touched the case with my hand, I could feel that, too. But I felt absolutely nothing on my hip. In this instance -- I had to fight the urge to say "in this case" -- I could tell no difference between the I-Volution and the regular leather flip case.

My guess is that this is for two reasons: The case is too isolated from my body by the clip, my belt, and the fabric between the belt and my body, and The vibrator in the iPAQ sucks. :) I suspect that if the clip were actually part of the case instead of a separate piece that the case attaches to, it would transmit the vibrations better.

Does it seem like I am REALLY fishing for a reason to get this case? What I am looking for is a snug fitting case with leather but offers great protection.
Well, I honestly feel this is the best case I have ever owned, which makes it a challenge to be objective when reviewing other cases. :) I had to make a very conscious effort when evaluating the Targus HP1000 (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,17739) case to avoid comparing it in my mind with this Vaja case. The two are in totally different leagues despite the fact that they are both essentially hard cases.

Aside from the two weeks I used the Targus HP1000 case, I have used this Vaja case every single day since it arrived in early March. It's still in nearly perfect condition and the leather has stood up extremely well. It has only one small scuff from when the case scraped across the door latch on my car one day while getting in with a box of CAT5 network cable for a wiring job. I've only dropped my h5455 once, and it fell onto thick carpet, but it suffered no damage while in this case. That said, if your son does throw it, that could subject the iPAQ to a little more shock than an accidental drop. :)

If you can afford the premium price of this case and can work around the vibrating reminder issue, I know you'll love it.

--Dave

Perk

10-29-2003, 07:39 PM

My wife and I both have this case for the H3800 series. This is obviously only slightly different.

My case is black and well used. It certainly ads to the bulk of a naked iPAQ but has a good feel and under many conditions, prevents buttons from being accidentally pressed. I wish it didn't have the belt clip knob on the back as neither of us have EVER used it. It's just in the way. Further, we think it caused a fractured mainboard in my wife's case.

:) Regardless we both feel that we would ge another iVOLUTION if we ever changed models.

One last note. My wife's case is red and is more easily scratched than mine.