Are The Grips Coming Off Of Your iPAQ 2215? [Archive]

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Ed Hansberry

10-04-2003, 04:28 PM

Yesterday I was using my 2215 and the left grip just popped out at the base. It wouldn't go back in either. It was like the rubber had grown a millimeter or two. It just flopped about and was really annoying. The one on the right side has a slight bubble at the bottom and I suspect it'll be popping out too. Today it got so annoying and was starting to creep up more, I just pulled the rest off. It actually doesn't look too bad. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2003/20031004-2215grips.jpg" /> The black thing laying flat is the rubber grip that came off. The black thing on the iPAQ is the plactic clip the rubber was attached to. Doesn't look too bad eh? It feels odd, but I'll probably get used to it. I'd really like a nice set of replacement grips. I have no desire to send it back to HP. I'd be without it for a few days and I suspect in 2-3 months, they'd pop off again. :roll: What about you? Are your grips popping off? There is a discussion <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17978&highlight=grips">in this thread</a> of a few of you that have already noticed this.

apeguero

10-04-2003, 04:55 PM

That's one of the reasons why I got a SENA case. I can't stand to use my PPC exposed to the elements. This case fits nice and snug and I like the way the cover works and the way it allows me to synch without having to remove the h2210 from it. 0X

Dom

10-04-2003, 04:56 PM

Damn :) I'm gonna pull mine off just to see what it looks like ;)

octop8

10-04-2003, 05:07 PM

Damn...there's a bubble down one of them and the other has a "loose edge" sticking out! I've had mine for almost 2 months and it was fine until now and I have an EB case....

ppcsurfr

10-04-2003, 05:09 PM

It would have been better if they had just made the whole black strips in Nylon or soft plastic instead of that live rubber.

It's made of porous rubber that seems to react with sweat... yes that means it happens to those with sweaty palms...

Mine fell off too... :-(

Mabuhay! ~ Carlo

ppcsurfr

10-04-2003, 05:09 PM

JohnJohn

10-04-2003, 05:14 PM

I actually had the rubber part peal away from the harder plastic that attaches them to the iPAQ.

I removed them, super glued the rubber back to the plastic and trimmed off the edges with some sharp scissors. Then I put them back on the iPAQ. This got rid of the bubbles and those annoying slivers of rubber that hang over the edge of the iPAQ.

edit: I did talk to HP, they wanted me to send back the whole unit. I asked them to just send me two new grips, but they wouldn't.

BTW there are two different part numbers for the each side. They are not the same, according to HP. I wish they had just given me the part number so I could order a set. I wonder if the HP dealers can get them, the same way they can get screens, buttons and shells.

posprg

10-04-2003, 05:23 PM

Well mine had the "lip" then the bubble and this morning the entire grip rubber and hard plasic piece popped off.

This will just keep happening unless they take corective action - SOON!

sarnath

10-04-2003, 05:28 PM

This happened to me too and i had my 2215 replaced by best buy. I didnt want to send mine out to hp. I know its going to happen again.

posprg

10-04-2003, 05:33 PM

How is everyone keeping the hard plactic piece in place? now that the rubber is gone simply holding the unit causes the plactic piece to slide up and keep coming off.

JimV

10-04-2003, 06:07 PM

The rubber grips on my 2215 started to separate a couple of weeks after I purchased it (when it was first released). I had used the case that came with it for about a week and think that this accelerated the process. I called HP and they wanted me to send the unit in. I refused to do this because I use it daily and asked if they could just send me some new sides. I was told that they didn't have any and that no part number had been assigned to them so they couldn't even get them (I'm hoping that that has changed by now). I escalated the issue to a supervisor and he passed me on to another department – I think. I was told that if I purchased a special support package that I would be able to get next day service. I didn’t feel that I should have to do this to correct a manufacturing defect and escalated once again. This time I talked to someone that took my information and said they would send me a new device and that someone would call me in a day or so to tell me how to proceed. I waited a week and there was no call. I called back and was finally transferred to someone in customer relations. The person listened to all that had taken place and shipped me a new device. Once I received the device, which was a 2210 with all the accessories, I only had to send back the defective device. Although, this took quit a bit of time talking with HP support, in the end I feel that it worked out much better than expected as I was able to keep the additional charger, cradle, battery and stylus. I am still fearful that the sides will break again, but I now use a Sena case which will hopefully preserve the sides. All in all, I am happy with the service I received, but I do think that HP has a problem they need to address in a more formal manner. They should make the sides a user replaceable item. I’ve read several discussions that put forth the idea of custom sides in different colors and materials. That would be a nice aftermarket accessory. If HP would treat the sides as a consumable and make them available for a reasonable price, I’m sure that they could turn a liability into an asset. The whole thing reminds me of the antennae on my StarTAC, which seems to have been designed to break. I have replaced it at least 4 or 5 times. I am annoyed every time it breaks, but I get it replaced.

I’m not sure that everyone would receive the service I received. I was very persistent and received much more than I expected. The 22xx is a wonderful device and I’m sad to see HP’s profits diminished by dealing with an issue that should have been corrected during usability testing. Although they are responsible for this oversight, I would hate for the experience to diminish their desire to innovate.

rpommier

10-04-2003, 07:39 PM

I had a horrible experience trying to get my issue with the 2210 resolved... All I wanted was the rubber grips, but no. They wanted me to send the whole device back! HP used to have excellent support before the merger. I replaced my 568 a couple of times for dust and they would send a replacement and all I would have to do is mail my defective one back.

The customer rep couldn't understand that the cheesy case they included damaged my 2210, it was very frustrating. So I told him I was going to execute my own exchange. I ordered a new one and mailed back the defective one for a refund! Woudn't it have been easier to send me the dang rubber sides?

HP support is horrible now...

SHoTTa35

10-04-2003, 07:47 PM

i thought i was the only one.. glad to see this getting some attention. Mine fell off long ago... first couple days or so the whole thing was loose and the sides kept sliding off so i'd slide them back on and hope they'd stay.. then next i had the rubber part seperate and i just ended up (hehe, don't do this ;) ) going up to circuit city and exchanging mine for one that was on demo... now those demo ones fell off again so i'm just stuck with this now... it's like how it is in your picture and it doesn't look bad. They were flappy and i actually was happy when i ripped them off, alot neater like before....

I haven't tried calling them about this just yet but i prolly wont even bother... i mean, how hard is it to ship 2 rubber grips. It seems tho they prolly wanna check them out (like made us "beta test" it for actual wear and tear and then send us brand new ones or something.) I like the iPAQ and don't need it everyday, i sometimes leave it at home while i'm at work purposely but still... shippin those 2 grips (which ARE interchangable so i dunno what the hell HP talking bout) shouldn't cost them $2 per shipment.

mr_Ray

10-04-2003, 08:11 PM

My 2nd 2210 had the right rubber seperate from the plastic , too. It started feeling a bit weird and the suddenly bubbled on one side and the next day it was half hanging off. It wouldn't be so bad if the damn thing could actually fit back in, but it expands.
EDIT: A warning to people wanting to just glue theirs back on - I tried this first of all with some no-name superglue and it halfway dissolved the rubber 8O

I used my first with a different case, but the 2n with the supplied HP case, so I'm wondering if that's a problem. In the ~2 weeks I used it the rubber grips also showed alarming signs of wear, too,

Anyway I've got my 3rd 2210 now, and the problem won't ever come up, since it's stuck firmly in my aluminium case that it is NEVER coming out of :D

If I didn't find the 2210 so deliciously wonderful I'd have moved on to a different model by now, though. :cry:

fmcpherson

10-04-2003, 08:26 PM

I'm having this same problem too. Since this is clearly a design & manufacturing defect, I expect it will happen with every 2215. The Axim A5's rubber sides are completely different, and I expect they will never fall off the Axim since there is no way for them to be taken off. But, the sides on the 2215 appear to be designed to come off. From what I can see the sides have to be take off to open the case. It's a shame because the 2125 is darn near the perfect Pocket PC for me. Right now I got it in a Vaja case, but if I keep it in the Vaja case I can't put the 2215 into its cradle.

Maybe with enough exposure we can get HP to at least make replacement rubber sides available for purchase.

griffin911

10-04-2003, 09:23 PM

Ed Hansberry

10-04-2003, 09:49 PM

Ekkie Tepsupornchai

10-04-2003, 09:56 PM

I just got off the phone with HP and they said they are sending me a kit with replacement grips!! Hopefully this will fix the problem. I should have them on Tuesday. I will let everyone know what happens!
Did you get part numbers or anything? It will help when I call if I can give them as much info as possible.

OH PLEASE SHARE!!!! Yes, the rubber on the left side of the unit has stretched over the top of my 2215 and would desperately love to replace.

Willmonwah

10-04-2003, 10:20 PM

When I called, they said there was no part number for the grips. After a holding a while, the guy said that there was this plastics kit, but he wasn't sure if it containted the grips. He said if it wasn't in the kit, to call the service center to see if they had it. My rep said Tuesday as well, so I'm assuming they do 2nd day FedEx. :D I love hp.

captgoodhope

10-04-2003, 10:21 PM

I just got off the phone with HP. He called it the 'plastics kit' and the number is 349036-001. He wasn't absolutely certain the grips were in there but they obviously should be.

JohnJohn

10-04-2003, 10:27 PM

I just got off the phone with HP. He called it the 'plastics kit' and the number is 349036-001. He wasn't absolutely certain the grips were in there but they obviously should be.

Please let us know what you get. I think I'll hold off calling until we can all see whats in the kit. :wink: THANKS

nasaman007

10-04-2003, 11:59 PM

They both fell out long ago. I also did not want to send it back to HP just to get that fixed. It still fits in both of the cases I use, the little slip case that came with the PPC and the Vaja case. It is a bit loose in the Vaja, but it works out just fine for me. I don't mind the PPC too much without the rubber grips, but it is frustrating to pay $400 bucks to have it fall apart like that.

Gary D

10-05-2003, 12:07 AM

Mine also popped off, but i glued them back on with superglue, it doesn't look great, but is better than the alternative...

posprg

10-05-2003, 04:25 AM

Called support, same run around about the warrenty not covering next business day replacement and that there are no outstanding issue's with the 2215 model. He stated there was no such part number and that pick up was the only option. I got a case number and asked to speak to a supervisor because his est. repair time was 7-10 days which is unacceptable. We will see what happens when I get to speak to someone else.

ecard

10-05-2003, 02:27 PM

Does your 2210 still fit tight in the Innopocket aluminium case? :?:

Jawis

10-05-2003, 03:04 PM

Funny same thing happened to me last week. I trimmed the tip off and a small bleb of superglue did the trick. Got a nice smooth finish so happy with the end result. Has only happened to right side so far. I am using a leather case which uses plastic brackets on the side to hold the pda in place. The plastic barckets do rub against the rubber strips. I am wondering if the brackets have been pulling and stretching the rubber.

ppcsurfr

10-05-2003, 04:13 PM

ppcsurfr

10-05-2003, 04:33 PM

Here are some answers for you guys... well this is from my experience.

I've had my 2210 for about a month. The parts which are exposed to the touch... with the Bellagio case I have are the bottom parts of the grips and the extreme top parts of the grips.

I've experienced this same instance with other devices using the same type of rubber. The rubber is of the soft porous type which absorbs moisture, sweat, and skin oil. This causes it to bubble and to separate from the plastic backing which is simply clipped on to the h2210 casing.

If HP intends to really support us users of their products, they should rethink the design and come up with a fix for it. Replacing it is not a fix! It will just happen again within a month or two. And what will they do? Replace it every month?

The plastic backing of the rubber grips are made of nice textured black plastic... if you look closely, the texture is good enough to be used as the grip itself. If they had just made the grip 100% of this material, then they would have fixed the problem immediately.

Will HP fix this problem or not? Mark the date. This defect has been made public this October of 2003. Will HP support its users? Hopefully. HP has been known to do so in the past, and hopefully they come up with a good solution to this problem.

A pair of US$0.50, plastic grips should do the trick... at that price, they might even be earning from it.

Mabuhay! ~ Carlo

JohnJohn

10-05-2003, 06:41 PM

butch

10-05-2003, 06:54 PM

? Send your question to HP. They look to be the same to me also, minus the numbering on the inside of each. One side reads 7 and the other reads 8. I was just passing on what HP TOLD ME. Just trying to help those folks trying to order a set. :roll:

Just checked mine and I have a 8 and a 4... I think they are all the same, but the mold used to make them does at least 8 of the at a time... the # is for quality assurance :-)

Gerard

10-05-2003, 08:16 PM

I'll confess to being somewhat amused by all these rubber grippy strips coming loose and distorting. Not that I think it's funny to spend a whack of cash on a PPC and have it come apart, but that I have some considerable history in this, and find it funny that manufacturers are so cynical.

When in the end of 2000 I bought a Casio EG-800, I paid over $1200 (US funds) for a 'splash resistant industrial device'. Well, within a month the CF slot cover seal had started to distort. After 2 months it had popped off completely, and found a home in a drawer. I had this big, ugly, complicated CF slot area exposed, and could no longer consider the unit even a little bit water resistant. The earphone/AC-in jack cover failed on about the same schedule. It's much smaller, but being right in the middle of my left palm when holding the device, and having sharp corners, it became a block to using the device. It went into the drawer as well. The serial port seal went last as I opened it less often.

Apparently the flexible plastic they chose, which at the start looked really nice and sealed well, was not tested for any duration before use on the production design. This 'industrial device' became just a fat blue PPC, though the extra 14MB of flash memory was certainly nice.

After much emailing and a few phone calls I was able to get through to Scott Nelson, Casio USA's VP in charge of mobile devices. He was not exactly patient, but he did relent and sent me a replacement unit. I shipped the first one back, and carried on using the second. Digitizer spiking problems had also contributed to the first unit being replaced under warranty, not just the seals.

Unit #2 lasted a week. Defective chip.

Unit #3 lasted longer, but the seals came off too. Scott sent me a new set of seals, and for some reason a $200 cradle as some sort of gesture.

I have unit #5 now, and it has no seals on it. Altogether I had 6 sets of seals. All eventually sprung away from the devices, one more digitizer failed, other problems came besides, and my little girl has inherited this last one. She doesn't mind the lack of seals. At almost 10, she's just happy to have a killer PPC. But the CF slot died a few months ago, and can only be made operable with memory cards with the application of several dousings of alcohol; using an old CF card to plunge the pins in the solvent a few times, waiting for it to dry, then testing a good card to see if it's recognised. Usually it's not. Perhaps if a bag of money falls on my head I'll send it to Casio for repairs some day... For now, she has to settle for main memory alone, severely restricting gaming and making a modem or CF camera impossible to use.

I see HP releasing these devices in the 100's of thousands, apparently with a plastic grip panel set of the same plastic as was used all those years ago on my Casio, and I shake my head. When the designers don't bother do do the most basic of durability testing on materials, when they apparently have so little understanding of hygroscopic and thermal-reactive properties in the materials they are using, it is a source of amazement to me. Is there no pride at all among PPC designers? Or is it that they expect us to discard these things after a few weeks and buy a newer model?

Cypher

10-05-2003, 08:49 PM

I recently spoke to HP about this issue, and, as has everyone else, got the response that the grips aren't available as replacement parts...yet, and I could send in my 2215 and they would gladly replace them. I pressed a bit and the customer service rep spoke to his supervisor who said that HP has received a number of customer requests for the grips (go figure) and that they should be available as replacement parts soon.

Here's hoping.

maximus

10-06-2003, 01:37 AM

Will super glue helps ?

ppcsurfr

10-06-2003, 06:02 AM

BTW there are two different part numbers for the each side. They are not the same, according to HP. I wish they had just given me the part number so I could order a set. I wonder if the HP dealers can get them, the same way they can get screens, buttons and shells.

Yeah right... if that was true then why was I able to interchange the two.
Mabuhay! ~ Carlo

? Send your question to HP. They look to be the same to me also, minus the numbering on the inside of each. One side reads 7 and the other reads 8. I was just passing on what HP TOLD ME. Just trying to help those folks trying to order a set. :roll:

JohnJohn,

that wasn't meant for you... I was posting that as a sarcastic remark to HP's comment of it being different.

Should we just have a petition letter here to request for a real fix for it?

If they end up giving us replacement rubber grips, we will have to ask for about 12 pairs at least to get us through a year of usage.

Mabuhay! ~ Carlo

juni

10-06-2003, 07:07 AM

AhuhX

10-06-2003, 08:07 AM

Ok, my wife and me are about to get two 2215s. So far I've counted these issues

(1) Alarms don't work properly, sometimes they don't activate.

(2) Some units come with dead pixels.

(3) At least a couple if instances of a 20 second delay until the today screen appears.

(4) The case which comes with the 2215 can actually damage the device

(5) Rubber grips coming off

Are there more issues? I'd appreciate any info before we make the buying decision. :)

(1) Definatley occurs.. Stoopid MS.

(2) That could be any handheld with a TFT display.

(3) Just depends on what you have running. "Uptime" was causing me long delays in having the device ready for input, so yesterday I gave it the flick and happy to have a 100% responsive device again.

(4) Get the Sena or Aluminium cases. They are both awesome and no probs with damage.

(5) Mine is going on 3 months old and still fine. Always in Sena case now, so I'm not expecting them to pop off anytime soon. Still... sloppy design HP!

juni

10-06-2003, 08:34 AM

(4) Get the Sena or Aluminium cases. They are both awesome and no probs with damage.

I was going to get one of the Aluminium cases, most likely the Rhinoskin one since it is the only one with a belt clip. :)

mr_Ray

10-06-2003, 09:56 AM

Ok, my wife and me are about to get two 2215s. So far I've counted these issues

(1) Alarms don't work properly, sometimes they don't activate.

(2) Some units come with dead pixels.

(3) At least a couple if instances of a 20 second delay until the today screen appears.

(4) The case which comes with the 2215 can actually damage the device

(5) Rubber grips coming off

Are there more issues? I'd appreciate any info before we make the buying decision. :)

1 - I've not had problems with this myself, but others certainly have.

2 - My first two units had a dead pixel, so in my personal experience, that's a 66% defect rate.

3 - Not seen this myself.

4 - Damage it? Heck yes. If you are putting it in and out of the case say 9 or 10 times a day, you could probably strip the rubber from your grips down to the plastic within a year easily. This probably contributes to 5, too.

5 - My first showed slight signs of this, the 2nd had one remove itself from the plastic in about 2 weeks.

Luckilly, now on my 3rd, I don't seem to have any problems, and it doesn't leave my Alu. case so 4 and 5 won't happen.

juni

10-06-2003, 10:34 AM

Luckilly, now on my 3rd, I don't seem to have any problems

That is sad, to have to get a new one from HP so many times. Reminds me when we bought two 3600s. I would have thought they would have learned to properly beta-test devices by now. It is a hassle to go through the "call support, package device, have it picked up, wait for it to return" dance. :(

Ed Hansberry

10-06-2003, 09:11 PM

Nice. This morning getting out of my car the other grip just fell completely off! :evil: I ripped the plastic thing from the rubber thing and tried to put the plastic sleeve back on but it keeps falling off, so now, I've really classed it up. My 2215 has scotch tape holding it together. :bad-words: Nice one HP.

iPAQ 2215 - $400
Scotch Tape - $1
Having your PDA look like it came from the dump bin at Big Lots (http://www.biglots.com/) - Priceless.

JustinGTP

10-07-2003, 01:27 AM

Nice one ed. I know, when will HP Get this together, I love their devices and seeing so many unhappy people makes me sad :cry: Anyways, my 2215 is doing excellent!

:D

-Justin.

Kunle

10-07-2003, 04:44 PM

I called HP on sunday, and this morning (tues) the ups man delivered a nice box that was suppose to have the replacement grips in it. Opened the box and found a replacement battery door?! Called HP to ask where the grips were :?: Jason tells me that they're suppose to be in the box with the battery door, and says he'd check to see what happened. He comes back on the phone to say that the only way he can assure that I get the grips is if I send back the unit, to which I say "How bout we try again to send out the replacement grips that were suppose to be in this box?" He says he could try that again, but it could mean that they are out of the grips, cause that's the only reason he could see for them not being in the original box. I guess, I'll see on thursday what I get from them.

SHoTTa35

10-10-2003, 02:54 PM

b**** a** HP! I want my grips (even tho it doesn't look bad the way it is now.. i feel like just supergluing the plastic part to the device itself)

*** edited by moderator KC for language 10-Oct-03

Ed Hansberry

10-15-2003, 05:58 PM

See http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=172681 for additional info. My new grips came in.

james4513

10-15-2003, 08:17 PM

Ordered my replacement grips today. Short wait on the phone. Well-known problem. Part is on backorder - ship 10/20.

sarnath

10-15-2003, 08:21 PM

ordered mine today too.....I was told 3 business days

JustinGTP

10-16-2003, 12:59 AM

My left one fell off today! Ahhh!! :shock:

But it went back on nicely, which I am hoping for it to stay there!

-Justin.

ctmagnus

10-16-2003, 02:39 AM

My left one fell off today! Ahhh!! :shock:

But it went back on nicely, which I am hoping for it to stay there!

-Justin.

Don't worry, it should only be three business days. :mrgreen:

doc chikito

10-20-2003, 01:24 AM

[quote=JohnJohn][quote="ppcsurfr
JohnJohn,

that wasn't meant for you... I was posting that as a sarcastic remark to HP's comment of it being different.

Should we just have a petition letter here to request for a real fix for it?

If they end up giving us replacement rubber grips, we will have to ask for about 12 pairs at least to get us through a year of usage.

Mabuhay! ~ Carlo

Sir Carlo...

i'm planning to purchase a 2215/15 next month and i was wondering if HP Phils has the local support for this grip issue. Have you gotten your grip replacements yet? Right now (due to this issue), i'm contemplating as to whether i'm going to buy the 2210/15 (which is my top pick) or just settle with the 1940/45 so there wouldnt be any grip problem at all.

Mabuhay as well.... - Dr. Robert

JustinGTP

10-22-2003, 11:44 PM

My so called replacements are the same as the ones that came with it. Pffft. What the heck is that about :evil:

pepinganos

11-03-2003, 09:09 AM

I have exactely the same problem and today I have phoned to HP. The rep. told me to send back my PDA but I mencioned about the part number and he chanched inmediately his mind. I gave my name, adress,... and the part number, then he told me I will receive the kit in one or two days.

rpommier

11-03-2003, 01:44 PM

Thanks to this thread, my grips are on the way too... I amazed that HP is doing something. When I first called support about the issue they acted like it was no big deal...

Ed Hansberry

01-05-2004, 01:59 AM

And right on time, my new grips (now 3 months old) are coming off. The right one has just started to pop at the bottom. I'd imagine in 4-6 weeks, I'll be ordering new grips again. :evil:

ctmagnus

01-05-2004, 04:27 AM

You should've gone for the wooden ones. ;)

Kati Compton

01-05-2004, 04:57 AM

I was at Staples yesterday and the grips on the display 22xx were coming off.