Sena iPaq 41xx case mini-review

[Zack Mahdavi]

Hey y'all!

I just received my Sena case and thought I'd post a little review with my first thoughts. So here goes...

I've been waiting a long time for Sena to introduce the iPaq 4155 case. Sena promised to ship them on March 9th, so I preordered mine on March 3rd. Well, the case shipped on the 8th, and I received it today (the 11th). That's some fast service!

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After opening the box, it was a pleasure to see my case packed in a nice, red cardboard box.

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The case came inside a bag within a box. I'm not sure if there's really any reason for the bag, but the packaging sure is nice.

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When I first pulled the case out of the bag, I was amazed at its size. It's by far the smallest leather case I have ever seen. This is a plus, as I wanted a small case that could be placed into a jeans pocket. The case has been stitched very well, and the leather feels so soft and supple to the touch.

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Inside, the case has the usual SD slots and a credit card slot. I haven't used these slots yet, as I only have 1 SD card. : ) The case closes with a nice magnetic closure. That's a definite plus.

The next few pictures show my handheld in its new nest (ahem.. I mean, case). The iPaq fits very well into the case. The case stretches nicely to accommodate the iPaq. All the holes around the case (microphone, headphone port, and record button) line up nicely with the handheld.

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This picture compares the Sena case to the standard iPaq slip case that ships with the 4155. The sena case is shorter and thinner than the case, which is a definite plus for sticking into your pocket!

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Although I've only had the case for about an hour, I've already fallen in love with it! We'll see how it stands the test of time.

[T-Will]

Nice review...

Off-topic: Do you use a Mac to sync up your PPC or is that just the REALLY nice Mac monitor with a PC?

[Zack Mahdavi]

Off-topic: Do you use a Mac to sync up your PPC or is that just the REALLY nice Mac monitor with a PC?

Yeah, I do! I use pocketmac to sync. It works really well.. definitely better than Palm's Hotsync support.

[Sven Johannsen]

Nice review and pictures. Got my Sena cases for my and my wife's 4155's today too. You haven't had to reset your PPC yet have you? That's my only complaint...they forgot a reset hole. I'll be fixing that myself.

And yes, by golly they do fit into the cradle and sync with the case on.

I think they make some of the nicest cases for the money. My 2215 and Axim are in Sena cases as well.

[Pat Logsdon]

Nice review! Thanks for posting it! :way to go:

[Zack Mahdavi]

Sven, good point. I just realized that last night when I needed to soft reset my PPC! :)

[Zack Mahdavi]

Sven, how do you plan on making the hole in the case? With a drill, a hole punch, a leather punch?

I just don't want to ruin my new case! :)

[Paula]

A word about the bag it comes in. Firstly it is a nice touch of class for Sena to package the case in a nice bag (a couple of years ago Vaja used to send theirs in leather bags). I am happy to see that Sena has continued to do this even though the bags are not leather. It keeps the case clean while enroute to its new owner.

Secondly these bags come in handy. My 2215 get placed into a handbag that is used more like a briefcase and sometimes snack carrier. I am still finding a stray sunflower seed now and then from the great sunflower seed disaster of 2003 :lol: Because of this I often use the bag to place my Sena clad 2215 in when I use this particular purse. Sunflower seeds are sneaky and can get into places you would hate for them to get into, like a connection socket. I also carry my card reader and cable in one.

Let's hope Sena keeps up this great practice.

Paula

PS I love my Sena case.

[ctmagnus]

Great review. I'd go for one, but they don't make any for the iPaq 3xxx/5xxx line. :(

[Sven Johannsen]

Sven, how do you plan on making the hole in the case? With a drill, a hole punch, a leather punch?

I just don't want to ruin my new case! :)

Back In the late 60's early 70's I used to do some leatherwork. Still have some of the tools inluding the punches. Should make a nice clean hole, just need to decide on the size and be careful with the measurements to get it in the right spot.

[disconnected]

That's a really nice-looking case. I just wish they made one for the 55xx.

[Techtoys]

Awww, I just spent a fortune on the new Vaja 4150 case :roll: Looks like a good case.

[pjerry220]

I like your review so much I'll see what kind of cases they have for the Ipaq 5555.

[yvilla]

Back In the late 60's early 70's I used to do some leatherwork. Still have some of the tools inluding the punches. Should make a nice clean hole, just need to decide on the size and be careful with the measurements to get it in the right spot.

Off topic, but I just cannot resist: Sven, same history here, same time frame too. Looks like we were both :hippy:
:lol:

[Jimmy Dodd]

Nice review...

Off-topic: Do you use a Mac to sync up your PPC or is that just the REALLY nice Mac monitor with a PC?

Take a look at his avatar - I think it speaks for itself. :lol:

[David Prahl]

Great review! You might think about joining 'the team'. :wink:

[Sven Johannsen]

Off topic, but I just cannot resist: Sven, same history here, same time frame too. Looks like we were both :hippy:
:lol:

Yea, a little. I was up around San Francisco at the time. I think it was in the air.
Punched my hole this weekend and it looks like it belongs. Wasn't hard to locate it. The leather is soft enough that you can actually feel a dimple where the reset hole is, so I just pushed a pen tip in it from the outside to mark where to punch. I'm not going to post a pic, it's just a hole.

[pocketdoc]

What is the total thickness? (Sorry if you mentioned this above.)

I use th HHP slip case, which is very thin. With the device, it is only 5/8 in thick.

[Saxmoore]

I won a Sena case for my 1910 here on PPCT a few months back. It is a wonderful case. The person I dealt with during the process of getting it (Darn it....I don't have the emails here at work...can't remember his name. Sorry!) was all class. It is an awesome case, and barely adds any bulk to the device.

I occansionally use a porporta hard case, and my wife steals the Sena case for her 4155. We have to fight for me to get it back ;) It fits the 4155 but everything doesn't line up. I think I know what to get her for her birthday, now :D

Sax

[cuteseal]

I'm very tempted by this case too -- looks wonderful and the form factor is very appealing!

I'm a bit concerned at the bottom corners though -- from photos, it looks like they're pretty much exposed. Any comments from current sena case owners? How much protection does it really give?

I've dropped my 4150 a few times already, but thanks to my aluminium case, it's emerged unscathed.

[Zack Mahdavi]

The Sena case is pretty much really well protected. The leather wrapped around the case pads it really well. The only area that is unpadded is the lower bottom region of the case. If the case were to fall on its end (where the cradle port is), I'm not sure the case would protect very well. However, it falls a little forward, it is fully protected by the front flap, and most of the back of the case is also well padded.

In regards to the thickness question, the case adds very little thickness to the iPaq. I don't have a ruler on me, but the case is very pocketable even in a front jeans pocket. It's significantly smaller than the case that comes with the iPaq 4155.