Anthony Caruana
05-03-2004, 06:00 PM
<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-1.JPG" /> <br /><br /><b>Product Category:</b> Case<br /><b>Manufacturer:</b> <a href="http://www.proporta.com">Proporta</a><br /><b>Where to Buy:</b> <a href="http://www.proporta.com">Proporta</a><br /><b>Price:</b> $23.95 USD<br /><b>System Requirements:</b> Available for iPAQ 2210 and 1900 series<br /><br /><b>Pros:</b><li>Clear case;<br /><li>Allow easy access to all buttons;<br /><li>Doesn't add substantially to size or weight of device.<b>Cons:</b><li>Can't use cradle while device in the case;<br /><li>Might scratch.<b>Summary:</b><br />The Proporta Crystal Cases provide your iPAQ with decent protection but keep the screen and buttons easily accessible. If you prefer to go commando with your iPAQ because you want to be able to look at the screen and access the control buttons easily then this might be a neat compromise.<br /><br />Read on for the full review!<!><br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>Vital Statistics</b></span><br />OK, before I start I better confess; I’m a case junkie. At any given time I’ll be switching between three or four different cases for Spike, my iPAQ 2210. Also, although the Proporta Crystal Case is available for other iPAQs, my comments will mainly be about the Crystal Case for the iPAQ 2210.<br /><br />The Crystal Case promises to deliver plenty for a very reasonable price. Amongst its key features are:<br /><br /><li> shatterproof <br /><li>shock absorbent <br /><li>completely clear (ideal for use with GPS systems) <br /><li>cutouts give access to stylus, ports and controls <br /><li>secure closure catch prevents accidental opening <br /><li>double hinge allows case to be folded through 360 degreesIn order to see if this case would live up to its promise of protecting Spike while keeping it accessible I used the Crystal Case exclusively for a few days. <br /><br /><span><b>Using the Crystal Case</b></span><br /><br />There’s a lot to like about this protective cocoon. The iPAQ is very securely held in place. The Crystal Case takes advantage of the two small indentations on the back of the 2210. Once secured I was not able to remove the 2210 easily. I shook the case and tried to dislodge my iPAQ but was not able to.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-8.JPG" /> <br /><i>Figure 1: The small lugs inside the case hold the 2210 securely in place.</i><br /><br />With the iPAQ firmly locked into place, you can easily access all of the Pocket PC’s buttons and controls. Once I’d started Microsoft Reader I was able to change pages easily and the clear front made it easy to read the screen. <br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-10.JPG" /> <br /><i> Figure 2: As you can see, it's easy to read the screen with the Crystal Case closed. My screen is also covered by a Pocket PC Techs Writeshield.</i><br /><br />There are well placed cutouts for the power button, soft reset, headphone jack and the internal speaker. <br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-3.JPG" /> <br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-2.JPG" /> <br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-4.JPG" /> <br /><i>Figures 3, 4 and 5: Cutouts are well placed to give access to all the iPAQ's control buttons.</i><br /><br />Extracting the stylus is the most difficult operation. The case has a small slider that is used to push the stylus out of its slot. While this worked fairly well, I managed to pop the slider out of its slot and had to replace it. <br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-5.JPG" /> <br /><i>Figure 6: The small slider for extracting the stylus is OK, but I did manage to pop it out once. Also, it doesn't quite push the stylus out far enough to make it easy to grab that little plastic stick.</i><br /><br />Access to Spike’s dual slots was reasonable. For users of CF peripherals, the CF slot is well exposed. This is particularly handy if you use a CF GPS receiver as you'll be able to view the screen easily and have the case closed.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-7.JPG" /> <br /><i>Figure 7: It's easy to access the 2210's CF, even with the Crystal Case closed. However, you won't be able to access the SD slot.</i><br /><br />My biggest issue with the cutouts in the top section is that access to the headphone socket was quite tight. Plugging my headphones in was not as easy as I'd have liked, with the side of the headphone jack beinght right against the cut out.<br /><br />The base of the case provides access to the charge and sync connector. I was able to connect a sync cable but you won’t be able to use your cradle. In fact, I was not even able to use my HP foldable keyboard. <br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-9.JPG" /> <br /><i>Figure 8: Access to charge and sync port was easy with the Crystal Case.</i><br /><br />The dual hinge design makes it possible to flip the lid completely behind your iPAQ. However, I didn’t do this often as I found that the case was uncomfortable to hold like this as the edges were quite hard.<br /><br />However, the sides of the case have a series of grooves, aiding the case's gripability.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/caruana-april04-crycase-11.JPG" /> <br /><i>Figure 9: The groover on the side of the Crystal Case make it easy to hold.</i> <PAGEBREAK> <br /><br /><span><b>Durability</b></span><br />One of my greatest concerns was around the durability of the Crystal Case. There are a couple of parts of the case I’d like to focus on. Firstly, as I’ve already mentioned, the slider that pushes the stylus out seems to be a little fragile. The slider fell off my case and although I was able to fix it very easily the problem won’t be with fixing it but rather with finding it. It’s quite small and clear making it the proverbial needle in the haystack.<br /><br />Secondly, the clips that attach into the securing holes on the back are quite solid. However, the cost of their strength is that area around them is subjected to some stress when the case is being removed from the case. If you look closely at Figure 1, you might be able to see a small crack near one of the lugs. If you regulalry take your iPAQ in and out of the case I'm not sure that the case would survive a really long time.<br /><br />The hinge is subjected to a lot of movement and looked, to me, to be the part most likely to break in the case of an accidental drop. Again, if you look at Figure 1 you'll get an idea of how the hinge is constructed.<br /><br />Finally, my biggest concern was whether the case would easily scratch, reducing its usefullness. After a week of using this case exclusively, pushing it across my desk and carrying it in my backpack, there are a few minor scrathes on the front but they are not enough to make the screen unreadable. All of the photographs in this article were taken after the case had been used for about a week.<br /><br /><span><b>Conclusions</b></span><br />The Proporta Crystal Case will appeal to many different iPAQ users, especially those that miss the flip cover of the Jornada. Although I have some reservations about this case’s longevity, my experience, thus far, is that the Crystal Case is a solid protector for your iPAQ.