Give To Me Your Leather... Piel Frama Case for Loox N560 Reviewed [Archive]

Doug Raeburn

07-19-2006, 04:00 PM

<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-00.jpg" /> Product Category: Cases Manufacturer: <a href="http://www.pielframa.com">Piel Frama</a> Where to Buy: <a href="http://www.pielframa.com/fujitsu-siemens_loox_500.htm">Piel Frama</a> Price: €60 ($76.75 USD at current exchange rate) Pros:<li>Quality leather; <li>Handcrafted construction; <li>Very good protection for the N560.Cons:<li>Some minor fit issues; <li>Pretty pricey.I think it’s safe to say that most of us would consider roughly $75 for a PDA case to be a substantial chunk of change. So, what do you get when you buy one of these premium cases? Let’s take a look at the Piel Frama leather case for the Loox N560 and see if it warrants the premium price. <!> <PAGEBREAK> Since I’m a big fan of their designs, it’s unfortunate that Fujitsu-Siemens doesn’t market its Pocket PCs in North America. One downside of the comparatively limited availability of these units is that fewer vendors offer accessories for the Loox models than for iPAQs, for example. Fortunately, even though the choices are somewhat limited, there’s still a reasonable selection of accessories for the Loox from major manufacturers. In the category of premium cases, of the best known manufacturers, only Piel Frama supports the most current Loox models. Vaja supports only a couple of discontinued models. I ordered what they call a “high quality PDA case in cowhide” from the Piel Frama website. The Piel Frama Experience Considering that it came from overseas, three days was a very reasonable timeframe. When I opened the package, I was left with a very positive first impression. The case was wrapped in tissue paper inside a high quality box, similar to the packaging of expensive wallets. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-01.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-01 small.jpg" /></a> Figure 1: You have to feel it and smell the leather to get the full experience, but here it is... please note that you can click on the graphics with the blue magnifying glass icon to see a larger version. As you might expect given the premium price, Piel Frama stresses their top quality leather and handcrafted construction. And the appearance and feel of the case prove out these claims, with supple leather and obvious attention to detail. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-02.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-02 small.jpg" /></a> Figure 2: Lots of useful storage in the inside cover. The front cover is very stiff to provide protection for the PDA’s screen. The cover fastens with a snap. Although I prefer the magnetic clasp that came on a similar Piel Frama case for my Loox 720, the snap closure seems to work well. The cover provides slots for carrying SD cards and credit cards. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-03.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-03 small.jpg" /></a> Figure 3: Access to the side controls. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-04.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-04 small.jpg" /></a> Figure 4: More cutouts on the bottom. There are cutouts for all controls and connectors on the left side and bottom (the N560 has no controls on the right side). This includes the recorder, the IR port, the reset button and the cradle cable connecter. The back of the case is padded on the inside to provide additional protection. <PAGEBREAK> <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-05.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-05 small.jpg" /></a> Figure 5: Fit is generally very good, but note the off-center notch for the power button. The case did have a couple of minor fit issues. All of the cutouts lined up well, with the exception of the reset button, which was partially covered. However, there was no problem with pushing the leather aside with the stylus to press the button. Another small flaw was that the little indent for the power button is slightly off-center. It’s not a huge issue, but it is a bit disappointing in such a high-end case. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-06.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-06 small.jpg" /></a> Figure 6: Taking it from the top... The top has a cutout for the earphone jack so that you can keep the screen protected while listening to music. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-07.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jul05-pielframa-n560-07 small.jpg" /></a> Figure 7: The back of the case. I'm not a big fan of belt clips, so I plugged the hole for the belt clip post. The case includes a belt clip. A metal post attaches to the back, and the clip snaps on to the post. The clip locks on the post and is easily removed by pressing a button. For those who prefer to not use the clip, color-coordinated plugs are provided to fill the hole where the post would go. I’ve been very pleased with my experience with Piel Frama cases. The quality of construction is very good and the cases have proven durable. Based on my experience, I recommended a Piel Frama case to a friend who had an expensive cell phone. He was pleased with the case, but a seam started coming apart a few months after he got it. He contacted Piel Frama; the customer service rep apologized profusely and rushed out a replacement. It’s clear that they stand behind the quality of their products. Conclusion I can say without hesitation that the Piel Frama cases are among the highest quality cases available for Pocket PCs. Materials and construction are top notch, save some minor fit issues. And the price? Well, yes, it’s right up there. There are other cases that provide better value... good to very good quality at a lower price. It’s for each of us to decide if handcraftmanship and and high grade imported leather are worth the price of admission. If you decide that it is, you won’t regret purchasing a Piel Frama.