Proporta
Leather Case (Sony Clié NX73/80 - Flip Type) review by Shaun
McGill
Date:
18/09/2003
Proporta Leather Case (Sony Clié NX73/80 -
Flip Type)
I have always been a sucker for PDA cases and in
particular leather ones which allow you to carry your beloved machine and
wallet in one unit wherever you go. To achieve this and make the whole thing
portable is not easy but sometimes it happens. Read on...
I have been lucky enough to have been sent an
early review sample of Proporta's new leather case for the NX73/80 which will
be available to purchase very soon and I thought it would be nice to give you
my early impressions.
Looks / Build Quality
As you can see above it is a simple looking case
which does not impose itself on it's surroundings. Whilst I have always chosen
brown leather (given the choice) this design looks just right in black. The
white stitching is well done- it's very consistent around all outside edges and
even inside I could not see one stitch out of line. You would normally pay a
lot more that kind of quality.
Practicality
Now this is what really matters when you buy a
case which is designed to carry more than just your PDA. This model has slots
for 3 credit cards, 2 memory sticks and a clear slot for cash and other papers.
Many cases have this built in but I only know of two makes (Sena and Covertec)
which manage it well. Two has now become three and I shall explain why:-
In the image above I have inserted the following:
5 credit cards, a bluetooth MS, a standard blue MS, stamps, five receipts and
some money (4 notes). Whilst you can do that with a lot of cases they usually
cause other problems such as damage to the PDA with having squeezed so much in.
Proporta has overcome this problem in two
ways:-
The picture above left shows a cushioned lining
which is designed to protect the PDA from the memory sticks and credit cards
when the case is closed. The underside of it has a clear pouch which you can
use for stamps, money etc. It really is cushioned and is probably my favourite
feature (mainly because my old NX70 had so many marks on the front from
previous cases even with a thin protector sleeve included).
This cushioned lining is also detachable is you
really do not need it (see above right). The three packets of tea in this
picture were included in the parcel from Chloe at Proporta. Carl (Proporta)
used to send me tea with every review sample he sent and Chloe has decided to
keep the joke running. To be fair she is a great improvement on Carl- she sends
three tea sachets instead of one and she's female:)
The second method to overcome possible damage to
your PDA is by doing away with the usual button closure and adding a slip
through piece. It has been designed to be tight enough to keep closed no matter
what's stuffed in the case but it still has enough give to move just a little
bit if you really overfill it which in turn should reduce any pressure on the
Clie's outside casing.
The only minor criticism I have is that the piece
that holds the PDA in the case is a bit too flexible (see above). It certainly
holds the Clie in very tightly and there's no chance of it falling out but it
can make it slightly more difficult to insert it. Unusually the flip is upside
down compared to the majority of cases out there- my first impression was that
this was a silly idea until I realised that it's actually easier to use this
way when the Clie is in situ. Strange that very few other case manufacturers
have followed this idea.
Overall
To class a case as 'good' it needs to be
practical, look quite good and protect the PDA. To class a case as
'outstanding' it needs to have no obvious practicality flaws, must fit the look
of the PDA it is made for perfectly and must provide excellent protection. It
must also have that certain something that is difficult to describe-
"quality craftsmanship, attention to detail and shocking value for
money" should cover it.
Value
Is this the best PDA case I have used?
The answer here should be a definite 'no' but I
have to say that at this moment it is probably a 'yes'. It's only probably a
yes because I have only had it for a few hours. It should be a 'no' because
it's only £19.95 which is ridiculous value for money! I have tried cases
which cost over £100 which can't touch this model and that is a real
shock.
For the money it is way above any expectations I
had. For £49.95 it would still be good value:)
I should
have the Proporta Leather Case (Sony Clié NX73/80 - Book
Type) in a couple of days as well and we will see if that is even
better.
Price: £19.95 (+ VAT in European
Union) £2.12/$3.50 worldwide shipping charge.
Proporta have no connection to
PDANews24 and are not affiliated to the site in any way. Any views good or bad
are purely the opinion of the site owner.
