Price:	$32		Reviewed by:	Neil Brown
Supplied:	Brando Workshop		Review date:	05/01/2005
Pros:	Looks great Versatile Well priced Good protection Nicely packaged		Cons:	I honestly can't think of any.

Introduction I've said it before, and I have no doubt I will say it again. Reviewing cases is difficult. For one thing, everyone has a preference, and it would be wrong to write something off simply because lime green with pink stitching was not your colour. Neither is it particularly polite to criticise a flip case for no reason other than you would have prefered a book-style case. Difficult, but impolite. It is lucky, then, that the Brando book-style case for the LOOX 720 is absolutely gorgeous, and that it suits me perfectly.

The case: outside The case is made from leather, which, whilst not shiny, is not really matte either. The black colour is set off by the white stitching, making the while package look very modern and yet professional at the same time. Certainly, I would not be embarrassed being seen with this case in an office environment, neither would I be ashamed of it if I took it out of my pocket in a pub. Cases are a very personal choice, and can help make a mass-produced PDA more akin to a personal possession, but, I think that this will suit a wide range of users.

The case has more than just a pretty facade, though- it is sturdily made, and offers a good degree of protection for most of the PDA. Whilst the bottom of the case is open, with the exception of the two leather holding straps, these straps are thick enough to prevent the PDA from touching the floor, should you be unlucky enough to drop it, and, with the extension of the sides of the case to the depth of the leather, it is unlikely that the connector would be damaged should this happen. The side of the case which flaps open is slightly more protected, with a leather retaining strap and the fasterner itself preventing damage.The top of the case, however, is completely open to the elements, but, as the leather protrudes upwards by about a millimetre, I would not have thought that this were a problem. Of more concern would be the corner which has had to be cut away to allow access to the stylus silo- however, I think that this is pretty much unavoidable. If you are going to drop it, try to remember to pick a different corner, though.

Like the vast majority of cases, you do not need to remove the PDA in order to use the camera, as Brando has sensibly left the lens, mirror and flash uncovered. Some manufacturers choose to have a hole for the camera; Brando instead opts for a cut-out section, which the picture below describes better than words. If you retain the original LOOX button configuration, there is in fact no need to open the case to take photographs, as the left button and scroll button are left uncovered. Although I do not take many photographs, this is perfect for listening to music also- in place of the F-S Launcher, I have configure the LOOX to launch Windows Media Player, with the scroll button acting as volume control, and, when pushed, as Play/Pause. This works like a dream for me, as I am able to keep the device safely in my pocket, whilst giving me sufficient control.

The fastening mechanism is magnetic, and a strong magnet at that- I have never had this case open accidentally. Personally, I am a bit fan of this, as I think that it offers a higher degree of protection for my PDA than if it were able to flap open easily. Coupled with this, the fastener is well made, providing a tight fit. However, the down side to this is that it took a bit of time to be able to shut the case in one go, although I put this down mostly to the tension of the leather; now I have used the case for a while, I don't have to think about the operation at all.

The case: inside Internally, the PDA is restrained by a border around the screen, with a hole cut out for the buttons, making the case “top loading”. I wondered at first whether this meant that the PDA was liable to slide out the top, but, with it is designed and manufactured incredibly well, producing a good fit. The design allows good protection, as well as easy access to all the buttons. The case flips to the right, so that the PDA is on the left hand side. As a right handed person, this is excellent, as it means that I can hold the LOOX in my left hand, whilst resting my right hand on the case when I am writing.

On the right hand side of the case, there is a series of slots to hold two credit cards, and, below this, slots for two SD cards. As per usual, there is no space for a CF card. I guess that this may be seen as a disadvantage by some, but, realistically, a stored CF card would add significant bulk to the case. You could probably fit more than one credit card into each of the slots (I managed two at a push) but I think that this would create a significant risk of stretching the case.

Some questions answered Pullout Pocket

This particular case features a pull-out flap with an additional pocket. I have been asked to have a look specifically at this pocket, and so I am pleased to do so here. The pocket serves two functions: it provides a further element of screen protection (if you drop something on the case, it is less likely to damage the screen), and gives extra storage space. You are able to fit a small around of “small change” into this pocket, although I would not want to put too much in here, because of the pressure on the screen. Credit card (yes- just the one, and a squeeze at that) or notes would be better, in my opinion, although my preferred use is a simple piece of paper detailing my name, e-mail address, and offering a reward to anyone who should find the PDA. I am not convinced that this would drastically increase the chances of having the device returned, but I would like to think that there are honest people around. On this thought, I think that having a written note of name and some form of contact details is a good idea, as finding the details on the “Owner” section of the PDA is not necessarily something that a finder, who is unlikely to be PDA-literate, would think of doing. With the caveat on storing coins, I find this to be a useful little pocket.

Magnetic closure: effects Another particular question raised was the issue of magnetic strips on credit cards, and the proximity to the magnet holding the case closed. Personally, I was, and remain, of the opinion that this magnet is unlikely to cause any problems. In order to try this out, whilst not risking one of my cards should I prove to be wrong, I decided to test the pocket (and, incidentally, the dedicated credit card slots) with a train ticket. For those unfamiliar with British train tickets (they may be the same around the world; I'm afraid I don't know!), these tickets have a magnetic strip which contains the data to be read by security machines at stations. Unlike a credit card, which, in my experience, tends to be reasonably hardy in terms of disrupting the magnetic strip, train tickets seem to become damaged with very little interference. I moved a train ticket between each of the pockets over the period of a week, and am pleased to report that it appeared to suffer no interference at all. The ticket passed through machines without error. Whilst I am aware that a credit card might work slightly differently, and may be more or less sensitive than a train ticket, I hope that this puts people's minds at ease over this issue. For the sake of absolute completeness, I have included a photograph of the magentic clasp; the slight distortion on the non-flap part demonstrates how the clasp is covered in sticky plastic, which I guess you are supposed to peel off- it's definitely not a manufacturing fault.

Stylus holder I have also been asked to discuss the stylus holder, which runs down the spine of the case. Especially, whether or not the holder is capable of holding a stylus larger than the native LOOX “needle-like” implement. A simple question, with a simple answer. No. The photographs show both the empty holder and with the LOOX stylus in place- I tried to fit a palmOne Tungsten T3 stylus into the holder, and was worried that I would rip the leather, and so stopped.

Left-handed usage Finally, I was asked to consider what the case would be like for a left-handed user, which is something that I have never thought about testing before. First off, I should say that even holding my PDA in my left hand feels awkward, so I make these comments with that thought in mind. With the PDA in the case, it is possible to use the scroll wheel, and the button on the left-hand side with the index finger of your right hand. The “cover” part of the case rests quite neatly over my right thumb (as per the photograph below). However, holding it in this manner restricts access to the right-hand side button, because of the way the stylus holder / spine section folded up against the machine; the photograph does not show this at all, as I was holding the machine loosely, whilst trying to use the camera with my left hand. With this one caveat in mind (which I am sure is something that could be overcome by holding the machine different- if you are left-handed, you clearly have more skill (and had more practice) than I do! Although I have only seen the book-style case, if you are a sinister, you might prefer instead to look at the flip case, which obviously does not suffer from the same problem. Also, the flip case offers the option of a belt-clip, which is not available on the book case, as far as I know.

Conclusions

I really do love this case. It is professional and yet stylish; it looks good, but retains a high degree of functionality. In particular, I like that I am able to access the reset hole without needing to remove the LOOX from its case, and that there are no problems removing the stylus. I appreciate that some people dislike the extra pocket / flap, but, for me, it is a definite positive point; it gives the screen extra protection, as well as providing somewhere for a note, be it detailing the owner, or a currency of the realm. I have come across no case so far that allows you to synchronise the LOOX in the cradle without removal, so I do not see this as a problem. If you are fussy about removing from the case for synchronising, you are able to use a wireless option, or, if charging is the problem, to use a charge-cable instead. Once again, Brando has excelled himself; I am very pleased indeed with this, and, for $32, this is represent exceptional value.