March 2008 News Posts
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JavoEdge Clear
T3 case review by Neil Brown |
Date:
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29/02/2004
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JavoEdge Clear T3 case review by Neil
Brown
I was browsing the Net for some PDA news a couple of weeks back, and I came
across the JavoEdge site. I was
immediately taken by their products, as they looked so innovative and cutting
edge. I e-mailed them, asking for review items, and made contact with Sam Ngai,
the director. Thanks to Sam, I am able to bring you one of the first reviews of
JavoEdge’s products. This review looks at their clear plastic T3 case,
available
here.
First of all, it was the looks which attracted me
to case; the T3 is a nice looking PDA, and I was always slightly unhappy about
having to hide it in a leather or metal case- although the plastic case
provides protection from scratches, it does not impede the looks of the T3 at
all. The case covers the back and sides of the device, and has a hinged shield
covering the screen, leaving the buttons uncovered. This means that you can use
the PDA without opening the case in any way. If you want to use the touch
screen, then you will obviously need to flip open the case, but, I am becoming
reasonably adept at using my T3 by means of the buttons alone, which can be a
real benefit if I just need to look something up in a hurry. I would be lying
if I did not say that I was sceptical at first as to the lack of covering for
the buttons, but, after using the case for the best part of a week and a half,
I really appreciate this. With the buttons uncovered, there is the chance that
you will turn th e PDA on by accident whilst it is in your pocket, although,
this has not happened to the best of my knowledge. If you use your T3 for mp3s,
it has the added advantage of allowing you to skip tracks and alter the volume
without the need to open a case, or remove the device from your pocket.
Thanks to a section removed at the bottom of the
back of the case, it is possible to slide the T3 open easily, as well as
connect the T3 to a charge cable. Whilst closed in the case, however, the T3
does not fit onto the supplied cradle, and I would doubt that it were to fit
onto the mini (gorgeous!) cradle either. This is not a major problem, as you
can simply open the device to sync / charge, although, if you are desperate to
be able to charge your T3 in its closed mode, this will not be the case for
you. The case has a hole in the back, which aligns with the reset hole in the
T3, making resets easy. It is possible to access the Voice Record button and
earphone slot, as well as the power button, the SD card and the stylus.
When in the case, there is no chance that your
T3 is going to fall out; it is held in securely. There are two pegs on the
inside of the case, and these fit snugly into the gaps in the back of the T3.
Once the device is aligned, it is simply a case of pushing it down and it,
where it is gripped by two clips on the side. The flip lid of the case clips
firmly in place also, so your PDA is well looked after. I have conducted some
very unscientific shaking, and the T3 did not move at all- I was impressed with
this.
If I were to comment a couple of perceived
weaknesses with the case, they would be the hinge mechanism, and the plastic
near the power button. With the hinges, I think that these could be the weak
point of the whole design. Admittedly, I had no problems opening and shutting
it repeatedly, but, if, for some reason, you were to put pressure on the cover
whilst it were open, I could easily see the hinges snapping. That having been
said, in the time since I have been testing it, I cannot imagine how it could
get into this situation without a considerable degree of carelessness, and thus
do not think it is much of a problem. However, still something to look out for.
With regard to the power button, the support for the hinge extends just that
little bit too far, so it covers about a quarter of the power button. Whilst
this is not an immense problem, other users have commented that they find the
power button hard to use at the best of times- this is not going to help them.
However, I have ne ver been unable to turn on the T3 first time, although it is
most definitely a two-handed operation, unless you wish to use one of the hard
buttons on the front, or the Voice Recorder button on the side. Both of these
are slight niggles, but worth highlighting, I feel.
Some users may balk at the idea of constraining
their beautiful metal T3 in a plastic case, but, I do not think that this is a
real problem- the plastic is of good quality, and has survived a week and half
of being in my pocket admirably. The beauty of the case is that you add
virtually nothing to the size or weight of the PDA itself, whilst giving it
good protection from accidental knocks and bumps in the course of everyday use.
I am certainly very impressed with this case, both in terms of looks and
functionality, and it has replaced my previous leather case as my personal
favourite. When I showed it around at the UKPUG, the reaction was very
positive, with most people enthusiastic about the idea. With the exchange rate
as it is, the case is just under £13, which I think represents good value
for the quality. JavoEdge have some very nice products, although their range is
limited. They are currently in the process of increasing this, but, at the time
of writing, only have clear cases for the T3 and Zire71. Their products all
look very futuristic, as does their site, which is very easy to navigate. I
have e-mailed them several times in the process of writing this review, and
have always received speedy and helpful replies.
Overall, this case makes a fine housing for an
excellent PDA :)
Pros
Looks excellent
Protects T3, whilst allowing easy access to all
buttons
Small and light
No need to open to see screen
Reasonable price
Cons
Hinges possibly weak
Power button slightly covered
Cannot use with cradle when T3 is in closed mode
You can visit the JavoEdge site
here.
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