Price:	€39.99		Reviewed by:	Neil Brown
Supplied:	NoReve		Review date:	14/01/2007
Pros:	Beautifully designed and manufactured Can access all functions whilst in case (except soft reset) Credit card and SD card slots Belt-clip option supplieed Magnetic fastener Fits T830 perfectly Wide range of colours		Cons:	Not easy to remove stylus Credit card can touch screen if not careful

Introduction   There’s one word which perfectly describes the NoReve case for the LOOX T830 – beautiful…   Design / manufacture   The appearance is the first thing which strikes you when you remove the NoReve case from its packaging materials- it is a very good-looking case indeed, with mono-colour leather, finished with the distinctive NoReve button in lower right of the flap. Tightly fitting the T830’s form, the closed case is very square in appearance- like the T830, it has very defined, straight lines. This square-sided look comes mostly from the T830’s shape, but also from the slightly protruding edges, designed to absorb some of the force of impact should you drop the case, as well as protecting your device from general knocks and bumps. It’s not an unpleasant squareness, and, if you like the shape of the T830, chances are you will like this also. If, however, you would prefer something with curves, then, realistically, this is not the case for you.   The quality of the manufacturing is high – in particular, this is noticeable in the hundreds of tiny stitches surrounding the cut outs and edges, which are the same colour as the leather. The leather is reasonably stiff, to allow the case to hold its form, but is flexible enough to close easily (and the leather also smells wonderful!). One of the major features of the NoReve range is the variety of colours available- rather than opt for a more standard black case, I thought it would be slightly different to pick one of the more unusual colours; hence, this review is of an orange case! However, if orange is not your thing, do not worry – there are 13 different colours from which to choose. As such, I think that this is the most complete colour choice that I have come across from any PDA case manufacturer.   Cut-outs and accessibility   NoReve has supplied a generous number of cut-outs, allowing you to access everything other than the GSM antenna connector without needing to remove the device from the case. The cut-outs themselves are millimetre-perfect, revealing enough of the relevant connector or button to allow easy use, but still offering as much protection to the rest of the machine. It is not possible to use the cradle whilst the machine is in the case, although, of course, you can access the mini-USB female adapter on the base of the T830 for use with a sync cable. (I can’t think of any case which does allow for in-cradle use, because of the tight fit and design of the FSC cradle.)   The design of the section of the flap which folds over the front of the case is good, as it allows you to open the case sufficiently to make a call or look up an appointment whilst you have a headphone jack in place. However, I would advise caution in doing this, as the flap ends up resting directly on the headphone jack; in itself, this is unlikely to be a problem, but, if you were to push on the flap, it could cause internal damage to your machine; although nothing has been written about the T830 in this respect to date, the LOOX 720 demonstrated several instances of weak soldering of the headphone socket.   The inside of the front flap contains slots for two SD cards and two credit cards- none of the other cases which I have reviewed have offered both, so NoReve stands out again here. With all of these filled, I had no difficulty in shutting the case, although, there was a noticeable, if small, bulge. I would recommend ensuring that any credit card placed in the lower slot is not pushed all the way down, and so protrudes only a couple of millimetres less than the upper card, so that the card can rest on the leather surround of the screen; when pushed right to the bottom of the slot, the card’s edge rested on the screen- if you have a screen protector in place, this should not be a huge problem, but, I’d rather not take any risk at all. The SD slots have cut-outs to allow you to push the card out from the bottom, but, until you’ve inserted and removed the cards a few times, the leather remains very tight, making those cut-outs very important! (Some time back, on a different brand of case, I confidently put my SD card into a slot with no cut-out, and had to resort to a pair of pliers to remove it again, so NoReve’s inclusion of cut-outs scores highly in my book.)   There is a knack to getting the stylus out of the device whilst it is in the case – it’s possible, but it’s not particularly easy, as you cannot get your fingernail under the edge of the stylus “tag”; instead, you need to make use of the ridges on the tag itself. In an ideal world, this would be easier, although, as I tend to rely mostly on the keyboard, supplementing it with my finger on the screen when necessary, I could easily live with this. If, however, you rely on the stylus, then, unless you are willing to get used to a slightly different method of removing it from the T830, you might find this a bit of a hassle.   Unlike other cases, which either obscure the camera completely or else leave it open to the elements at all times, the NoReve case offers the best of both worlds. When the case is shut, the camera is concealed, offering protection for the lens (why FSC did not include some form of protection in the T830, I’m not sure…), but, because the front flap is secured to the back of the case lower than the camera lens, you are able to reveal the camera by open the flap – hopefully the images will explain it better than my description.   The case is secured shut by a small tab with a magnetic connector at the end. From what I’ve read on various forums, it would appear that magnetic closure is better than a snap-fastener, so NoReve scores a point on this front. In practice, this connector works very well, holding the case shut without a problem. The tab covers the mini-USB female adapter, adding protection whilst the case is shut, but leaves the GPS aerial connector exposed. I suppose that this makes sense in some ways, as you might want to keep the GPS aerial connected whilst the case is shut, but, I guess that the real reason for leaving it uncovered is that it would make for a very strange-shaped tab if it required a 20mm protrusion on one side.   Belt-clip   The case comes supplied with a belt clip attachment, which can be screwed into the fixing on the rear of the case. The metal adapter for fitting into the case is one of the most substantial which I have seen, and the plastic belt-clip, whilst not in the same league as the Nutshell belt-clip, seems perfectly suitable for light use –if you are planning on using the case daily in the office, then, I can’t see it being a problem, but, if you wanted to go climbing etc, you’d probably want something rather more solid. At the end of the day, this really sums up the case – it looks great, and is suitable for most everyday / office situations in which you are likely to be using your T830, but is unlikely to be the correct case to choose for more adventurous pursuits.     Conclusion   If you want a well-made case in a non-standard colour, then, NoReve certainly deserves a look. At €40 (about £26), it is far from the most expensive case on the market, but, then, neither is it cheap; however, it does ooze quality, and may well be the most stylish case I have seen for the T830 yet. The slightly clumsy access to the stylus is the only slight negative point in a case which otherwise does very well indeed, with the quality of design and manufacture going strongly in its favour, along with both credit and SD card holders.