March 2008 News Posts
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| Topic: |
Piel
Frama Leather Case review by David Eaton |
Date: |
17/02/2003 |
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Piel Frama
Leather Case
It was with mixed
emotions that I received a much awaited NX70V case from Piel Frama.
It was similar to seeing someone you dislike driving over a cliff in
your new car. You see, after waiting a couple of days for it to
arrive, I still didn't find it at my door when I arrived home last
night. Instead my son found it in the neighbor's yard…. Their
dogs had gotten the package and played tug-of-war with it until they
had opened it and scattered its contents all over the muddy yard.
The case, while
operational, had marks on it from being chewed and was very wet.
What I saw of the packing material (although wet from being in the
rain all afternoon) looked superb, however. The box and tissue
wrapping reminded me of what you would expect when buying fine
jewelry. It just wasn't dog proof…
But here is where
Piel Frama jumped to the head of the line when it comes to customer
satisfaction. As soon as he discovered what had happened, Rubén
Motero, their Export Manager, offered to send me not only a
replacement for the one that had been chewed on, but a newer model
that had been modified somewhat from the original. Sure enough, I
received it one week later. (They apparently do their overseas
shipping at the end of each week…)
Let's begin by
looking at the packaging and delivery. The case is typically wrapped
in colorful tissue paper and then boxed in a nice quality box with a
label on it. The box is then wrapped in bubble wrap before being
placed in a large envelope for shipment via UPS Express. Even though
the package was shipped from Spain, I received it half way across
the world in two business days.
With that much care
being taken in the packaging of the product I expected a lot from
the case itself and was not disappointed in the least. The leather
itself has a very luxurious feel to it and is finished inside and
out.
Since the NX70V is
designed to operate in a clamshell or tablet mode the case was
designed to be used in ether mode. You slide the keyboard portion of
the unit into the pocket at the bottom of the device (you even have
a window through which you can see the Clié logo…) and,
if you are using the device in tablet modem you are ready to go.
The device fits into
the case snug enough that it will not fall off even when holding the
Clie only and letting the weight of the case hang off the back. If
you wish to use the device in the clamshell mode, simply slide the
top of the display under the elastic strap built into the top of the
case and. When opened the strap is positioned across the top of the
display just above the screen itself. As you close the Clie it will
slide down the display (held slightly off the screen by the case on
either side of the screen) to keep the case firmly attached to the
Clie. Below you can see several views from a photo off their web
page.
Regardless of which
mode you keep your device in, the case is held closed by a magnetic
flap that goes from the bottom edge of the front to the back of the
case. It is surprisingly secure closure considering the magnets are
about the diameter of a fountain pen.
Since the case is
designed to operate in wither mode, you have full access to the
capture button, ear phone / remote jack, jog wheel, and back &
hold buttons along the left side along with access to the stylus on
the right corner. There is even a window cut into the top to allow
access to the MC slot or usage of the IR port. One nice touch was
the addition of a screen to keep dust and lint from the opening over
the speaker hole in the back. There is also a cutout to allow you to
remove the stylus although I found this to be a little awkward.
Perhaps modifying the case by trimming back on the corner a bit
would be an option for Piel Frama to consider.
As thin as this case
is, it will still not allow you to hot sync your Clie via cradle
while it is still in the case. (Quite honestly, I don't think any
cases will...) You can, however, hot sync it with the travel adapter
that comes with it using an optional USB cable that you can purchase
for about $25. (I keep one with me at all times since I only have
one cradle and typically leave it at the office.)
The top of the case
contains several pockets: 2 for memory sticks, 3 for credit cards,
and 1 for money - The credit card pockets are about 3" deep and
the money pocket is about 4.75" deep.
As I mentioned at the
top of the review, Piel Frama had modified the case in a couple of
ways since it was first introduced. First of all they replaced the
elastic strap for the top of the clamshell with one a bit stronger.
This helps in holding the case even more snugly against the device.
The second was to enlarge the window at the top of the case to allow
access to the WIFI expansion slot. This is nice in that it will
allow you to keep your Clie in the case with the wireless adapter
installed. Unfortunately, it also provides a lose corner that may
get snagged on something when the adapter has been removed. The
following photos show both versions.
You can order the
case with or without the enhanced opening for the expansion card and
also choose whether or not you wish a swivel-style belt clit
attached.
Concern had also been
raised in the past regarding the placement of the memory stick
pockets and whether or not the memory sticks would scratch the
surface of the screen by rubbing against it. Well, they will
evaluate that as a potential problem and, if they determine it to be
serious enough, will work on a modification in the near future. One
possible modification might be to make the cutout for the memory
stick pockets at the top of the case so that the tip of the memory
stick was near the edge of the case- not in the middle. That way the
leading edge of the stick would rest against the edge of the Clie
case and not on the screen itself.
If you have one of
the old style cases and are worried about the possibility of the MS
rubbing against the screen, here is a suggestion. Go to your local
hardware store or other supplier of camping equipment and pick up a
stainless steel lantern reflector. Use a Dremel tool to trim it to
fit (being sure to round off any sharp edges) in the very back slot
and insert it into the case. Now install your memory sticks fully
into their pocket and, with the case resting on the table top, pry
up gently on the flap end of the case while putting gentle pressure
on the tips of the memory sticks. This should put just a slight bow
in the case top with the "peak" being right where the end
of the memory stick is - thus holding it off your screen.
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