EdJacob PDA Cases

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes and Mike Riegel

June 24, 2002

The EdJacob's case company sent The Gadgeteer a whole slew of leather PDA cases to test and review. Available for the Palm, Sony, Compaq iPAQ, Casio, HP and other PDAs, these cases seem to appeal to the more formal or business user. Here, we look at several and give you our opinion on their construction and usability...

Flip Case for Sony CLIÉ 700
by Judie Clark

This flip case is very similar to most of the Vaja-style cases available today.

It features access to every port, and a clear view of the CLIÉ's screen with no "clunky" leather bar cutting across the face of your PDA. There are three credit card slots in the plastic reinforced lid, as well as one deep pocket behind them.

While I found the stitching to be very nicely done and the quality of the leather to be very good, I was surprised to see that the cut-outs on the side of the CLIÉ seemed to have been made by hand with an ex-acto knife. As a result, they seem a little bit "off" and uneven. Making sure my CLIÉ was pushed all the way into the holster of the case did take care of the uneven alignment of the case, however.

For a case that is made in New Zealand, and that is as nicely done and as professional in appearance as this one is, I think the price is remarkably reasonable.

Price: S$78.00 / $44.00 US
Available in Black, Blue Velvet, Nocturne, Olive, Raspberry, & Setter

Pros:
Professional looking
Very well made
Reset button is accessible while PDA is in case

Cons:
Cutouts on side of case seem to have been done by hand and are slightly uneven

 

Insert Clasp Case For Palm m500 Series
by Judie Clark

The Insert Clasp Case for the Palm m500 series is a classic book-style that is held shut with a tab and loop closure.

As with many better-quality cases, the m500 is held in place by the use of a slide-in side rail.

The interior of this case includes a pleasant surprise: not only can it hold two ID or credit cards, but it also holds four SD/MMC cards with a deep business card pocket behind this storage area.

As with the previous case I reviewed, I found the stitching to be very nicely done and the quality of the leather to be very good. This case is one that anybody would be proud to carry; it is professional in appearance and looks like it costs more than it actually does.

Price: S$72.00 / $40.65 US
Available in Raspberry, Black, Teal, Blue Velvet, Setter, Olive, & Nocturne

Pros:
Professional looking
Very well made

Cons:
None

 

Fold-Over Case For Palm m500 Series
by Judie Clark

The Fold-Over Case for the Palm m500 series is a simple book-style case. The only beef I have with this case is that since they made it without a strap to keep it closed, it tends to flop open, as you can see in this picture.

 Like the Insert Clasp Case reviewed above, the Palm is held in place by the use of a slide-in side rail, and this case's interior also holds a pleasant surprise. There are three ID or credit card slots on each side of this case's interior. There are also business card pockets on each side running behind the slots.

   

This case is also professional in appearance, very well made, and of superior quality.

Price: S$72.00 / $40.65 US
Available in Black, Teal, Setter, Raspberry, Nocturne, Olive, & Blue Velvet

Pros:
Professional looking
Very well made

Cons:
With no tab to keep it closed, case can just flop open

 

Zipper Palm m500 Series
by Julie Strietelmeier

This zipper case for the Palm m500 series does not appear on the EdJacob's website for some odd reason. It is almost identical to the Palm Vx Zipper case which does appear on their site however.

This is a book style case with a nylon zipper. An inch long leather tab is attached to the zipper pull to facilitate opening and closing of the case. I found the zipper action to be relatively smooth and did not have any problems with jamming or slipping.

The PDA is held in this case by a metal rail that is inserted into the left stylus silo. The rail has 2 small rubber O rings at the top which helps make the rail fit securely in the silo. It is really almost too snug of a fit as it took quite a bit of tugging to remove my m505 from the case. I found that the rail is also a bit too long and stuck out of the top of the silo.

The left side has 2 horizontal business card or credit card slots, and 4 SD media card slots. Behind these slots is one larger vertical slot for money or papers.

This is a classy looking case that is made well and would fit easily into a business setting.

Price: S$ 78.00 / $44.00 US

Pros:
Classy looks
No Velcro

Cons:
Attachment rail sticks out of silo

 

Button Clasp Cases For Compaq iPAQ 36/3700 Series
by Julie Strietelmeier

This case for the Compaq iPAQ is made of Napa leather and is available in a variety of colors including: Black, Teal, Setter, Raspberry, Nocturne, Olive, & Blue Velvet. I was sent the Setter version to review.

Made in the familiar slipper style, this case has one large cutout for the screen, application buttons and joy pad in the holster portion. The holster itself is slightly flimsy and lacks any stiffener to help it keep its shape.

The cover portion of the case has 3 card slots and one larger slot behind them. It is reinforced with a stiffener to protect the screen and is held closed with a snap.

The case although made well, just feels boxy and mediocre... Priced at approximately $52.00, I would pass and go with a similar case from Vaja or Piel Frama.

Price: S$92.00 / $52.00 US

Pros:
Available in different colors

Cons:
Must remove PDA to sync and charge with cradle
Holster is flimsy

 

Button Clasp Case for Palm V/Vx Series
by Mike Riegel

A snap-closure book case, simple and elegant, as you can see. Outside stitching is precise and strong and the case fits perfectly around my Vx.



The stylus rail that the this case uses for attachment has two O-rings at the top for a little extra in both the grip and form factors.



Though this case is small, there is quite a lot of storage available; three credit/business card slots and a back pocket that can accept folded dollars. While the space is quite nice, I don’t think it’s enough for me to get rid of my wallet anytime soon.



In and out, this case reeks class and elegance, a really nice suit for your aging (but still alive and kickin’) V/Vx.

Price: S$ 72.00/ $40.65 US

Pros:
Good Storage
Elegance and class abound

Cons:
Not a big fan of the Raspberry color (but there are five others to choose from)

 

Insert Clasp Case for Palm V/Vx Series
by Mike Riegel

Essentially identical to the Button Clasp Case above, but with a tab closure method. As with the other model, the construction is really topnotch.



The tab is much less precise than the snap closure, and as a result, the case does not seem to be as perfect at fit as its button-brethren. Also, the tab closure is a little more time-consuming to open and close - if you whip out your PDA as fast as a car salesmen with a business card, this might not be the case for you.



Inside, the same rather generous pockets will hold cards and money.



The tab closure definitely looks classier than the snap method, but is less practical in the real world. I consider myself a practical person, but there are other who want different things.

Price: S$72.00 / $40.65 US

Pros:
Good Storage
Elegance and class (still) abound

Cons:
Tab closure somewhat awkward and not as formfitting as snap method

 

Fold Over Case for Palm V/Vx Series
by Mike Riegel

Okay, we’ve done the snap and the tab - what else is there? How about nothing? That’s right, the fold-over case doesn’t have a darn thing to keep it shut. Construction and materials are all the same high quality throughout.



This book case does not want to stay shut, however, I carry my PDA in a pocket or bag where there is pressure on the case to remain closed, so this was not such an issue.



As with many things in life, there are tradeoffs. The pockets that I liked so much in the previous two cases are DOUBLED in the Fold Over.



With this much room, I can say “bye-bye” to my wallet without question. I’m just an all-in-one kinda guy...

Price: S$72.00 / $40.65 US

Pros:
Excellent Storage
Still pretty classy

Cons:
Lack of closure method
Case will not stay closed without assistance

 

Button Clasp Wallet For Palm M500/505 and V/Vx Series
by Mike Riegel

EdJacob has but their own spin on the Palm V wallets that were all the rage two years ago. Attempting to make a case to accommodate both the V and M500 series platforms can create some difficulties though.



First, there is no reset hole, but that is really not much of an issue because (despite the cut-out) the user will be taking their V/Vx out of the case frequently for all their charging and synching needs - none of my cables would fit through the hold.



This is the only model that I had with the belt clip. The mounting pivot and the belt hardware are pretty standard - but I don’t like the idea of wearing my PDA and wallet on my hip for anyone to grab.



Flipping out the wallet, there is plethora of storage for credit cards and cash. However, loading up the wallet (as I did) makes for a pretty thick bundle to carry around - even with just the PDA in this case, it is quite large.

Price: S$99.00 / $55.90 US

Pros:
Full wallet capability

Cons:
Adds considerable bulk
No reset hole
Hotsync Cutouts are nonfunctional for V/Vx