Extreme Limits Palm IIIc Case

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Clark

August 20, 2000

Product Requirements:
Device:
Palm IIIc

The Extreme Limit Palm IIIc "Body Suit" is a pebbly black leather, wallet style, play through case. This case is a belt clip model, with a removable clip. I had never heard of Extreme Limit before I was presented with this Palm IIIc case for review, so I was pleasantly surprised when I visited their website, to see that they make a wide array of cases for many different PDAs and Laptop Computers. They are a Japanese company, and they have been kind enough to provide a Yen converter on their order page, just so you know what you are getting yourself into.

Well, on to my review….

As you might have become aware, I have a strong need for aesthetics coupled with function. This case is on the right track.

The first thing you will notice about the Extreme Limit case is the contrasting white stitching that goes around all of the edges. It looks really sharp. The next thing you’ll see is that there is a tab closure, also with the contrasting stitching. Right away, I am thinking that this is a very upscale looking case. The black pebbly leather is thick and stiff, and has a quality look to it. On the backside, there is a metal button that the removable belt clip attaches to. Also, in the rear bottom right, is an embossed Extreme Limit logo. My first impression of this case was that it reminded me of how Hermes uses contrasting stitching on their Birkin bag line. Those purses cost thousands of dollars; this case would go perfectly with one, if you were so inclined. It would be nice if it were possible to get this case without the belt clip button, if you were going to carry it in a purse or "man-bag", instead of on your "bat-belt". This is a case that either a man or woman would be proud to carry.

When the wallet flap is covering the screen of your Palm, it seems to offer quite a bit of protection. It is thick & stiff enough that I believe it could protect the Palm screen from sudden knocks.

Now, as you can see by the pictures, the Extreme Limit case is very rectangular. None of your Palm’s sexy little curves are going to show when you insert it in this case. However, the case looks nice enough that you may decide to forgive it for that. You will also notice that this case covers every bit of your Palm, except for the top of the stylus silo and the top strip, making the infrared port very accessible – once you push the tab flap out of the way.

Upon opening the case, you will find that the Palm slides into the top, where it will nestle in a satin lined, fitted area with cutouts that perfectly match where they need to be. Once again, there is contrasting white stitching around every edge. There is nothing actually holding your Palm in the case, as the top slot is open. The tab flap crosses the top of your Palm when it is closed, and when it is open, the sides of the case will grasp your Palm sufficiently that it won’t fall out – unless you plan on turning the case upside down and shaking your Palm onto the floor.

The bottom half of the case, when it is opened, has two slots for an ID & credit card. There is also a deep top-loading slot behind the credit cards into which you can slide folded bills, or another credit card. I made the huge mistake of allowing one of my cards to slide into this slot a little too far. I held up a line at a local convenience store trying to dig my Amex Corporate Card out of the depths of this slot. People were behind me, and it made me feel really tense. Needless to say, I am not storing anything that I need immediate access to in that slot any more. I suppose it would be a perfect place to hide $20, just so you knew that you had some cash on you, should you need it.

There is a rectangular cutout at the bottom of the pocket that cradles your Palm, designed so that you can use the travel charger or the hot-sync travel cable while your Palm is in the case. Of course, you will not be able to use the regular hot-sync base charger without removing your Palm. It is very simple to extract your Palm from the Extreme Limit case; all you have to do is use a finger to push your Palm up from the bottom cutout, and then grasp the top of your Palm as it exits the top slot.

I would like to point out that the cutout around the Palm’s screen is the perfect size, and that the cutout for the buttons is also generous & almost perfect. I say "almost", because the cutout that goes under the bottom scroll button was just a little off-canter to the left. I don’t know if this is a flaw unique to the case that I received, or if it is common to all the Palm IIIc cases. It in no way hampers your use of the button, but it is noticeable if you are being picky.

You will notice that Extreme Limit was smart about the space for the power button; instead of trying to make it a separate hole, they simply extended the window for all the other buttons to include the power button. This makes it very easy to turn your Palm on and off, and also is more visually pleasing.

There is also the clever little "dip" at the top of the case to show your charge light. It looks like even the IIIc case makers are waiting for the hack that will allow this light to flash when an alarm goes off. Helllloooo – are any of you programmers listening to my plea?? J

One thing that I feel I should point out, is the fact that the left side of the power button cutout appears to have been made with an Exacto knife. I say this because you can almost see the cut marks, and it is not quite symmetrical. This in no way detracts from the case, I am just being particular.

Now, I will inform you of one of the really nifty little tricks that this case does: You can fold the wallet portion of the case underneath, and stick the tab into it’s slot, instantly creating a handy easel for your desktop. This also beautifully exposes the charging/syncing cutout that I referred to earlier. I found that I used this feature quite often, since it was easier than removing the Palm from the case, to insert it into the base charger for the same purpose.

There has been some thought placed into the design of the wallet portion of this case. As this is a "top-loading" case, picture this scenario: You are in a checkout line, and the case is installed on your belt. You release the case by pushing the little plastic button on the clip’s top with your right hand. You are already lifting the case in an upright manner, most likely in your left hand. The tab is at the top. You will flip the tab with your right hand, exposing the Palm at the top of the case as it sits in your left hand, with the wallet freely swinging below. The two ID card slots are aimed to the right – perfectly placed for you to slide the cards out with your right hand. This works as long as you are right-handed. I can see where a lefty might have some trouble with this operation.

This is a case that will let you use your stylus of choice. As you can see in the pictures I have taken, the Stabo stylus (my current favorite) fits just fine. As a matter of fact, the stock stylus even works fine, as there is a very generous cutout around the stylus silo entry. For that alone, this case has earned brownie points with me. For comparison purposes, I am showing the Stabo stylus, the PDA Panache stylus, and the stock stylus.

Now for a word on the belt clip attachment: This is a very clever little clip, that will fit up to a 1 ½" belt easily. It can spin 360° , and it only adds about ¾" to the thickness of the case. It is comfortable, and looks nice on your belt. I found that if I placed it on my front or rear hip, I hardly noticed it. It felt bulky if I placed it in my natural hip indention. I don’t know if it would affect a man in the same manner.

In summary, this is a fine case, that I believe couples style with function quite nicely. Personally, it seems a little blocky, but you do get used to it. I would like it if Extreme Limit would also make a non-clip version.

Price: $47.50 (depending on current Yen/Dollar exchange rates)

Pros:
Looks very sharp
Can use any stylus easily

Cons:
Deep pocket in wallet can be hard to retrieve items from
Looks blocky
Only available as belt clip model