Proporta Alu-Leather HP hx4700 Series Cases

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Julie

December 10, 2004

Product Requirements:
Device:
HP hx4700 / hx4705 Pocket PC

How many of you have noticed that there are several accessory companies that are selling the same style leather PDA cases on their sites. It's hard to know which one to pick when they all look alike. The companies I'm referring to are PDAir, Brando and now Proporta. Some of you might have been thinking that these were really all the same cases but just with different company logos embossed on them. Nope, they are all totally different cases.

Check it out, we recently reviewed the PDAir HP hx4700 series iPAQ case and the Brando HP hx4700 series iPAQ case. The PDAir case is 34.95 while the Brando case is $32.00. They both look very similar, but when it is all said and done, I think Brando cases are better designed and have slightly better materials / quality. Brando's are also $3 cheaper which doesn't hurt.

Now we have the Proporta Alu-Leather HP hx4700 series iPAQ cases. They are also made of smooth grained black leather with contrasting white stitching. Like PDAir and Brando, these cases are also available in both flip style and book style. You also have the choice of making both the book and flip style cases into belt clip cases by way of a removable belt clip post and plastic clip. They also use the same type of plastic clip to hold the PDA in the case and have a removable screen protector insert.

So what sets the Proporta products apart from the other cases from PDAir and Brando? It is really only one main thing... The heavy duty aluminum screen cover insert. This insert definitely makes these cases more sturdy and it doesn't hurt that it adds a little bit of pizzazz when you open the cover and see the brushed aluminum through the oval cutout.

I think that the Alu-Leather cases are more similar to the Brando cases than the PDAirs because they seem to have the same style of molded SD card slots inside the screen cover. 

I only have 2 gripes about this case. The biggest gripe is that the flip case I was sent is impossible to snap shut with the optional screen protector installed. If you remove it, you can close the cover... barely. The magnets used on the 2 Proporta cases that I was sent are not as strong as the Brando cases that I have reviewed. My other gripe is that due to the flashy cutout in the cover to show off the aluminum insert, you are left with no business card slots on either of the book or flip style cases. The removable screen protector does have one see through window pocket though.

Although the Proporta is a nice looking case, it's hard to recommend it due the problems I had with the cover not closing and the magnetic snaps not being very strong. Brando is still #1 in my opinion.

 

Price: $34.95

Pros:
Heavy duty screen protection insert
Removable belt clip post

Cons:
Flip style is hard to snap closed
Magnetic snap not very strong