I just received my TT Metal Case

[OldBlue]

In a nutshell:

http://store.palm.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1195298&cp=1195699

What I like:
Great protection
Professional look
Holds (stores) 2 additional SD cards
Voice recorder button and SD slots are accessible
Grafitti area is accessible ... the TT's slider stays in the case and the upper part of the TT slides UP, thereby exposing the grafitti area
Completely covers and protects the base (Universal Connector)
TT is easily locked into place, yet is easily removed, too
Hinge has 2 detents; at 135 degrees and 180 degrees

What I dislike:
Color of the aluminum case does not match the TT (You'd think it would match, since the TT is the ONLY PDA that fits this case)
The case is 7/8 inch thick, compared to the TT's 5/8 inch.
Cover does not pivot 360 to the back of the case (It approaches 270 degrees ... maybe more like 250 degrees)
TT must be removed for charging and syncing

Well, "the jusy is still out" on this one. I've got 15 days to return it if I don't warm up to it a bit more. Obviously, I would like a matching finish, a much thinner profile, and a 360 degree hinge.

OldBlue

[OldBlue]

Ooops ... did I type "jusy"? I meant "jury" :D

OldBlue

[Kasia]

OldBlue, I totally agree. I got my TT Metal case last week & I was really disappointed at first, especially since I had been eagerly anticipating its arrival. I don't think I would have purchased it if I had seen it in person instead of in a picture on a web page.

I didn't start using it regularly until yesterday & I'm not sure yet whether it's a keeper. I will be interested in hearing how you like it after you try it out.

[Pride Of Lions]

How's the squeezeability factor? When you squeeze it between your thumb and forefinger (closed, of course) is it firm and reassuring? Do you feel like if you accidentally sat on it or stepped on it (they end up in the weirdest places sometimes) that it would hold?

I choose the titanium RhinoSkin for my m505 because it was far more firm than my friend's aluminum one.

Other than that, I love the idea that the Universal Connecter is protected. I love that it opens from the side. Not so much in love with the whole "take-it-out-to-HotSync" thingy, but I put up with that on my m505.

Another question...the picture didn't really elaborate on just how it connects to the TT. Does it grab onto the sides like the plastic cover? If so, then how do you slide the screen up to reveal the graffiti area?

POL9A

[Kasia]

The case feels pretty firm when I try to squeeze it - I'm not so sure about stepping on it or sitting on it, though.

The case does not grab onto the sides of the TT - there are clips on the case that go into the holes on the back of the TT & there's a metal part in the bottom of the case that the TT pushes against as it goes in to hold it in place. You can slide the screen up & down while in the case so that the graffiti area is accessible.

To remove the TT from the case you push on the top of the TT & that allows you to release the TT from the clips that are going into the holes in the back of it. It's sort of hard to explain, but it works well for me - easy to get in & out but fits solidly enough that I don't worry about it falling out accidentally.

[clare]

So, would you say that opening the graffiti area is awkward or OK or easy? I currently have the Palm Slim Leather Case, and find that opening the graffiti area downward is quite awkward and annoying. I like the idea that the graffiti area opens upward in the Hard Case; it seems less likely to be awkward. So, whuddya think?

I'm also not sure about the case only opening to ~250 degrees. How awkward is that to use if you're using it while standing and accessing information?

I wonder if any of my local stores (such as Staples) have the case now, since they're obviously finally sending them out.

I'd also like to hear if any of you with the case would ultimately recommend it, when you feel you're ready to pronounce your judgement on it.

[OldBlue]

Kasia, thanks for your feedback. I'd be interested to hear of your impressions after using the case for a while. I'll start using mine this weekend and give it a week's trial before deciding.

Pride Of Lions, I did not bring the case to work with me, so I can't give you a squeeze report until this evening. I chose the Innopocket titanium-finish metal case for my m505 because it was solid, lined with neoprene to protect the m505's finish, and added very little to the thickness of the m505.

clare, I have not seen the case at either Staples or Office Depot. (I went to both yesterday for other office supplies.) Palm was offering free shipping when I ordered mine. Not sure if the promotion is still in effect.

OldBlue

[Kasia]

Clare, I think that opening the graffiti area is fairly easy - doesn't seem awkward at all. It's easier than I expected it to be. I have even had to do a reset because Bejeweled locked things up & it was no problem.

The fact that the case only opens to ~250 degrees or so is more problematic. I find it a little bit cumbersome, but maybe I will get used to it.

I wouldn't recommend this case for lefties because of the opening limitation. My boss is a lefty & I had him try it out. He thought the cover would definitely drive him nuts, because it kept hitting his wrist.

OldBlue, I will be looking forward to your thoughts as well after the week's trial. What do you think about the slots for the SD cards - it bothers me that the contacts are facing out, but maybe it's better than it would be if they were touching the case.

[clare]

OK, so I decided that since people actually had these Hard Cases in their hands now, perhaps going to Staples this evening (it was on my way home) wouldn't be a total long shot. After all, Staples was the place I bought my TT on the day it came out. So I went to the Staples and looked at their Palm stuff, and didn't see the Hard Case, of course. As a further long shot, I asked an employee who happened past. He said, yeah, they're here, and handed me one from beneath a pile of other stuff behind their PDA counter! I couldn't really tell a lot from the package, but with their 15-day full return policy, I decided to give it a try. So I bought it, and brought it home.

I just opened the damned adultproof heavy plastic packaging (trying to be minimally destructive in case I need to return it), and put my TT inside. OK, here are my thoughts. (*) => execllent feature, (+) => good feature, (o) => noticed aspect neither liked nor disliked, (-) => disliked aspect.

(*) I like that the Hard Case grabs onto the back of the TT, in those little holes in the lower part, so the TT can be opened upwards instead of opening downwards like in the Slim Leather Case.

(*) I really like the finger cut-away in the top of the Hard Case behind the TT, so you can easily grab the top of the TT.

(*) The combination of the TT sliding upwards to open, and the finger cutaway behind the TT means that I find it significantly less awkward to open the TT as compared to the Slim Leather Case. Yay!!!

(+) It's thinner than the "Slim" Leather Case, at 0.86 inches.

(+) I like the detents in the opened case that stop at 135 and 180 degrees. It's easy for me to hold it comfortably with my left hand in these configurations.

(+) The TT is a bit easier to insert and remove from the case than I expected from looking at it. Nice design.

(+) The case holds two SD cards. I agree that it seem a bit odd that the metal connectors face outwards. But the design of the SD edges makes it sorta necessary, I guess. Would have been better if they'd been covered somehow.

(+) I'm glad the Universal Connector is covered.

(+) Looks reasonably nice.

(o) As expected for a hard case, you can't sync in the case. Seems an OK tradeoff to me (more protection for a bit less convenience).

(o) As mentioned, this case is clearly designed for right-handers. Lucky me.

(o) "Squeezability"? It seems that if I push hard I can make the cover bend. I don't think I'd want to step on it, or even really sit directly on it. But it's fine for me, since I don't quite ask for this level of protection.

(-) It's disappointing that it won't open past 250 degrees (says my protractor -- good eye, OldBlue!). A fully wrap-around design, where the case cover could swing a full 360 degrees, would be much better.

(-) I would prefer it if the top and left side were enclosed. I guess I expect a hard case to be more fully protective of the TT. A covering on these parts that flipped open independently could have been nicer, perhaps.

(-) It doesn't *click* closed, and often hangs a little open after I try to close it. This is rather disappointing!

(-) It feels awkward to open it -- perhaps I'll get more comfortable with opening it in time.

(-) The general quality just doesn't seem quite as nice as I'd hoped, especially for $39.95. Especially the part about it hanging open after trying to close it.

VERDICT: I'm leaning towards keeping it. For me, it's definitely a major improvement over the Slim Leather Case. But it may not be my ultimate case, but it's likely to be my choice 'til something better comes along.

I may still try out the E&B or the Vaja, though.... Looks like both of them have the TT open upward too, which I now confirm that I vastly prefer to having it open downwards. I tend to hold the TT with the heel of my hand or pinky supporting the lower edge of the TT, which blocks any comfortable method of opening it downward. I think I'll likely use this new Hard Case for a few months, then re-survey what new case options have become available.

I wonder what I'll think after I've used it for several days....

--Clare

[OldBlue]

Well, the verdict is in: The Palm metal case is going back.

1 - It makes the TT too thick for my needs; it adds a bulge to my pants, but not at all in a flattering way. :D I'm better off with the clear polycarbonate cover that comes with the TT.

2 - The bright aluminum finish did not match the classy metallic gray of the TT and makes the case look like a 3rd party product. I really think this is odd, since the case is custom designed for the TT.

I'm hoping Innopocket will come out with a case similar to the one they make for the m500/505/515. It adds very little thickness to the TT, has a protective neoprene inside liner, and matched my m505's finish.

OldBlue

[clare]

Hey, OldBlue, aren't ya glad I didn't bring you a Hard Case back from Europe?! It would have been *much* harder to return.... ;)

I've been using my case since I bought it, and while it's not likely to be the ultimate case I stick with, I still belive that it is a vast improvement for me over the Slim Leather case. But I still *really* don't like that it doesn't solidly close! I'm gonna keep it 'til I find something better, probably after a few months of waiting for the full crop of new TT cases to appear.

--Clare

[OldBlue]

Awwww, clare!

You KNOW that if you had found the hard case in Europe and brought one back for me, I would have kept it and used it if only for the sentimental factor. :) The case is not THAT bad. ... It's funny that the photos on the Palm web site do not give an indication as to the thickness of the case. Also, when I clicked the image for the enlarged view, the case and the TT looked to be well matched as far as color of finish. Needless to say, I'm a bit disappointed after experiencing the real thing. I'll stick to the clear cover that came with my TT and keep my eye out for a new case that is more to my liking.

OldBlue

[clare]

Hey, OldBlue, what a sentimental dude! ;)

I'm amazed that you have the patience to stick with that annoying clear cover -- I was so eager to get rid of it that I settled for the Slim Leather Case which I didn't much like. And now I've replaced that with settling for the Hard Case because I was definitely unsatisfied with the "Slim" Leather Case (partly because it was *not* slim, mostly because it was so awkward to open the graffiti area downwards while holding the thing). For me, the Hard Case is way better than that clear cover, but I hope to eventually replace the Hard Case too with something much nicer. It's still a flawed case, mostly because I hate the way it doesn't quite close solidly. Perhaps a leather flip case like the Vaja or E&B, or perhaps a nicer hard case. We'll see.

--Clare

[Joseph]

Has anyone seen the Tungsten T scuba sleeve case? I was considering trying it. It appears to be thinner than the regular soft leather case.

See it here:

http://store.palm.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1195300&cp=1195699

Joe

[doodlebugger]

I just got my Tungsten:D . No dust, no blown pixels, everything working (except Avantgo). Was a little worried about not having a protective cover, so I went to CompUSA and bought the scuba sleeve. I like it, but there is no place to store additional SD cards (which probably does make it thinner then the Leather Case), you can't place it in the hotsync cradle (I'm thinking about buying the USB hotsync/charging cradle anyway).

Overall its okay, but I'm hoping Rhinoskin is going to come up with one of their titanium cases? Anyone have any insight on that. I had a Rhinoskin Aluminium case and it worked great. Had my Palm V out in the desert and accidentally dropped it. Case was scratched but the Palm was okay.

[Joseph]

I picked up a Palm Aluminum case today for my Tungsten T and think I am going to like it OK. It seems to be a little awkward to hold at first because the cover seems to be in the way when you open it, but when you expand the TT you can get a comfortable grip along the top edge. The cutout at the top is great for grabbing the Palm to expand it out toward the top. It's simple and quick to remove the Palm for charging - just a quick press downward against the lower spring and pull the top toward you. A cutout along the top left allows you to use the audio record button with the case closed. The top is completely open so I'm not sure if it will keep out lint or dust from within your pocket. I'll try it out for a few weeks just to make sure I'm going to like it.

I first looked at the Scuba case. It's horrible! There is no place to grab the TT to expand it.

Just my opinions.

Joe