Palm Hard Case for Tungsten E and Tungsten E2

by Palm

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.8 x 3.6 x 0.8 inches ; 5.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000E0ZM0
• Item model number: E Hard Case
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #63 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > PDAs, Handhelds & Accessories > PDA & Handheld Accessories > Cases
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 1, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

A stylish finish combined with a durable plastic interior is the perfect combination to protect and secure your Palm Tungsten E or Palm Tungsten E2 handheld. This case provides a metal exterior, a smooth interior lining, storage for expansion cards, a spring-loaded cover, and a secure attachment mechanism.

Product Description

HARD CASE PALM TUNGSTEN E

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

239 of 239 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars REALIZE YOUR NEEDS BEFORE YOU BUY!, March 23, 2004

By 

Harvey Ramos "Geek" (Springfield, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palm Hard Case for Tungsten E and Tungsten E2 (Office Product)

From reading the other reviews on this product, it seems that some poeple were expecting one thing and recieved another. To that end I hope i can clarify a bit.

What it does:
*Protects your Palm Tungsten E
*Looks good. Sleek brushed aluminum with black plastic trim (not all plastic as has been mentioned)
*Holds 2 expansion cards

What it does not:
*Provide quick access to stylus, power button, expansion slot, or hotsync, power, headphone jacks
*Provide storage for anything other than Tungsten E or 2 expansion cards

This case is for PROTECTION of the Palm Tungsten E. It is a hard shell. Period. People argue about whether it is plastic or aluminum, it is aluminum outside with a plastic interior. With the case closed, there is no access to any part of the Tungsten.

If you are a person who like to flip out the Palm for a quick second and stow it away again, or needs a case to be able to carry things other than your Palm, or if size is an issue then this is not the case for you. You would be better served with one of the leather cases with minimal padding, but with holes to access things like stylus, expansion slots, or power button. Just realize that those cases are not as durable.

I use this case because i am very clumsy with small objects like PDAs and needed the extra protection to keep my shiny new Tungsten free from dents and scratches which the included flip cover could not provide. I accepted that it is significantly thicker (about a half inch thick instead of a quarter inch) and that access to certain items was not immediate.

I have never had a problem opening the case, but it is secure in that it won't open accidentily. It clicks open with a slight push on the arrow on the lower half of the shell. Some have said you can open with one hand... I tried, and while it is possible, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're trying to impress friends. I always use 2 hnads (one to hold, the other to open) and it never occured that it was an issue until reading some of the posts here.

I use one of those combo stylus/pens and so i never have to get the stylus out of the case. it also gives me a nicer writing instrument.

I do take it out of the case when charging and syncing. It seems to me that the weight of the Tungsten is propped on the jacks if you leave it in the case. Since the Tungsten is light, it is probably not an issue, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I usually take it out at night when i get home, and place it back again when i walk out the door in the morning. Once again, it didn't occur to me that this might be an issue until readin some of the posts here.

I also don't listen to MP3s using this so not being able to access the expansion port while the case is closed isn't an issue for me.

Long story short... if you want protection for your Tungsten, then this is for you, otherwise get a leather case that has more convenience features

115 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unequaled protection in an elegant package, January 16, 2004

By 

Luis Carlos Alvarez (Santo Domingo, D.R.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palm Hard Case for Tungsten E and Tungsten E2 (Office Product)

I went over many of the reviews posted here before placing an order for a Tungsten E and its accompanying hard case. Admittedly, because of the many negative and mixed reviews, I had my doubts on the quality of the case, but since I didn't like any of the alternatives, I went ahead and purchased it.

I've been using my Palm on a daily base for a month now. During this period, I've dropped it around 5 times, once in a stream of water in a roadside. Not a scratch on the PDA, it looks exactly as it did on the day it arrived.

Despite my best efforts, I am careless and forgetful (hence the need for a PDA), thus I find this case to be perfect for my needs.

CLARIFICATION. Many of the mixed or negative reviews here are from people that haven't learned to use the case properly. As another reviewer pointed out, the hard case has a hinge that matches with a slot on the PDA, a perfect fit. The PDA doesn't flop or shake around at all. The cover is most definitely NOT made of plastic, but some type of aluminum. The inside is plastic, and has 2 slots for memory cards.

Opening the case is extremely simple and takes 2 to 3 seconds: you hold the case in your palm, top cover facing outward, press the bottom lid in (there's a small triangle that indicates exactly where) with your thumb, the case then clicks open, you then use your free hand to open the lid (which rotates 360°), swing the PDA and pull the stylus out and voilà ... brand new Tungsten E. I hardly ever use the power button to the unit on since I have 4 alternate power keys on the front.

By the way, you do NOT need to pull the PDA out to charge or hot-sync it, I do it daily and haven't had to do this once. On the other hand, as one reviewer pointed out, you won't be able to listen to mp3s while the case is closed. Is this important? There are excellent mp3 players out there, with up to 30 GB storage, so I find buying expensive memory to play mp3s on your PDA ridiculous.

For it's elegant appearance, slim fit, unequaled protection, and relatively cheap price (on Amazon) this case deserves 5 stars.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice, sturdy case for your Tungsten E., November 28, 2003

By 

J. E. Stachowicz "JackS124" (Edison, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Palm Hard Case for Tungsten E and Tungsten E2 (Office Product)

I read some of the reviews here, but went ahead and purchased the hard case. I was pleasantly surprised how nice it was given the very negative reviews here.

First, the case exterior is most definitely aluminum, not plastic as one reviewer mentioned. Only the interior is plastic. As for the difficulty some folks mentioned on opening the case, all I can say is they are opening it wrong. Although this is a clam-shell type design, the latch mechanism works by sliding the lower half of the case toward the hinge. I have no difficulty opening the case with one hand, using my thumb to slide the lower half. If you try to open the case like a book, you won't be able to open it. I believe that's why folks are complaining about "how difficult" it is to open. It's not so don't believe it.

Lastly, regarding the issues of not being to access the power switch or stylus, that's kind of a nonsense issue. The design of the lower half of the case surrounds the Tungsten E. To access the power switch or stylus, just swing the unit out slightly to gain access. The unit is attached to the case via a hinged rail that your Tungsten E slides onto.

Again, all I can say is I'm rather pleased with the hard case. It's stylish and protects the Tungsten E like an armored car, which is what I was looking for. If you want a quick access case, you're probably either better off with the Palm zip-case or one of the generic flip or holster type cases