Customer Reviews

PalmOne Leather Zippered Case (m500 series)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The Leather Zippered Case is a must-have for the m500-series owner. Not only is it a very attractive case, but its size is extremely convenient, and its extra features make it a fantastic buy. It incorporates slots for 4 extra expansion cards, as well as credit card slots and an ID card window (inside). Also immensely helpful is the small notepad. It is very easy to slide the PDA out of the case, which is securely held via its left rail. The security of a zipper is not to be done without, especially if you want to keep your Palm free of dirt and debris that can creep into less-enclosed cases. The only thing lacking is a small pen to complement the writing pad, but I personally cured that by purchasing a stylus multi-pen (which is much easier to manage than the m505's included stylus, which fits TOO snuggly in the right rail, and has caused more than one broken nail!). The multi-pen does not fit inside the case, but such a minor issue is not worth lowering my rating of the case.

This is -the- case for the m50x series. Not only does it have plenty of space and slots for SD cards, credit cards, and ID cards, but it has a zippered closure that protects the Palm from lint and dust. Your screen will be less likely to be scratched. It also contains a tiny notepad that attaches to a leather flap. A nice touch, but I would recommend that you just discard the notepad and use the plain leather flap as a buffer between the Palm and the SD and credit cards. You lose a bit of functionality with the loss of the paper, but you gain tons of additional screen protection. When most wallet style cases are closed, the edges of your credit cards are pushed up against the screen. This is bad. This case actually provides the much needed added protection with that leather flap. The Palm is held in by a slide-rail, this allows the Palm to connect to the cradle while still in the case. It is somewhat ackward, but less ackward than taking it out of a case. And to top it off the case is a nice quality leather. If you have a m50x, get this case!

I had (briefly, before I gave it away) a slim leather case for my Vx and wasn't impressed with it. I got this anyway, because there just aren't many cases available for the 500 series yet. I was pleasantly surprised. If you're avoiding it because you're afraid it will be as disappointed as the V series slim leather case, no need. It's all leather, even the bit that attaches to the rail (unlike the Vx series case which was rubber), and the leather is soft and flexible enough that the case front comfortably folds behind the pilot when I'm reading from it. It even fits around my dual action stylus; the tab closure adjusts well to different amounts of stuff in the pockets. It's pretty slim as cases go. It's nice looking. (The new round palm logo is cleaner looking even.) My biggest criticism is that personally, I could do without the padding, since then it would be slimmer still.

There are a lot of people at work with PDAs, and they all carry them around in some kind of portfolio-style case. This was not acceptable to me--I wanted a hands-free way of keeping my Palm m505 with me.

This case is the answer. The black leather is stylish and durable. And this case is low profile--I bought the m505 partly because it's so small, and I wanted a case that's small too. The Palm fits real snugly into this case, and the case is narrow so that you're not always banging it into things as you walk around.

The only complaint that kept me from giving it five stars are that I wish Palm built some compartments into the flap cover of the case for carrying extra memory cards. But that's being nit-picky.

This is the best way I've seen of keeping your Palm at your side without having to carry it around with your hands.

I have gone through several cases designed for Palms, from a snug-fitting neoprene case to a large Coach case that held a dozen credit cards and a note pad. This case, however, is the perfect one for me.

The leather is high quality with a tough (hard at first) finish. As you use the case for a few weeks, however, the surface softens a bit. It is great for business use, but if you are hard on your cases, a nylon or metal one might be a better choice.

Inside, the storage is very handy, and designed specifically for a 505 and SD/MMC cards, so the space is very efficiently laid out. I can fit two credit cards in the slots and two in the clear pocket for a total of three credit cards and my driver's license.

There is also a hidden slash pocket for cash. I took the advice of another reviewer and left the note pad out of my case. It is tiny - smaller than a normal PostIt note - and adds to the bulk of the case. Since the M505 has the notepad function, I figured the paper was redundant anyway.

One reviewer noted that he was expecting a metal zipper, based upon the photograph of the case. The only difference in the picture and the production unit is the metal zipper pull. The production unit has a leather sewn pull. The nylon zipper is actually preferable as a metal zipper could scratch the Palm unit and would most likely be less reliable over time.

The only minor annoyance I found with the case is that the plastic rail that connects the unit to the case is very snug once inserted. To remove the unit for HotSync/charge takes a bit of effort. Be careful of your fingernails. Once Palm actually delivers a travel HotSync cable and travel charger (whomever was in charge of bringing Palm's accessory hardware to market should be sacked) this will not be a problem as you won't need to remove the unit at all.

This issue aside, this is the best case so far for a 505 if size and utility are an issue.

I purchased this version of my favorite Wallet Case when I acquired by trusty Palm 515.

The best thing about the Wallet Case is that it looks just like Palm's Slim Leather Case (which doesn't have a billfold), so this is where I hide my "mad money" unbeknownst to everyone (including my wife).

The Palm Wallet Case also has some extra SD Card-carrying slots on the inside cover, which are perfect for storing extra memory cards and my Wesbster Dictionary/Thesaurus (when its not in use).

The slots, unfortunately, are a tad too short to hold my oversize Palm/Toshiba Bluetooth SD Card transmitter, so I carry it, instead, in the back cover's convenient coin purse (which, since it has a zipper, is a much more secure storage compartment anyway).

The plastic rail that the unit uses to link with the Palm 515 is skinny and flexible, and not quite as secure as my previous Palm V case's rigid metal rail. But the case still holds my business cards and my kids' doctors appointment reminders; the tongue loop is still just as reliable and easy to open; and, being about the size as the Slim Leather Case, it still fits into my front pants pocket, where it (bulges strategically and) is always ready for action.

Overall, what more could anyone ask for in a Palm protectant?

Not a bad case, but the stylus attached to the case, which is supposed to slide into the slot on the left side of the Palm, fits into the slot much too loosely. As a result the Palm can and does easily slide out. That's not acceptable for a product that's supposed to shield the Palm from being dropped and broken. I solved the problem cheaply (and effectively) with Velcro, but Palm shouldn't sell products that need repair at the outset.

I've used this case for my Palm 500 for several months now; it suffices, but could be improved upon. Here are a few things that bug me: Over time the slots that hold the expansion cards loosen and the cards fall out easily. Since the case isn't completely closed, this could be a problem. I've also found that the design of the case causes the front buttons to be depressed if only a little pressure in applied to the case, for example, I couldn't put it in the cargo pocket of my work pants - I'm a RN and a paramedic - without hearing the distinctive clicking from a depressed button just from the movement of my legs. If you're a bit less active with the Palm, then that's probably not a big deal.

Aside from those concerns the case looks great, protects the screen quite well (I usually just toss it into my backpack and it's been fine) and does hold all that Palm claims. My biggest problem has been the expansion card slots loosening too much. I'm ordering the closed zippered version; that should resolve my concerns.

A case protects your handheld only as much as you use it. Pay close attention to what your needs are before deciding which case to buy. My own experience may be instructive:

When I bought my Palm m505 last July, I liked the fact that it was thin enough to fit in my pocket. So in it went, along with my keys and workplace ID -- and its back and sides got scratched up nicely. A protective case was clearly in order.

First, I picked up Palm Leather Zippered Case. I thought that the closed case would provide ample protection, and that the pockets for business cards and expansion cards would come in handy. The Palm fit well into the rail and could easily be used inside the case. But the overall package was too bulky to fit in a jacket or pants pocket, and I ended up buying fewer expansion cards than I originally expected. So, except for lengthy trips, the zippered case stayed home more and more often, and I ended up tucking in my Palm, its front-cover flap attached, into my jacket pocket (where at least it wouldn't get scratched by my keys). So things stood throughout the winter.

Switch to this spring. Temperatures are rising, I'm going increasingly jacketless, and suddenly I'm faced with having to put my Palm in my pocket and scratching it up again. So I buy another case -- this time the Palm Leather Belt Clip Case. And it turns out to be exactly what I need. The Palm fits in the case snugly; you will have to remove the front-cover flap. And it's just for the Palm: no room for expansion cards, et cetera. The top flap is lose and the snap magnetic, which means that you don't have to risk pushing against your Palm's screen when you close the case up. It's a little impractical to wear sitting down, but absolutely ideal if you're going to be on your feet for an extended period.

I like the case. It fits my Palm505 perfectly. The case also allows you to store some money and credit cards, but don't think of this as a wallet replacement. My biggest gripe(s) 1) My palm is constanly falling/sliding out of the case. The case has a Styli-like containment unit that allows you to slide you palm 500's; however, there is no "lock" to keep your palm in place, but i fixed this by buying some velco and attaching this to my palm. 2)This may be that I'm too protective of my new yet expensive palm505, but I feel that I might scratch my screen if i do insert my expansion cards and even credit cards into the slot. I use this case as a protective covering...not as a storage unit. Overall, it's not a bad case, and if you're like me (clumsy and careless) then get this cause there is not much out there, and it's better to buy a new case then aother... palm