New case offers padding, crush resistance, plus SD slots

by Shawn Barnett

Posted November 20, 2003

Proporta has done it again, with a few improvements. Their latest hard case is for the Tungsten C and W. Its chief advantage is that it provides hard protection without being bulky. The C by itself is a chunk, so you don't want to add much more to that. The door design is better than past models, in that it provides better crush protection. The case of the Tungsten T, for example, could give when the mating pieces of metal decided to slide past one another, but this one is better locked into place. There are holes for speaker, HotSync, and reset button, as well as a large open area at the top for SD, IrDA, stylus, and headset jack access. The status light can be seen, and the antenna of the W has room as well.

Inside is a new feature I'd love to see them add to the other cases: SD/MMC card holders. This is an absolute necessity as we continue to do more and more with our devices.

The case is padded inside to avoid scratching the unit, as well as providing some shock protection. Two spring loaded pads in the back nudge themselves into the Universal Connector openings on the back of the unit. This mechanism holds the device well enough that a drop won't release it.

While the case does not allow use of the HotSync cradle, the opening at the bottom is big enough for the Proporta USB charge and sync cable. Thumb typing is a little difficult with the case, because your right thumb has to wrap around the open door as you type. I would really like to see this crew try their hand at a flip top case, since flips usually get completely out of the way.

This new case offers such excellent protection that it's easy to forgive the device's SD card slot and power button being unprotected, but these factors should be considered by the prospective buyer. Overall, it's a good buy at US$34.95. http://www.proporta.com

-Shawn Barnett

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