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Brando Cases for the Sony Clie NR70
June 28, 2002
For pictures of both of these cases, please visit the Brando site at this link. He’s got lots of great pictures there. I’m currently waiting for my new Sony digital camera to arrive, which is why I was not able to add any of my own pictures to this review. If you have any questions about specific aspects of either case, don’t hesitate to email me.
The first case up for review is the OEM case, which is available in either a zippered or a tab-style closure. I was sent the zippered version for review. The materials used are quite nice— the leather is soft, and the zipper works very well. There is also an inside flap designed to protect your Clie’s screen from the credit cards and Memory Sticks you can store on the other side, which is a very nice touch. Unfortunately this case has two major problems. The attachment mechanism, which uses a couple of nubs that fit into the slots at the top of the NR70 and a couple of clips at the bottom of the device, is very snug, to the point that removing your device in order to charge or HotSync is almost impossible. Second, the overall fit is so tight that I feared scratching my Clie in trying to get the case closed—and that’s without any extra cards or Memory Sticks in the slots. Please note that this OEM case is also available in an open version with a tab closure, which is almost assuredly a better choice than the zipper version. Perhaps I just got a bad case, but I really can’t recommend this case to anyone in its current condition. That’s not such a bad thing though, since the second case in this review is so perfect in every way.
How can I say that? One look at the Digital Express case will show you what I mean. The leather is very nice, and the stitching is even all around and very well done. The attachment system is rather ingenious. Since the portion of the device under the keyboard doesn’t have any buttons or controls on it, the designers simply created a yoke that holds your NR70 very securely, while still allowing you to remove the device easily when necessary. That may not be too often though, especially if you’ve already invested in a HotSync + Charger Cable from Brando. There’s an opening at the bottom of the case that will allow you to plug a cable into the bottom of your Clie. And since this is a flip style case that opens toward the top, it’s a simple matter of either opening your Clie partially and holding the case against your device or folding the case completely over to the back of your device if you want to use the NR70 in tablet mode. The closure is a simple snap tap on the back of the case that works quickly and quietly— no noisy Velcro! The Digital Express case has four credit/business card slots, and is available for $29 in black leather, black PVC, and blue PVC. I recommend it highly.
Both of the cases reviewed here, along with lots of other great accessories, are available from Brando, here.
PocketGoddess rating for the OEM Case (zipper style) from Brando: 
PocketGoddess rating for the Digital Express NR70 Case from Brando: 
