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Kensington PDA Protector and the Samsonite Flipper
June 3, 2002
The Kensington PDA Protector gets high marks for style and functionality. It’s made out of aluminum and has been coated with a special rubberized finish for a great feel in the hand. Inside it is lined with a soft velvety black material that protects your handheld from scratches. You just slide your device into the case, and it is magically held in place by both the velvety lining and protective “arms” on each side of the case. The fit is secure, but not so tight that it’s hard to get your Palm out of the case. That’s a good thing, since you’ll have to remove your device for both charging and syncing— there’s no opening for the HotSync port.
This is a flip-style case, and instead of the lid opening to the side, it opens up. The magnetic closure holds the case firmly closed, but is very easy to open. Just slide your finger or thumb underneath the bottom edge of the case and flip it up. You then have full access to the screen, your stylus and all of the hard buttons. About the only thing that is covered up is the reset hole on the back of the device. There is no belt clip option though— this case is designed to be carried in a pocket or bag. I really like this case because it is stylish, very protective, and easy to open. The Kensington PDA Protector sells for $29.99 and is available both for the Palm m5xx series and the HandSpring Visor.
The Samsonite Flipper is the next option available for review. It’s a little bit different from the Kensington case in that it isn’t quite so easy to get your handheld into and out of the case for charging and syncing. You must remove the top portion of the case, slide in your device, and then reattach the top. It’s not all that difficult, once you get the hang of it. And the nice thing is that once your device is in the case, it is well protected from scratches or screen damage, and you can use this case as a desktop easel stand. Just slide the cover down and flip it under the bottom, and your PDA stands up at a great angle for reading ebooks, checking your calendar, etc.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few caveats. For one thing, you cannot access the power button while your handheld is in the Flipper, though they have partially solved that problem by making an indentation on the case you can use to press the button. You also cannot access your stylus. Again, this problem has been partially solved by the addition of a special stylus silo on the outside of the Flipper, and the inclusion of a special stylus to fit the space. You cannot use your stock stylus or any other stylus replacement that fits into the device’s silo in this spot. You also cannot charge or sync while your device is in this case, a limitation it shares with the Kensington PDA Protector. The Flipper is well designed though, and comes in several fashion colors. It is made of plastic, but it doesn’t look like it, especially if you choose the wood finish. And there is also a version available for the Palm III series/HandSpring Visor. The Samsonite Flipper is regularly $25, but is now on sale for $19.99.
Both of these cases are available at StylusCentral.
PocketGoddess rating for the Kensinton PDA Protector: 
PocketGoddess rating for the Samsonite Flipper: 
