Reviews

JAVOedge Accessories for the Apple iPod

June 15, 2005

JAVOClearCase

I can’t fully review this product, since it only works with a 20GB iPod and I have a 40GB, but that’s good news for you— the first person to write a comment to this article asking for the case gets it FREE so long as a valid email address is provided so I can contact you for shipping details. What I can say about this case is that it’s made of hard plastic, totally clear, and the iPod slips in through a flip top opening. The screen is completely protected, and the click wheel is left open so you can control the player while it’s in the case. A belt clip and a lanyard come with this case, so it seems like a good deal for $23.95.  
 

JAVOeBuds

These are great for people who are more concerned about portability than ear-busting sound. This accessory is very similar to the now-familiar retractable sync cables, except that you’ve got ear bud headphones instead of a cable that connects your handheld to a computer. I found these headphones to be of generally good quality, and they fit comfortably in my ears. Sound quality is quite reasonable as well— not what you would expect from a high-end pair of Sony headphones that cover your whole ear, of course, but comparable to other ear buds I’ve used in the past. The cable housing does not have a clip on the back, which I actually prefer over the BoxWave version, since I don’t often wear the kind of shirt to which a clip would easily attach to prevent the cable housing from swinging back and forth as I walk. That means no potential snags, and less weight too. Some of the other little extras are missing though, like a foam covering for the ear buds themselves, as well as the little plastic “detangler” that prevents the ear bud cord from getting knotted up as it winds back into the cable housing.

The JAVOeBuds are a little less expensive than BoxWave version, and I like the fact that there’s no clip on the back of the cable housing— though I miss the foam covering on the buds for extra comfort. Which product you choose will of course be entirely up to your personal preferences. You can get the JAVOeBuds for $18.95 at the JAVOedge web site.

 


 

JAVOLeatherCase

If you’re a minimalist, I’ve got the iPod case for you! The JAVOLeather Case for iPod, Design 1, is simply dreamy in its simplicity. Think of it as a pouch for your iPod, nothing more, nothing less. The case is made of leather, with a fun punch-out design reminiscent of a field of polka dots, while the back is plain leather and very smooth. You’ll find white stitching throughout, which provides a nice contrast, while the interior is made of a plain black “flocked” fabric that won’t scratch your music player. The sides and bottom are made of elastic, so virtually any standard iPod will fit; it works perfectly with my 4th gen 40GB model.

This case is nothing fancy, but sometimes that’s all you want. I found it did an excellent job of protecting the front and back of my iPod, as well as most of the sides and bottom. The headphone port and hold switch are accessible at all times, since the top of the case is left open. I wasn’t at all concerned about my iPod falling out, as it was gripped quite tightly by the case. And I really like the fact that the case is protective, yet thin enough that if I press in the right spots I can still start and pause the music, or skip to the next song, without taking the iPod out of the case. My only concern is that portions of the corners and side of the device are left exposed, but as long as you don’t put this case in the same pocket with your keys, it should be fine.

The JAVOLeatherCase for iPod, Design 1, is available with or without a leather belt loop, for $28.95. A more traditional play-through case, Design 2, is available for 20GB iPods only for the same price, with or without a belt clip. You can get one for yourself at the JAVOedge web site.

JAVOScreen

Just because the iPod doesn’t have a touch screen like your PDA doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need protection— it can still get scratched and scraped by keys, pocket change, and other environmental hazards. And the same goes for the click wheel as well, which can get stained and dirty if you aren’t careful. Thankfully the JAVOScreen for Apple iPod covers them both, and very well indeed. I appreciate the fact that when you order a screen protector from the JAVOedge folk, you get a complete package with the appropriate protectors, a screen cleaning cloth, and a small installation card that helps you deal with any air bubble problems. I cleaned the screen and wiped the dust off the click wheel with the included cloth, then installed both of the protectors. It was incredibly easy, mainly because each one of the protectors came with a sticker strongly attached to the protective mask. All I had to do is tug on the end of the sticker and the mask came off, allowing me to install the protector on my device without cussin’ and strainin’ at a pesky little piece of plastic that won’t come off of the protector. Thank you JAVOedge!

You’ve got two choices in iPod screen protection with JAVOedge: screen only, or screen and click wheel. I tried out the screen/click wheel set, and I really enjoy it. The sizes are perfect, and as mentioned above they were both very easy to line up and apply. Since these protectors are made out of anti-glare plastic, they aren’t perfectly clear. That’s fine with me, as I use my iPod mainly as an “office stereo” with the iPod dock and a set of JBL Creature II speakers (which I highly recommend). It was sometimes hard to read the screen of my iPod, due to the glare of office lighting, but that isn’t an issue any longer.

This product is quite a bargain too— the screen protector by itself is only $5.95, while the set with the click wheel protector is only $6.35— and you save even more if you get a three pack instead of a single pack, though it’s unlikely you’ll ever need to replace this protector, unless it gets badly scratched for some reason. After all, the iPod doesn’t have a touch screen so you won’t be writing on it with a stylus. You can get protectors for the 4th gen 20 and 40 GB iPods at the JAVOedge web site.

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