Reviews

Proporta Silicone Case for the palmOne LifeDrive

September 6, 2005

I must start this review by saying that even though I have a new favorite case, it isn’t the only one that I use for my LifeDrive. If I’m traveling or in an environment in which I expect extra abuse for my LifeDrive, I go back to the aluminum hard case I reviewed a while back. But for daily use in the office, the Proporta silicone case is definitely my top choice, and here’s why— I can pick up my device and start using it immediately, without having to open, unlatch, or flip any sort of cover out of the way. Yes, the screen is left exposed, but then again that’s the point of this design.

Proporta’s silicone case for the palmOne LifeDrive is very similar to the popular “skin” cases available for the Apple iPod, as well as other handhelds and smartphones. The case is made of soft, springy silicone that fits the LifeDrive like a second skin. You install the case by inserting the device through the screen opening on the front of the case. The fit is fairly tight, but not frustrating— you shouldn’t find it all that difficult to get everything situated properly, meaning that you can easily switch with another case if you like. Unless you’ve tried a skin case for the iPod, you may not understand, but I can safely say that you won’t even be tempted to resort to four letter words when trying to stuff a LifeDrive into this case, which is very good news!

Once properly inserted, the first thing you’ll notice is that all of the buttons are covered, as well as all of the edges of the device. The only openings are at the top, for the memory card slot, power switch, and stylus, on the back, so that there is no interference with speaker volume or heat dispersal, and on the bottom, for the headphone jack, reset hole, and sync cable. It may be hard to tell from the photos, but there is not a single bit of the LifeDrive casing that is uncovered unless it absolutely has to be, for the sake of accessibility. For example, there is a cutout for the power switch and memory card slot, and there’s a separate cutout for the stylus silo, instead of one large opening.

You may be wondering why I like this case so much, since it leaves the screen exposed. The primary reason is ease of use, which I touched upon briefly at the beginning of this review. The second is comfort—I play a lot of games on my device, and having it in this soft skin case makes it much more comfortable to hold for long periods of time without any discomfort or strain. The third is protection—of the rest of the device, though not the screen. Every edge is covered, as is every button. That means that it is very unlikely that the LifeDrive will suffer any cosmetic damage (dings or scratches) while in this case. The four main buttons on the front, the screen orientation switch, and the voice recorder button can all be easily operated by pressing on the case in the right spot, but they’re still protected.

Finally, I like the fact that I can use the belt clip option when I like, but I can completely remove the screw attachment when I don’t want to use the clip, which means that this case is the least bulky option I’ve found so far for the LifeDrive, with the most options. A lanyard also comes with the case, but there’s no way to attach it that I can find. Most likely this is just the manufacturer’s “default” inclusion, and you might be able to use it with some other case or device you may already have.

I’ve been using this case for a week now, daily in the office, and even in my gear bag as I commute back and forth from home. Even with an open front, I don’t worry about screen damage so long as I place it next to another item, like my calendar. Since I don’t toss anything “dangerous” in my bag, like coins or keys, I don’t even feel the need to change cases on a regular basis (though I will use a hard case when I travel). Overall I found Proporta’s Silicone Case for the palmOne LifeDrive to be both durable and functional. The price is quite reasonable as well, just $19.95 at Proporta’s online store.

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