PocketGoddess Review: PDA Jacket for the Palm m505
I love doing hardware and software reviews, but
sometimes I get too caught up in the grind of contacting
developers, evaluating products, taking pictures, and
writing articles to fully appreciate some of the
innovative products available in the handheld market.
But every once in a while I get a wake up call that
makes me realize just how lucky I am to be doing what
I'm doing, and in this case it's the PDA Jacket.
The concept behind the product is terribly simple and
incredibly brilliant, all at the same time. The PDA
Jacket is a vinyl overlay that is available in a variety
of colors that allows you to personalize your Palm m505,
Vx, HP Jornada or Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC.
Installation is a snap, even for someone as
fumble-figured as I am. Each overlay is "sandwiched"
between two layers of removeable backing. First you peel
off the wite paper, then you apply it to your handheld,
making sure that all of the cutouts for the Palm logo,
the hardware buttons, etc. That's a lot easier than it
sounds, because the second backing layer is made out of
clear plastic. When you have it in the right spot,
smooth it down all over the surface. When you're
satisfied that it's stuck down pretty well, start
peeling off the second backing layer. This takes a bit
of patience to get started, but once you're done, the
end result is fabulous. You may have to smooth it down
in a few spots, especially at the edges, but the entire
process is very fast. It took me about 4 minutes to
cover both the front and back sides of my m505, and I'm
very proud of the results.
And for such a reasonable price, the level of detail
is simply amazing. All of the cutouts are placed exactly
where they should be, and each curve of the device is
perfectly matched. You might be saying to yourself "I
can still see the original silver color of the 505 on
the edges!" and you're right, but I think there's a
reason behind that. If the vinyl overlay exactly
matched the silver part of the m505, I believe that
installation would be a complete nightmare. As it is,
the PDA Jacket is very easy to install, and if I can get
such good results on my first try, I'm sure that just
about anyone can do it. I would suggest that you start
with the back first, as it is a bit more forgiving than
the front-- and it certainly doesn't show as much!
One last point-- my Palm m505 is much more
comfortable to hold, now that it has been personalized
with its spiffy new green PDA Jacket. The vinyl provides
a slightly more secure grip than the metal case of the
505, and my handheld isn't so cold and slippery feeling
anymore. The quality of the material is excellent. I
didn't have any problem with stretching, which vinyl is
prone to do, and it isn't so sticky on the underside
that I have to worry about being married to this
particular color for life-- it's easy to remove if I so
desire. I also get the feeling that it will retain its
good looks for quite a while.
If you'd like to spice up your Palm but don't feel
like spending $399 for a special edition colored
handheld at the Palm online store, why don't you try the
PDA Jacket? There are a variety of color choices
available, and you can buy a complete set of front,
back, and flip cover overlays for only $14, the front
only for $6, or a set of front and back for $8. Purchase
the PDA Jacket of your choice at the developer's
web site and say goodbye to your boring old silver
handheld forever!
PocketGoddess rating:
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