Official Gadgeteer Hands On
Review: MarWare SportSuit Cases by Julie Strietelmeier Last date revised: 12/05/99 |
MarWare has a new line of Neoprene cases called the SportSuit. These cases are compatible with various PDAs and come in a variety of sizes and colors.
SportSuit
The SportSuit is a book style zippered case that can be used either as a play
through case, slip case, or belt case. It comes in several colors: Jet, Ocean,
Fire, and Sun (which translates to Black, Blue, Red and Yellow).
Inside dimensions: 5 "H x 3.8" W x .8" D
Outside dimensions: 5.25 "H x 4" W x 1" D
The SportSuit will hold the following PDAs: Palm Pilot, Palm III series, Palm V, Visor, Casio E-10, 11 and 15.
The case has a slanted pocket on the front that can hold small papers or business cards. On the inside, there are 3 other pockets for business or credit cards. The pockets on the inside are made of a thin nylon material which feels a little cheap to me. The front is also has a thick plastic insert (it is removable) that helps protect the screen.
There is an elastic band in the middle of the case that can hold your stylus. You can Velcro your PDA to the right side of the case, so you can use it as a play through case. The back of the case has a belt loop. I don't think that this loop is very convenient because you have to unfasten your belt in order to get the case on and off. I would much rather see them use the detachable belt clips like E&B Cases use.
The zipper on the SportSuit is heavy duty but still has smooth action. While using the case I never had a problem with the zipper getting jammed.
Overall the case is made well, and at $22.95, it's easy on the wallet.
Price: $22.95
Pros:
Can be used as a play through case.
Hard insert protects the screen.
Cons:
Thin pocket material inside the case.
Belt loop isn't as convenient as a detachable clip.
SportSuit II
The SportSuit II is a book style zippered case that can be used either as a play
through case, slip case, or belt case. The case is basically exactly the same as
the SportSuit but is .5 in longer to fit larger PDAs. It comes in several
colors: Jet, Ocean, Fire, and Sun (which translates to Black, Blue, Red and
Yellow).
Inside dimensions: 5.6" H x 3.8" W x .8" D
Outside dimensions: 5.75 "H x 4" W x 1" D
The SportSuit II will hold the following PDAs: Palm VII, Casio E-100/105, Nino, Compaq Aero, and HP Jornada 420.
Price: $24.95
Pros:
Can be used as a play through case.
Hard insert protects the screen.
Cons:
Thin pocket material inside the case.
Belt loop isn't as convenient as a detachable clip.
SportSuit III
The SportSuit III is a slip style case that can be worn on your belt. This case
comes in black with blue trim.
Inside dimensions: 5.3 "H x 3.5" W x 1" D
Outside dimensions: 5.5 "H x 4" W x 1" D
The SportSuit III will hold the following PDAs: Palm Pilot, Palm III series, Palm V, and Visor. The tag that came on the case said that it could fit the Casio E-100, Nino and Compaq Aero, but I'm not sure I would want to use this case for those models. I tried using the case with my Casio E-100 and although it will fit (very snuggly) it is quite difficult to remove the PDA from the case because of the tight fit. I found that the Visor and Palm V were a very comfortable fit in this case though.
The SportSuit III has a pocket on the front of the case that can hold several business cards or small folded papers. The back of the case is reinforced with a hard plastic insert. Unlike the picture above, you'd probably want to insert the PDA with the screen facing this screen insert. (A Visor with its hard screen cover can fit in the Sportsuit III just fine) Inserting and removing a PDA from this case is easy. The case flap is held closed with two Velcro tabs.
The belt clip on the back of the case is a hard molded plastic clip that can slide over your belt. The clip is pretty strong, but I'm still a bit concerned that it could slip up and off your belt if you squat down. This did happen to me one time while reviewing the case. It actually happened in my truck. I think I knocked the case off when I was putting on my seat belt.
Despite the potential belt clip problem, I still really like this case... and the price is great.
Price: $19.95
Pros:
Hard insert protects the screen.
Slim case.
Belt clip.
Cons:
Nothing to keep the belt clip from sliding off your belt.
WinCE Suit
The WinCE Suit is a book style zippered case that can be used either as a play
through case or slip case. The case comes in black with blue trim.
Inside dimensions: 7.5" W x 4" D x 1" H
Outside dimensions: 7.75" W x 4.25" D x 1" H
Some of the PDAs that the WinCE Suit will hold: Casio A-10, A-11 A-20,Compaq Companion, HP 320 LX , HP 360 LX , HP Jornada 680, Philips Velo, PSION Series 5, PSION 3c, and PSION 3a.
The WinCE suit has a long slant pocket on the front of the case. The inside of the case is all Velcro compatible. There are 8 Velcro tabs that you can use to attach your PDA to the case if desired. There is also an elastic band in the middle of the case that can hold a pen or a stylus.
One nice feature of this case is the removable card slot panel. This panel has Velcro on one side so that you can attach or remove it. There are 8 business card slots and one large long slot. The pocket panel is made of thin nylon material that I don't really care for. It feels a bit cheap. But, the rest of the case is high quality and is made very well.
Price: $29.95
Pros:
Can be used as a play through case.
9 pocket panel is removable.
Cons:
Thin pocket material inside the case.
Let me know your comments on
MarWare Sportsuit cases and read what others have to say. |