Product Requirements:
Device:
Palm m500, 505, 515

The Palm Hard Case is a Palm branded case for the m500 series PDAs. This is a sleek molded case that looks quite classy for both casual and business settings.

Upon first seeing this case, I muttered an "oh" and an "ah" under my breath as it is a very cool looking case. But when I first removed the case from the plastic packaging, I muttered some other words which I shouldn't repeat here. Someone with the brain power of a turkey came up with the bright idea of gluing the paper instructions to the back side of the hard case. And instead of using a dab of that rubber goo stuff that you typical see, they used actual glue. After I managed to pull off the instructions, I had paper shreds and glue residue stuck to the back of my hard case. I was NOT happy. It took 5-10mins of rubbing and buffing to finally remove all traces of it. Grrrrrrr >:o[

Made of anodized aluminum shells over a plastic frame, this case is only available in silver. The interior of the case is a translucent grey plastic while the outside of the case has a brushed texture and is very smooth. Actually, it is so smooth that it is almost to the point of being slippery. From the few days that I've been using it, I've found it to be resistant to both finger prints and scratches.

Size-wise, the Palm Hard Case does add some bulk and weight to your PDA:

Dimensions: 4.8 x 3.6 x .75in (122 x 91 x 19mm)
Weight: 3.2 oz (90g)

Like quite a few non-slipper style cases, this case uses the left stylus silo as an attachment method to hold the PDA in the case. The rail that is used, is made of a flexible plastic and fits snuggly in the m505 silo that I tested this case with.

The actual hinge on the Palm Hard Case is unique in that it is a double hinge which allows you to fold the cover 360 degrees around to the back of the case. This is the first book style hard case that I've seen with this feature. This is nice as it allows you to fold the cover out of the way for easier use.

While in the case, you have unrestricted access to all the buttons, screen, and IR port. You also have access to the stylus silo, but instead of using the stock PDA stylus, the Palm Hard case comes with a separate stylus.

The stylus is actually quite nice. It has a balanced metal body, smooth black stylus tip and a large plastic clip at the top. Unfortunately, the clip, which can screw off, does not include a reset pin.

The left side of the case has a business card slot which can hold a few (3-4) regular sized cards. Inserting and removing cards from this slot is a little awkward though due to the proximity of the edge of the case to the card slot.

The cover of this case is held closed with a very secure press fit tongue and groove method. Because of the double hinge, closing the case takes a little wiggling till you get things lined up just right. As for opening the case, I was all set to grumble and gripe about how hard it was... that is until I figured out the trick (maybe I should have read those darned instructions that I shredded earlier huh?). To open the case, you curl your fingers around the case to rest on the hinge while you rest your thumb on the side edge of the bottom case shell. You then press your thumb down and your fingers up at the same time which disengages the cover.

The only down side to the case is that while the PDA is inside, you won't be able to easily sync and charge with the cradle. It is possible if you put the cradle on its side, but it is pretty awkward. A solution is to remove the PDA from the case, or to purchase a hotsync / charge cable.

The workmanship and materials that have gone into the Palm Hard Case are first class. I didn't find any defects at all with this product. This is a nice case that protects your Palm m500 series PDA while looking classy.

Price: $39.99
 

Pros:
Sleek, Stylish
Cover can fold underneath
Nice stylus included

Cons:
Hard to open if you don't know the 'trick'
Instructions were glued to the back of the case!
Stylus does not include a reset pin