i-volution T77 Palm Treo 700w CaseBy VajaMGN Rating - Rating Legend
1 star: Find something else; save your money
2 star: Below average; not recommended
3 star: Average; performs as advertised but not inspiring
4 star: Good; worth the money
5 star: Great; best of its kind on the market
Review by Smeg36Review Date / April 24th, 2006IntroIf you have read my
Vaja PA165 Review and
Vaja T7 Review, you'd know that I'm a fan. A big fan. So it is with great pleasure that I review the Vaja i-volution T77 Palm Treo 700w case. It is available from
Vaja, with a starting price at $120. It isn't cheap, but is it worth it?
DesignIf you haven't read the
Vaja T7 Review, go do that now. The design of the T77 is basically the T7 with the one major negative some users may have with the T7, the screen being exposed, solved. The T77 is a T7 with a magnetic cover over the front. If the cover was cut off it would be nearly identical to the T7. If you want ultimate protection with ultimate style, look no further. I've had the T77 for about a month now and it still has that fantastic leather smell. As I said, the cover for the screen is held closed with two magnets. This makes for easy opening and closing, and ultimate style.
CustomizableAs with all Vaja cases, customization is the name of the game. The T77 is no exception. If you go to
Vaja Choice? you can select any of the 900 possible color combinations, along with belt clip options, name personalization, graphic personalization, and SD slot options. My case is a Caterina Vibrant Orange front and Caterina Black back with a rivet clip and one SD slot on the inside of the flip cover. The cool thing about the SD slot is it's spring loaded, just like the SD slot in a device would be. You push it down to lock it in, and down again to eject it. Very cool.
Belt ClipThe rivet clip that Vaja offers is very unique, and very nice. Instead of the typical large belt post sticking out of the case, you get the small little rivet pin you see in the photos. The clip is a little metal piece that allows the rivet to slid easily in from the top. To release the case you press the button in and slid it out the bottom of the clip. You can read more about the rivet clip system
here. I have yet to once have the case fall off the clip, or the clip to come off my belt. It is by far the most secure, sturdy, unobtrusive belt clip I've used. I can't imagine going back to a standard belt clip after using the rivet clip. If you have your case on your belt, I highly recommend upgrading to the rivet clip.
Issues?So are there any drawbacks to the T77? Of course, every case has the one main drawback; it isn't as slim as the device without a case. This goes double for the T77. It is big. I felt a little odd walking down the street holding my 700w with the T77 up to my head. But that's what BT headsets are for, right. Protection does come with a price. The price is size. Any protective case you get for any device it going to be large. This case is by far the most stylish and protective of protective cases though.
ConclusionSo, as I ask at the beginning of the review, is it worth it? Well, that depends on you. Do you want ultimate customization and ultimate style? Do you want the best custom design and build of a case for your 700w? Do you have the money? If you answered yes, get this case. It is the epitome of style while keeping your 700w protected. It looks nice, smells nice, and is highly customizable. As with all protective cases, it does add some bulk to the 700w. But for many that is a necessary drawback to keep your 700w running while still looking great.