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Posted by: smeg36

Palm Treo 700w LeatherSkin Case
By http://www.senacases.com
MGN 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 Smeg36
Review Date / March 21st, 2006

Intro

Sena, one of the top names in leather PDA cases, continues it's outstanding line with the http://www.senacases.com/cart/home.php?cat=386. The series offers three cases to choose from. In this review we'll take a look at the http://www.senacases.com/cart/home.php?cat=392.



Design

The LeatherSkin case from Sena is a form fitting, soft, thin leather case designed to fit every contour of the Treo 700w. The leather used in the Sena case is a thinner, softer variety than most of the leather case manufacturers. As such it adds much less bulk to the device. The Sena case is probably the slimmest fitting of all leather cases. It really makes the device feel good in the hand, not like you just turned your sleek device into a brick. I have a Palm cradle, and it looks like the 700w would be able to sync while in the case if the belt clip didn't get in the way. The case is thin and small, and if you got the non-belt clip version it would probably fit in the cradle fine (as most Sena cases do). As it is, the belt clip post sticks out hitting the top of the cradle before it makes contact.



Design Cont.

The skin allows full access to the 700w while in the case. Both speakers, the charge indicator light, keyboard, screen, side buttons, sync port, mic, camera, headset jack, stylus, SD card, and IR port are all available. The Sena case has a little flap that goes over the IR and SD and snaps in the back to keep the case secure on the device. It is easy to unsnap when you need access to the SD or IR though.



Belt Clip

The belt clip is a high end clip common among the high end cases. It is very secure and my 700w never once came off. It requires the device be inserted or removed at a sideways 90 degree angle. So you have to turn the device sideways to remove it from the clip, preventing accidental removal. The belt clip version of the case costs $44.99, $5 more than the non-belt clip version.



Options

The LeatherSkin case comes in a few different options. I obviously have the blue case with a belt clip. They have four color options; black, tan, red, and blue. You can also choose the case without the belt clip, costing $39.99, or with a belt clip, costing $44.99.



Value

Of all the quality leather PDA cases, Sena's are some of the cheapest. By cheapest I'm referring only to price, not the quality. Starting at $39.99 the Sena cases are very affordable, but don't skimp on quality or style. The leather is nice and sturdy.



Issues?

So are there any problems with the Sena case? I only found a couple problems, and they are more of an annoyance than an actual issue. First, the borders of the case around the screen don't sit flush. They bow out a little on either side, as you can see in the picture below. The second part of the case that bothered me is a similar problem. The case bubbles up a little around the side volume buttons. Both of these problems are a result of the nice soft leather that the Sena case is made of. The soft leather has it's benefits and downfalls.





Conclusion

Starting at $39.99 Sena delivers a high quality case at a great price. The case had a thought out design allowing full use of the 700w while in the case. It comes packaged in very professional packing and ships quickly. The thin but sturdy leather provides good protection while keeping the sleek design of the 700w. If you are looking for a quality case at a quality price, check out the http://www.senacases.com/cart/home.php?cat=392.