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> Review :: Vaja Classic PA165 Palm Treo 700w Case, Rating 4 out of 5
smeg36
post Mar 15 2006, 06:23 PM
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Classic PA165 Palm Treo 700w Case
By Vaja
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 15th, 2006


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Intro

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of reviewing the Vaja i-volution case for the Treo 700w. As you can see in that review, I am fond of Vaja. I love their style, craftsmanship, custom design, and most of all quality. In the i-volution review I gave a link to Vaja's Treo 700w Case line, which includes the Classic PA165 case reviewed here.

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Design

Similar to the i-volution, the PA165 case has cutouts for virtually every function of the Treo 700w. You can access both speakers, the charge indicator light, microphone, screen, keyboard, charge/sync port, camera, SD slot, mute switch, side volume keys, and IR port. The screen, unlike some cases, doesn't have any plastic covering it. I consider this a plus as I do use a stylus on the screen and plastic film covering it would inhibit that. I have a Seidio battery cover that has a reset hole cut out of it, and I have to take it out of the case to perform a soft reset. You can't really fault Vaja with that missing function though, the stock battery cover from Palm doesn't have a hole cut in it. If it did, I'm certain Vaja could have included a hole cutout for the reset button. Another missing ability that Vaja can't be faulted with is the case won't fit in the standard Palm cradle. Again, a cradle isn't included with the Palm Treo 700w though, so that can't be seen as a missing function.

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Design Continued

The classic case, like the i-volution, has been obviously designed with care and crafted to precision. The case fits perfectly to every curve and contour of the 700w. The Classic uses a softer, but still rigid, type of leather than the i-volution. It is thinner, and thus adds less overall bulk to the phone. Another innovative added feature is the SD slot on the back under the belt clip. If you have one of the smaller SD wifi cards, like a Spectec, you should be able to fit it in there for easy transportation.

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Belt Clip

Speaking of belt clips, I got the case with the ultra clip. It costs an additional $4 on top of the $60 to get a belt clip. But it is worth it if you keep it on your belt like I do. The ultra clip is a very secure, sturdy design. It is the style of belt clip that must be turned 90 degrees sideways to get the clip attached to the post. Similarly, it must be turned sideways 90 degrees to remove it, preventing any accidental drops off the clip. I never once had the clip fall off my belt, or the 700w fall of the clip. I felt very safe with my 700w in the Classic case on my belt.

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Customizable

The Classic PA165 case, like all Vaja cases, are highly customizable. There are 4 different belt clip options (no clip, ultra clip, rivet only, and rivet clip), two different designs (Plain Vitelino and Plain Aniline), 28 different color combinations, name personalizations, SD slot or no SD slot, and Soft Leather Lining or Matching Leather Lining. Whatever your personality, Vaja can most likely match it.

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Issues?

So are there any problems with the PA165 other than the two above, which I've already said can't be considered a fault with the case? I noticed only one, but it was an annoying one. The strip of leather between the keyboard and screen caused me some problems. It is necessary for the design of the case to work, but it caused some problems with the two soft keys and the up direction on the d-pad. If I used my finger tips or nails to press the buttons I probably wouldn't even notice it. As it is, I use my bulky male fingers to jam down on the buttons. With the strip of leather right by them I had some problems doing that. As I said earlier, the leather is still rigid. The center strip had a tendency to bow outward, making the problem even worse because of that. This is really the only fault I could find with the Classic PA165. The screen is exposed, as with the i-volution, and some may consider that a problem. As with the i-volution though, Vaja has already though of those people. You can check out the Classic PA163 or PA164 if you desire the screen to be covered.

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Conclusion

Starting at $60 the Vaja Classic PA165 case gives you the fantastic design and features of a Vaja case with a lower price. You just can't beat the smell of a fresh leather case designed by you to meet your wishes. Vaja continues to impress with their custom offering, thought out designs, and impressive customer service. I just can't get enough of them. If you are looking for a quality case by a quality manufacturer, check out the Vaja 700w offerings.


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Phone: Sprint Touch Pro
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