Product Description

This stylish aluminum hard case is the perfect solution for keeping your Palm Tungsten T handheld secure and protected. Built with a cushioned lining, this case features slots to store your expansion cards, plus a spring-loaded cover and attachment clip to hold your device securely in place. The hard case gives you full access to all handheld features and maintains full Bluetooth range.

Product Details

• Brand: Palm
• Model: P10897U
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 3.35" h x 4.33" w x .87" l, .13 pounds

Features

• Hard Case for Palm Tungsten T
• Compatible with Palm Tungsten T/T2

From the Manufacturer
Protect your handheld with this aluminum case, which holds the device securely by a rubber gasket. The case has a plastic lining, slots for expansion cards, and a spring-loaded cover and attachments clip.

Customer Reviews

Great looking, well crafted, but oversized!
Having recently purchased the terrific and super-compact Tungsten/T, I was anxious to protect it with a hard case. I expected the Tungsten/T hard case to be similar to my previous Palm V hard case -- hard shell protection with minimal size -- but was very disappointed in the size of the Tungsten/T case.

Sure, it's sleek and carries out the design theme of the Tungsten/T itself. It is also beautifully engineered, using a clever mounting which allows the Tungsten/T to slide open while mounted in the case (with the cover open), plus when closed a cutout allows access to the voice memo feature. Another clever addition is the dual SD card holder integrated into the inside cover (although I personally have no need to carry extra cards).

The size is simply excessive. The compact-sized Tungsten/T alone is only 4" tall by 3" wide by 5/8" thick. But in the case, the dimensions grow to 4-3/8" tall by 3-3/8" wide by 7/8" thick. The external hinge causes the width increase, while the 40% increase in thickness is caused by a combination of the SD stick storage and standoffs which give extra clearance from the screen and buttons. If you carry your palm in your purse, briefcase or jacket pocket, the size may not be bothersome, but if you carry it in a pants pocket, the size increase is significant. If you previously owned a Palm V (or Vx)with the minimally-intrusive Palm hard case, you may be disappointed with this one, as am I.

After all, didn't you buy the Tungsten/T largely because of its super-compact size? Then why does Palm think we want to significantly increase its size by using an oversized hard case for it?

Solid but flawed
The case is fairly well made and will no doubt protect your Palm reasonably well; however, I quickly grew disenchanted with it for several reasons.

First, the case does not completely enclose the Palm, a fact that is not evident from the pictures. When closed, the top and left side are still exposed, allowing access to the stylus, memory card, IR port, power button, audio jack and voice memo button. It's very possible, then, for the memory card or stylus to be ejected while the unit is in a purse or backpack, or for the unit to be turned on. While access to the jack and record button could be useful, it's unclear to me why the designers thought that access to the Palm's top was necessary. There's also a thumb cutout in the back panel for some reason, perhaps to aid in removing the Palm from the case. but it is hardly necessary.

Secondly, Palm's marketing material claims that the case allows you 'full access to all Tungsten T handheld features.' That's true only if you don't consider using Graffiti a feature, as you can't expand the Palm -- and thus can not enter any data -- while it's in the case.

Thirdly, the claimed 'spring loaded hinge and attachment clip to hold your device securely in place' is hardly that. The attachment clips are perhaps 2mm long. Pressing the power button or inserting/removing a memory card requires enough force that you will also unseat the Palm from the case.

There are additional flaws. The expansion card slots are polarized, for some unfathomable reason, so that cards can only be stored so that the card contacts are exposed and the label can't be seen. And the spring loaded hinge doesn't always keep the case completely closed. It sometimes gapes open a few millimeters, allowing any sharp objects that might be in your bag with it the opportunity to get in and scratch the screen. Finally, the packaging also claims that the case has a cushioned lining. You can probably guess that there is none; the case is aluminum over plastic.

Great case for the Palm Tungsten T! Fits perfectly...
I just got this hard aluminum case for my Tungsten T (TT). I absolutely love it. While considering which case to get, I checked out the leather case by Palm, too, but it didn't look nearly as good as this hard case. In fact, I thought the leather case looked poorly made in comparison.

Here are some reasons why I like the hard aluminum case:
1. You can see and feel that the case is custom made for the TT. My TT fits nice and snug in the case (which is a wonderful feeling).
2. The springs in the case and two rectangular holes in the back of the TT (take a look) are used to secure the TT in the case. It works fabulously. With a swift, effortless (I'm not exaggerating) move (gently pressing downward and pulling the Palm towards onerself), the TT can be removed from the case. This makes the hard case superior to the leather one, which uses clips on both sides like the cheap plastic cover that comes standard with the TT. The clips just don't feel as secure and tend to loosen after a while. I always feel like I have to be extra careful when dealing with the clips. Not the case with the springs.
3. The hinges that hold the case cover are great. The cover doesn't just flip open and dangle about. Sure, they're plastic, but they're also cleverly made so that you can open the case cover at 120 degrees or 180 degrees. When you close it, one gets a nice click.
4. I don't think the case is made of aluminum, which is actually a plus for me because the material has more give and is softer. The material is definitely more scratch-resistant than real aluminum.
5. My TT feels well-protected. Every part of the TT, except the top and the bit where the earphone jack and voice memo button are, is covered by the case. The fact that the bottom is covered is especially significant. This way, I don't feel like my TT will slide off and/or drop when I use it while standing and holding it more vertically.

I have to agree with some of the other reviews that this case might not be as ideal for lefties. And yes, the case increases the size of your TT, but it doesn't bother me. Honestly, any decent case out there would make your TT bigger. The other common criticism about this case is that one can not pull down and use the grafitti section when the TT's in this case. The solution is simple: PULL UP INSTEAD! In fact, the case is conveniently designed to make pulling up to expose the grafitti section easy.

The case takes a little getting used to, but once you know how to use it, you'll appreciate it.