The belt clip is solid, and the small metal button on the case is unobtrusive enough that you can slip the case into your pocket if need be. You can use Springboards with the Vaja case, though some larger ones might make the case hard to close.

I like the Vaja case a lot. In fact, at this point, I'd have to say it's my favorite all-around case. It looks good, protects well, is well constructed, and fits in a pocket if I need it to. That's not to say the case is without flaws. For one, the plastic that covers the buttons is a bit thick for my taste, and there's no HotSync version at the time of this writing. But for sheer functionality, this is one tough case to beat.

RhinoSkin Ti Slider Hardcase
One reason that people buy cases for their PDAs is for protection. All of the previous cases I've looked at offer some degree of protection. But none are what you might call "bulletproof" cases. To fully protect your Visor, you'd need to put it in an armor casing. The folks at RhinoSkin had that same idea. To that end, they created the Ti Slider Hardcase, pictured in Figure E.

FIGURE E


RhinoSkin's Ti Slider Hardcase is the closest thing to bulletproof you're going to find. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The Ti Slider Hardcase is essentially a metal box into which you put your Visor. With all the myriad metals to choose from, which did RhinoSkin choose? They chose Titanium, due to its strength and lightness. Steel would be too heavy, and aluminum too thin. Besides, Titanium, being a "space age" metal, has a certain panache to it.

When you first see the Ti Slider Hardcase, you're struck by the industrial look of it. It's all gray metal with the company name stamped on the bottom. When you open it up, you'll see foam glued inside to help hold and cushion the Visor. The foam does an adequate job of gripping the Visor, but you wouldn't want to hold it upside down and shake it while the case is open. You'd probably end up buying a new Visor.

Once the Visor is snuggled in the Ti Slider Hardcase, you won't be able to use the IR port. The Ti Slider Hardcase has no holes for the IR or to perform a HotSync. You have to remove the Visor to do either of these two actions. Also, you'll want to remove your stylus before the case is completely open, since once open, the case covers the stylus hole. Most Springboards will likewise be unusable, since the slot is encased as well. You can still use the Backup module or the flash memory, provided they're loaded into the Visor before you put it in the case.

When you hold the Ti Slider Hardcase with the Visor inside, the complete package will be slightly wider and about twice as thick as the Visor on its own, making it slightly uncomfortable to work with. Don't get me wrong, it's still useable; it's just slightly awkward. The hinge and clasp on the case are adjustable. Just place them against a table or counter to bend them in or out to match your comfort level.

When the case is closed and the Visor is inside, it's like putting your device in a bank vault. The Visor is fully enclosed and covered. Dropping it won't cause any harm to the Visor. In fact RhinoSkin claims that it can be run over with a car with no ill effects whatsoever. Unlike certain other devil-may-care reviewers for this publication, I didn't test this aspect of the protection, as I can ill afford to lose my Visor.