I am a heavy-duty road warrior and can be a little tough on equipment. Laptops rarely last me more than 6 months, and Pocket PCs not much longer. My last RIM Blackberry lasted me 3 days before it died. As one of my colleagues says, "If you really want to see how durable a device is, give it to Derek for a while—he can kill anything!"
Personal experience has taught me the value of a good carrying case. Most Pocket PCs ship with a case, but it's usually a thin, inexpensive slip case that does not provide much protection. In most cases, a higher-quality case is a must-have accessory. If you're a new or existing Pocket PC user, get one! However careful you are, you will eventually end up bumping, banging, or dropping your device. A decent carrying case will quickly pay for itself by saving you costly repairs.
There are heavily padded cases and some with thick plastic or metal armor. These are great for really rugged situations, like trail riding or climbing up the side of a mountain. But they are overkill for day-to-day use. When I'm out on business, I want a case that not only protects my Pocket PC, but makes it look good at the same time. I want a leather "executive style" case.
The number of vendors offering this type of case has ballooned recently, and many people have asked me for recommendations. To this end, I asked the major manufacturers of executive cases to send me samples of their best cases. I tested versions of these cases designed specifically for the HP iPAQ h2215 and h1940 Pocket PCs. I will share with you my observations on these cases, and will conclude with the "The Product That Derek Uses" award.
Let me begin by saying that the four vendors who participated in my study all provided cases of exceptional quality and that I would not hesitate to recommend any of them. The four vendors whose cases I looked at were Vaja, Sena, Cases Online, and Piel Frama. All four offer cases for a variety of Pocket PCs, in a variety of colors, and with belt clip options. I focused on what I felt were the most positive aspects of each case, but also kept an eye out for the less satisfying characteristics. But in the end, the things that made me prefer one case over another may not be the same for you. Selecting a case is a personal choice.
Vaja (http://www.vajacases.com)
Vaja is one of the very first manufacturers of high-quality executive leather cases. They are made in Argentina from exceptionally fine leather.
Vaja cases
What I liked: The Vaja case is well padded and provides good protection of your device. You can also have it personalized with your company logo, your name and address, or some other short message. Finally, there is nothing quite like the smell of fine leather, and Vaja has the best-smelling case of those I looked at. Vaja's products, such as the Aptus shown here, are definitely the Cadillacs of cases.
What I didn't like: Vaja cases are some of the more expensive cases available for Pocket PCs, ranging from $55 all the way up to $150 for a customized version of their top-of-the-line case. I also didn't like the design of the pocket used to carry Secure Digital cards, located on the inside of the flip cover. I have a number of SD cards, including one with music for my morning runs, another with GPS maps, a third with photos of my family, etc. I am constantly swapping cards, and found it a little awkward to insert cards into, and remove them from, the pocket.
Sena (http://www.senacases.com)
Sena offers fewer customized options, but an excellent price for their high-quality leather case with a striking two-tone style.
Sena cases
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