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| Product: JetPac Palm Case |
Company: JPsolutions |
| Web: www.JPsolutions.com |
Phone: ?? |
| Platform:All Palm models |
SRP: US$20 (plus shipping)
Street Price: same |
Cred Rating: | Special Award: |
I've been looking for a good PDA case since ...well.. since I got my first PDA. I used to have a grubby ol' Sharp Wizard that I kept in a cheap nylon camera case. When I bought my first Palm Pilot, I knew I'd be using it so often that dragging it out of a velcroed, glorified purse thirty times a day just wouldn't cut it. If PDAs are really going to fulfill their evolutionary destiny as human brain augmentation, they'll have to be as closely tied to our bodies as possible. And since a Palm Pilot implant would be somewhat uncomfortable, not to mention awkward (how would you change batteries?), I've been looking for some way to keep my Palm instantly accessible, preferably in a belt holster.
So I ponied up US$26 (including shipping) and ordered a JetPac from JPsolutions, but only after reading the owner comments at The-Gadgeteer.com. The case itself is made of gray plastic and is shaped so that a Palm Pro or Palm III will slide snugly into place, held firmly at the base by two plastic tabs that fit into the two small holes at the base of the Palm. (The case does fit the Palm V -- sort of. You have to have the leather cover on it and it's a friction fit as there are no clip holes on the V.) According to the manufacturer, if the clips start to lose their grip, you can gently press them inwards and create a tighter fit. Unfortunately, while attempting this at Street Tech's underground lab, one of the tabs snapped off completely and skittered across the desk. I'm not the first person this has happened to, and it doesn't seem to impact performance, but it is disconcerting to shell out nearly thirty bucks for a case only to have it start eroding during the break-in period.
The original belt clip was made of metal and held the JetPac securely on my leather belt. I noticed, however, that after having the edge of the case catch on chairs, couch arms, etc., the clip tension lessened to the degree that the case was occasionally dislodged from my side, sending my Palm clattering to the floor. Ouch. Although the expansion door flew off of my Palm, there was no permanent damage. I emailed JPsolutions, but never heard back, even after contacting them repeatedly and notifying them that I was reviewing their product. They made no effort to send a replacement or even acknowledge any of my mail. Shame on them!
 After carrying the JetPac in my front pants pocket for a week or two, which, incidentally, looks incredibly dorky, I finally decided to embrace my inner geek and fix it myself. With a 5/32 drill bit, I bored out the rivet that held the original metal clip in place and attached a Belkin Universal Swivel clip, which was held in place by 3M sticky tape. The Belkin Universal clip probably deserves its own review. It's a plastic/metal clip that attaches via 3M tape to the device of your choice via one of two included mounting posts. I.e., the post is "male" and sticks to your Palm case. The clip is "female" and locks onto the post. I put one post on the JetPac and one on our cordless phone. Similar third-party clips are often sold for Nokia and other cell phones.
Any device attached to the Belkin clip will rotate freely, but cannot be removed unless you push a release button. The jaws of the clip that fasten over your belt also have a small lip that prevents the clip from sliding off of your belt.
 Finally, I thought I had found the perfect combination. With the Belkin clip attached to the case, and my Palm securely inside the JetPac, I was pretty confident that the case and Palm where solid. For a few weeks it worked beautifully. I could quickly remove the Palm with one hand from the JetPac and jot down notes or make appointments. Because everything was so accessible, I found myself now using my Palm constantly. I was all prepared to brag incessantly on the appropriate Palm newsgroups, until yesterday. While getting into our cramped 1989 Ford Escort, the edge of the Palm and the JetPac caught on the seat, pulling the case up and way from my belt at a 45-degree angle. The Belkin clip mount on the JetPac peeled away from the case, leaving behind a strip of gray adhesive backing. Bummer. So last night, I scraped off the tape residue and reattached the button-mount with JB Weld. If this stuff will repair engine blocks, it shouldn't have any problem with a lightweight plastic case. After applying a thin coat and letting it sit for 10 hours, I wore it to work. And again, while sitting down in the car, the edge of the damn JetPac caught on the seat and pulled away the mounting from the case. Sigh. I could pay another $10 for a replacement Belkin clip, but right now, not counting my earlier failed cases, my total investment in this project consists of:
$8.00--Original crappy nylon camera case
$26.00--JetPac
$10.00--Belkin Universal Swivel clip
$5.00--JB Weld
Total: $48.00.
For almost half a c-note I could have bought a decent case to begin with, like the Shocksuit.
I eventually reattached the button-mount with liberal quantities of JB Weld, fantasizing the whole time that I was either repairing an SRL robot or creating my own piece of Gomi-esque cyberpunk street tech. After the second application, it seems to be holding beautifully.
Although assorted Usenet denizens swear by the JetPac, it didn't fit my needs very well without extensive modifications. With a few small modifications, such as the addition of a more robust clip and sturdier construction, JPsolutions would have a great product on their hands. As it stands, with mediocre construction and no customer support to speak of, I can only give the JetPac 1.5 batteries and hope that JPsolutions will book a ride on the cluetrain.
If you have any PDA case recommendations or cool case hardware hacks, please share 'em in Shop Talk!
- Mark Crane [3/6/00]
Other PDA cases reviewed on Street Tech:
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