Saunders 00497 RhinoSkin Aluminum Hardcase for Palm Tungsten TX/T5 Reviews

• Rhinoskin for the Palm T5

  
  By A2D0H5S4UR0031 on 2006-01-28
  I've had an aluminum Rhinoskin for years now on my old Palm Vx, so I was excited to see one finally become available for my newer T5. I'm sure all the Rhinoskin specs are available elsewhere online, so I'll stick to comments on useability. Although this is not a review of the PalmOne aluminum hardcase, I will make some comparisons, since that is what I have been using til now with my T5.
  
  Since my T5 tends to get bounced around a fair bit inside various backpack pockets and flight bags, having a hard case to protect it has always been quite important to me. The trick is in trying to maintain as much protection as possible, while at the same time making it as useable as possible, and I am quite impressed with the Rhinoskin in this regard.
  
  My first observation was that the Rhinoskin looks sleeker than the PalmOne hardcase. In fact, comparing them side by side reveals that the Rhinoskin actually is a bit smaller in every dimension. The design appears well thought out - cutouts in the case provide access to all of the T5 connectors without having to open the case. There is even an access hole on the buttom for the reset button (not that any of ever have to worry about resetting our Palm - right????), and a small grille so one can hear the speaker. Even the infrared port has its own cutout. The stylus is easily accessible with either the case open or closed. I've always been a bit irritated with my PalmOne case, which I had to not only open, but then also pull the Palm a ways out of the back side of the case as well to remove the stylus.
  
  Any time you make a cutout in any hard case, there is no doubt that you reduce the protection to some degree. Even though there are a lot of cutouts in this case, they seem well-designed, and are custom fit to the T5's configuration. As a result, overall protection for the T5 inside seems to remain quite high - it's a design that appears to do a good job balancing protection with useability.
  
  The case is held closed by little metal latching tabs, which provide detent-like action for opening and closing. Unlike the PalmOne latch (plastic), the latching mechanism is all metal and should be pretty durable. If the detent holding action isn't enough for you, it appears that you could *probably* bend the metal tab on side slightly for more resistance, although I don't anticipate wanting to do this anytime soon myself.
  
  Mounting your T5 into the case is accomplished in the same way as with the PalmOne case- that is, but sliding the T5 into a plastic "rail" mounted along the hingeline of the Rhinoskin. Once mounted and the case is closed, there is only a slight amount of "rattle" space - certainly far less than with my PalmOne case.
  
  I normally carry two SD cards with me in my case, a standard-size SD memory card, and a PalmOne WiFi SDIO card. Although the Rhinoskin case includes slide-in storage space for two SD cards on the inside of the front cover, I was initially concerned that the SDIO card wouldn't fit because it is so much larger than an SD memory card. On my PalmOne case, I had solved this problem by filing back the little plastic rails of the card holder partway to allow the SDIO card to actually fit fairly decently. However, I was happily surprised to find that the WiFi SDIO card actually fits quite well into the Rhinoskin! The trick in getting it to fit is to put it in upside down and backwards (i.e. when fully inserted, the metal contacts on the card will be exposed and toward the top). In this configuration, the "bulging" part of the SDIO card is away from the screen of the T5 when the lid is closed, and appears to provide a comfortable distance from the screen when closed.
  
  I suppose I should also mention that the Rhinoskin also comes with a belt-clip attachment. It works by screwing in a little metal post into a screw socket on the back side of the Rhinoskin. With the metal post screwed in, the provided plastic belt-clip attachment clips on or off to the metal post, much in the same way as many cell-phone belt clips. The beauty for me in this arrangement is that since I don't plan on using the belt clip at all, I can leave the metal post out and not have to worry about it catching on things. However, it will be available if I ever do decide I want to walk around town with my Palm on my belt, and will only take a minute to install.
  
  If protecting your T5 is of high importance to you, but you want much better useability and a sleeker look than the competition, then check out the Rhinoskin.
  
  

• Finally a perfect case for the Perfect Palm

  
  By A3R5CGBPODX9K7 on 2006-11-27
  I was a bit hesitant to purchase a T5 case of my Palm Tx; but I am glad I did. I often prefer the soft, black, leather cases for all my Palm pilots ( well, at least for my past ones...) but I ventured on faith to purchase my first hard case for my new device and I probably will never go back. This is the perfect case for this Palm. It fits like a glove. There aren't any pockets in it for cards or money; its strictly a case for the Palm Pilot and has two SD card slots in the front of it. I really like the fact that the Palm itself is not stuck in a stationary place in the case; but it fits on a separate plastic hinge and can easily be "flipped" to its back and (if needs be) can be cleaned or accessed. When closed, all the vital Palm parts are still available: It can easily be charged, the earphone jack is readily accessible, even the speaker and the "reset" buttons all have their openings.
  
  Remember; this is not a wallet case - there are no slots for credit cards for your your dollar bills. If you are looking for a slim-line case just to house this Palm and a couple of memory cards; this is the perfect case for you!
  
  

• a well-made case, with one potential flaw

  
  By A3PA8QB7RZHE1R on 2007-03-17
  PERSPECTIVE: Active Palm owner and user
  
  I recently upgraded to a Palm T|X from my old T3, and chose again to go with a RhinoSkin hard case, given my previous good experiences with their products. Thus far, I have not been disappointed.
  
  In terms of protection, the case is of admirably sturdy construction, and has yet to see a dent from my clumsy handling. The latch seems less "tight" than I feel comfortable with, but can me manually bent slightly to allow for better closure - in any case, it has not popped open when dropped. The T|X itself fits snugly in place by means of a rail that slides up one side of the Palm and locks in. The case is lined with a layer of foam, and is conformed perfectly to the contour of the T|X, without extra room for the unit to rattle around inside.
  
  With regards to functionality, 2 secure slots for spare expanision cards are available in the door, and are easy to access without risking harm to the screen of the T|X inside. Well-designed openings at the top and bottom allow easy access for the IR port, expansion cards, synching and charging, without removing the unit from the case.
  
  I do not use the belt clip feature on the case, due to my current "gadget setup" - it suits me well to have it either in my pocket or a bag. However, it is important to bring up the one design criticism that I have, which is true of all RhinoSkin hard cases I've tried recently - the belt clip mechanism is unreliable. The belt clip hooks on by clipping onto a screw, which needs to be tightened into the back of the case first. This design choice seems to be made so that if you choose to use the case without the clip, there will be nothing "extra" protruding from the back of the unit, allowing for easier storage and eliminating a "snagging" risk. The difficulty is that, no matter how tightly I've secured the screw, it eventually works its way loose. This leads to the Palm dropping off my belt at random times, without warning. The only way around this is to routinely unclip the unit and check the screw, which is clearly both inconvenient and easy to forget to do. And, as good as this case is at protecting the T|X inside, avoiding extra trauma to one's expensive PDA can only be a good thing.
  
  FINAL WORD: An excellent option for attractive protection for your Palm T|X. Just be vigilent if you plan on using the belt clip.
  
  

• Solid, but a couple quirky design decisions.

  
  By AYXJMJJJ8JMXH on 2007-09-20
  This is a solidly built, highly protective case for the Palm Tungsten TX (I assume it also works well for the T5, but this one was bought for a TX). The design is simple; it consists of an aluminum hardshell lined with thin neoprene that provides shock protection. It doesn't add much to the size or weight of the TX, and most everything is accessible with the case shut (you probably can't put it in a crade-type charger, but that's about it.) Overall quality seems pretty good, and your TX is likely to survive a drop from 'held in your hand' height to the floor with no or minimal cosmetic damage.
  
  There are, however, two quirky things with the design that caused me to ding it a star in the rating.
  
  1) The latch/grip point you use to open the case is, IMO, poorly designed. It is fairly difficult to open the case with one hand, since the little grippy bit on the 'front' of the case is hard to grip/push effectively. There is a small lip on the 'back' side that is easy to push against -- but you normally would open the case by pulling the 'front' towards you, not pushing the 'back' away. On the bright side, it is not going to come open accidentally in a bag or anything like that.
  
  2) The SD card slots in the inside front of the unit seem to be backwards. The way the cards go into the slots, you are looking at the backside of them -- and the contacts are exposed and vulnerable to damage! They should be flipped around the other way so that the contacts are protected better and you can see the labels on the front of the cards.
  
  The belt clip isn't that great -- it doesn't 'lock' like some other designs I've seen, so the PDA can swing and rotate annoyingly -- but at least is solidly built and doesn't look like it will fall apart or fall off. If you want something to keep a TX on your hip, look elsewhere.
  
  This case is nearly identical in design to the "Palm TX Armor Case" (which I also ordered for comparison purposes). That case is available in black if you want a hard case that isn't silver in color. I kept this one because the it seemed a little sturdier and it came with a 2-year product protection label from StuffBak for free.
  
  

• Great value!

  
  By A1Z3H56OR0DP8W on 2007-07-22
  My TX was coming out of my purse drained of power once or twice a week, and I was blaming the new device. Then a friend of mine suggested that stuff in my purse might be turning it on or shorting across the charging pins. Also, I wanted to keep different cards for media and for work data.
  
  So this looked like a robust little case for such a purpose.
  
  The ergonomics are great. I can grab it, and fish the stylus up with my right hand while opening the case with my left hand. The card slots allow me to carry three cards (2 in the case and one in the TX).
  
  Sometimes, I will head out of the house with nothing but my cell, keys, and my TX -- with my drivers license, debit card, transit pass and a couple biz cards tucked in the case. This doesn't work in my purse, because it really overstuffs the case a bit, but it works fine in the pocket of my jeans.
  
  As I often am seen carrying a dense little backpack that masquerades as a purse, this is a liberating thing...:)
  
  
• It has one weak point
  By A23EE0CY5BPB02 on 2006-11-16
  Well, I've used the Rhinoskin Aluminum cases for my PDAs before, with good experiences. There is one problem with them, I've discovered. The plastic clip that holds the case to your belt buckle is attached to the aluminum case with a small metal screw. (If you own one, you know what I mean).
  
  The problem is, that even if you tighten the screw really tight, it will eventually come loose and the aluminum case will fall off of the clip, usually while you are walking. What I've learned in the past with the rhinoskin cases is that I must superglue the screw into place to avoid any problems.
  
  Unfortunately, I didn't have any superglue at home when I bought this latest case and I started using the case anyway. When I was going down the stairs in my office building the case popped off the clip - and you know how some staircases have a central void that leads all the way to the basement? Well my PDA case bounced into the void and all the way to the basement. I was on the 10th floor. Suffice it to say, the results weren't pretty. There were Palm TX guts splattered all over the basement level of the staircase. The case itself, though fared pretty well and if not for the plastic PDA clip inside of it shattering, it might almost be re-usable. I gathered up my PDA parts and we gave my PDA a touching funeral back in my office.
  
  So lesson learned is - SUPERGLUE THE SCREW!!!!
  
  
  
• Not perfect, but the best on the market
  By A3IQWWZHYLXYN4 on 2007-09-01
  Even after reading the reviews on here about this case and the case that Palm themselves make, I still opted to buy the true Palm case at my local electronics store. I liked it's appearance better, and I REALLY liked that the door folded all the way back, so the item is not as bulky when using/referencing it on the go. But, as the amazon reviews state, it's latching mechanism is very poor. Mine did not break in the one week before I returned the item, but it was very hard to close and would take me considerable time to get it latched. Also, it's not a tight fit--the Palm rattles around like crazy in there, and you would think the Palm people would at least know how big their own device is!!
  
  So I ordered this Rhinoskin case the following day, and returned the Palm case once it arrived. I am very pleased with my decision, though it is sad that the Rhino case does not have a completely hinging door that can fully rotate back--it can be a little awkward and clumsy to hold when referencing it while talking to a patient out in the aisle (I'm a pharmacist). But, it's super easy to open and close and feels very secure when latched. And, it's very protective (probably the most important feature!). It was in my white coat pocket the other night, when I picked my coat up upside down, and the Palm fell to the sidewalk. I freaked, but all was OK with the Rhinoskin. :)
  
  
• Great skin for the palm tx
  By A2WR0XK7A2WKOO on 2008-01-07
  Hi, I bought a Palm TX because the reviews said it worked well with Mac OS, and I got a Rhinoskin case to protect. Out of the box it was great. I really like the case and have only three issues:
  
  1) The closure sometimes opens when using the belt clip. I put it on my other side and that seemed to be better, but I am now conditioned to worry about it.
  2) The screw that holds the case to the belt clip gets loose and my Palm fell three times. For a product that has been on the market for years this should have been fixed long ago. Putting a warning in the documentation isn't enough. What's a belt clip for if you can't trust it to hold the thing on your belt?
  3) The opening for the SD Card and the earphones isn't quite long enough for earphones to plug in without the case interfering.
  
  Other than these issues, I really like the case. I carry it in my shirt pocket now. It holds easily when open and has space for two extra SD cards. I bought three 6GB SD cards for $15 each and can now have 6GB of stuff with me. Cool.
  
  Buy it, but watch out for the belt clip.
  
  
• Very Protective, but bulkier than expected
  By A3I5U3QSYFCCK7 on 2008-01-07
  Saunders 00497 RhinoSkin Aluminum Hardcase for Palm Tungsten TX/T5
  For protection of my Palm PDA, this has to be the best. It is quite bulky however. I have had issues with the door getting caught on my jacket and opening and it is tremendously difficult to get the case off of the holster clip. I usually just have to take the clip off of my belt. It does have a nice soft inner lining, which can hold two extra memory cards. If you are looking for protection, this is it. I am ambivalent about my purchase as I would like something less obtrusive.
  
  
• Try some locktite on the screw
  By A1N03V52IRZ5PR on 2007-08-14
  Go to an auto supply store and get a tube of loctite. There are several kinds - one is removable, just takes a little extra torque and the other kind drys, well, permanently. I'd use the permanent kind, I think it is the red, but you should ask for permsnent. There are red, blue, and purple, in order of most strength to least.
  
  Put a drop on the screw thread and a drop in the hole, and tighten the screw. Leave the case alone for the specified drying time. Superglue is an idea but it won't work as well since it has good pull resistance but low shear resistance and screw unscrewing is shear. Loctite is the product for the job.
  
  Keep it clean, wipe up any excess before it dries and wear it on something other than your best pants and belt the first time. But for screws that come loose, loctite red or blue (depending on whether you are ever going to try and take the screw out or not) have been the industry standard solutions for 50 years.
  
  [...]
  
  
• Excellent Product
  By A24J12AVBCPRJI on 2006-06-29
  This is a very cool product. It is very attractive looking and fits the Palm perfectly. I only wish they made them for cellular phones.
  
  
  
  
• Worth the wait, perfect for T/X, and Amazon offers the best price.
  By A1SIH91JM461VS on 2006-10-09
  I just got this case delivered to my door and my T/X now has a safe home. Hooray!! What can I say? It looks great, fits like a glove, and was about $15-$20 cheaper through amazon than getting it from Rhinoskin.
  
  I'm extremely happy with this purchase, and I encourage others to do the same. However, since it is shipped by target.direct, it takes longer than the normal Amazon shipping, and you cannot use Amazon prime with it. THAT is the only downside I see.
  
  Oh before I forget, the belt clip looks to me like it wouldn't hold the pda to well, but I don't intend to use the belt clip anyway.
  
  And more importantly...
  
  DO NOT CUT THE PLASTIC STRIP ON THE INSIDE. The strip slides into the groove on the left side of the PDA and holds it in place. It's meant to be there, and should NOT be removed.
  
  Enjoy!!
  
  
• Excelent Case
  By A2R1QV1SVRSZ3U on 2006-10-27
  I've only had my case for 3 days, but I must say, I'm very impressed.
  First of all, it's sturdy, not very tough, but it provides protection from scratches and a potential fall. My palm TX fits like a glove, it doesnt move inside at all, its perfect, and the oppenings for the ports are just excelent. Just make sure you don't cut the plastic strip inside, it slides in the side of the PDA to keep it in place. If you are undecided about a protection for your Pda, specially the Palm T|X, get this one, highly recommended.
  
  
• Needs better design
  By A1PHML3HJUOVZ2 on 2007-05-25
  This hard-shell aluminum case by rhinoskin does indeed protect the TX from injury. However, the aluminum latch seems less-sturdy than the case for my T-3 (entire unit was stolen). Sometimes when I have the unit on my hip and walking (using the belt clip), the case will spring open and hang down.
  
  I know too that the mfgr says to keep the post tightened if you use the belt clip. A word of warning. Mine consistently and routinely 'unscrews itself' and suddenly my TX falls to the ground (usually concrete). Good thing? It's unharmed. Bad--how much shock can the TX take?
  
  My recommendation--don't get this case unless the latch is fixed. (I'm not factoring in the post system because other mfgrs have wrestled with the problem of putting on a post for a belt-clip and are running into the same challenge of keeping the case 'slim' for pocket use, and yet being able to adapt it for belt-clip use. The latch, however, is a *major* problem that could and should be remedied.
  
  
• Very much disappointed
  By A9C0E68H3FFSG on 2007-12-08
  It was too tight for my TX! After closing, I can only pry open the cover with a screw driver and it ended up leaving 3 small dents on the side of my PDA, plus scratching the stylus.
  
  Also, the opening lid is built on the bottom half of the cover which is kind of strange. I have a hard case for my T3 and the lid is on the top half. That makes opening much easier as your opening hand would have something to grapple on.
  
  Maybe it was a defective unit but I was definitely very disappointed.
  
  
• FINALLY
  By A208DBBD1R0PJD on 2006-07-22
  I searched almost everywhere for a good case for my palm TX, this is the best case for the TX. THere is just one problem, it does not fit correctly, there is a little gray plastic strip they have inside. Its easily removed with a scissors and extremely unnoticable after its removed. Once removed it makes the product perfect for the palm tx.
  
  
• Rhinoskin for a Palm TX
  By A6HX7TWNTP46F on 2007-03-12
  Works great with a TX. Overall a really good case.
  
  
• awesome fit, very strong, nice finish
  By A19XRSPJX1Z2L9 on 2007-06-07
  Fits my TX like a glove, nice shock absorbing lining, nice places to put 2 SD cards, very smooth high end finish much better than the last rhino case I bought for my Zire21! Small and very good protection, I have already applied crushing forces to this case accidently now several times and my palm was fully protected... perfect cutouts for speaker, stylus and reset button. One very small nit is that the reset cutout for the reset button isn't exactly centered over the reset button, but it is stil functional...
  
  
• I like having the holes cut out for stylus etc.
  By A3XHR1XPMDYPG on 2007-06-08
  This seems very sturdy, your palm is attached inside and thus there is no need to take it out and possibly drop it while it is out of the case, because that defeats the purpose of the case. The cutouts are nice so that you have easy access to the essential things.
  
  
• solid, but difficult to open and a bit rough
  By AP97WSNCOOZFN on 2007-08-21
  Fit great and look pretty strong. It is so difficult to open and the case unless you just ate something sweet. Dropped it once try to pry it open with my fingers. Luckily I was on the sofa. The outside case is not sanded completetly as you can feel some rough spots which is annoying something.
  
  
• it doesn't fit for Palm TX
  By A234OLJ691ML93 on 2007-10-26
  Even though it claims to be for PALM TX..........yet, it doesn't fit!!!!
  If you have a TX, and wants to protection, this is not the right choice!!!
  
  
• RhinoSkin
  By A1WJCEOXSCEFM7 on 2007-12-25
  I purchased this product a few days ago through Amazon. It arrived in about 2-3 business days and cost about $23 including shipping. This is an excellent product. The shell offers great protection, feels very solid, and is well designed. I made a mistake at first by simply trying to press the whole unit into the case. Another reviewer mentioned the same thing and ended up scratching or breaking off a piece of the PDA. What you have to do is slide the Palm TX onto the rubber strip in the case. There are no directions on what to do, and it was my first PDA. The unit fits in perfectly, and the clasp shuts completely, while still providing full access to the SD card, charger, etc.
  
  
• Could be better
  By AFCLT2N6N6MJF on 2008-01-29
  I have been looking for a hard case for my Palm TX for a while. I saw the RhinoSkin and from the reviews decided to try it. My initial reaction was favorable, the case was sturdy and form fitting to the Palm. My major gripes are that the clasp for keeping the case closed is somewhat loose. I tried wearing the Palm on my belt with the included belt clip attachment but the case always swung open as I moved around. Then while in class, due to the highly polished exterior, it slid off my lap and fell 2 feet landing on a corner of the case, breaking the flimys plastic piece used to keep the Palm in place inside the case, as well as warping the case and damaging my Palm. This happened two weeks after getting the case. I was able to bend the case back into alignment, and still use it, but I was a bit disappointed.
  
  
• Nice case but too many holes
  By A1MMTILYVXWDBU on 2008-02-20
  I've been using this case for a couple of weeks with my Palm T/X, and I am quite pleased with it. It was easy to install the Palm; It fits snugly; and the case is easy to open. My complaint is that Saunders didn't think through the cutout design, but provided a cutout for each and every Palm function and button. For example, I cannot think of any reason why you would need a cutout for the SD card slot. It is not an odious task to open the case to remove and insert a card, especially since you have to open the case to get to the SD card anyway. Too many openings allow too much dust to enter the case. The SD card holder on the inside front panel is not ideal, but the design is dictated by the ridges on the SD card, and would cause the holder to protrude too much if designed to allow the card to be inserted face out.
  
  
• OK Case
  By A2IRPJFLR5T88H on 2008-07-07
  As far as protection goes this thing is good. Other than that it is a bit cumbersome to open- the release tab seems like it would work better on the other half.
  
  
  
  
• Tight fit...no kidding!
  By A2WNHI63HHM2WO on 2008-08-21
  This case protects well, but getting to your palm is a different story. The TX fits in there very tightly and opening the case is a pain. Hopefully you won't break too many fingernails trying to do it. I guess this was originally designed for the T5 which is why it fits the way it does. Wouldn't recommend this, but from what it seems there aren't too many great cases for it.
  
  
• Almost perfect
  By A17OK08LS4MGO on 2006-07-21
  I bought this case for my Palm TX and it has almost all the features I wanted out of it. It looks and feels great. It covers everything (except the ports) while still remaining as small as a case can get. The construction seems solid, and there's no doubt in my mind that the case will outlast the PDA.
  
  I would offer two caveats to those looking to buy this case. The first and most serious is that it doesn't work with Palm's universal docking cradle, which I also bought. It works fine with the cables that came with my TX, but it interferes just enough that you can't seat the TX in the cradle. This is possibly more of a problem with the cradle, however, as I'm not sure it would be compatible with any case that has a back.
  
  The other caveat is that the opening for the headphone jack is not quite large enough for all plugs. If you've got a largish plug, you may be out of luck.
  
  
• Good Case
  By A1TDY1Y4DO5PW1 on 2006-12-29
  This is a solid/sturdy little case... No complaints for what it is. I use this thing for holding my TX while in the gym. Currently using Acrocat's PDAbs Workout log and listening to music while in the gym...
  
  The only thing that you need to remember is that this product is made of metal which make its hard to use bluetooth headphones while the cases lid is closed... Duh... Thinking of using this case for a general purpose/everyday case and then using a Clear (plastic) case for the gym only....
  
  
• Looks good but...
  By A10FHY9C48VF2Z on 2007-01-11
  The problems started immediately with the case. I could not get my Palm T/X to lock into place. And, then once I finally got the PDA in the right position, the latching device for the case stopped working...so the lid would pop open. I never got a chance to use the case. After a few tries over a few days, I gave up and bought a leather case with a velcro closure.
  
  The aluminum case looks good, but does not function well. I am thankful I did not pay a lot of money for it.
  
  
• Awesome!
  By A1A93HLHZ40CIR on 2007-01-12
  Thank you to all the other reviews! If you all had not written the reviews, I wouldn't have known to even look this up. This is an awesome product. I bought this for my new Palm TX and it fits like a glove. I am so glad I did not buy the palm version because this rhino skin is as good as it gets. Thanks again. And if you're reading the reviews and wondering if you should get, get it...it really is that good! Oh...I got it from antonline and they were prompt.
  
  

• Palm TX Handheld
• Palm Stylus 3-Pack (3178WW)
• Palm TX ClearTouch Crystal Screen Protector (Single Pack)
• Palm 3199WW Cradle Kit for Tungsten E2/T5/TX and LifeDrive
• SanDisk 2 GB SD Memory Card ( SDSDB-2048-A11, Retail Package)