Jon Olivier

I have been lurking here almost since I bought my Axim X50v about a year ago. The information I found here has been invaluable and I wanted to give something back. I’ve been looking for a rainproof housing for my Axim to use while hiking in the mountains and found recommendations here for the Otterbox products. There is an excellent review available for the Otterbox 1900 but no reviews for the 2600. There were, however, several requests for information on the 2600 so I decided to order one and write a review for it.

Comparing prices at various online sites, I found that the prices at Otterbox.com were comparable. By buying from Otterbox, I was able to also pick up a case for my GPS at bargain basement prices. I liked the design of the 2600, smaller and much lighter than the 1900 or 3600.

The case arrived with instructions for placing the PDA inside the 2600 case. The product was exactly as advertised. The 2600 came with four removable foam pads inside, one thin pad and three thick ones. I did some trial fittings and found that two thick pads were needed for an exact fit with the X50v. The pads together are 1/2” thick. The pads compress when the cover is closed and clamped down (this is normal) but they seem to compress to no thinner than 1/4”. Given this information, it would seem that the Axim with an extended battery would also fit in the case. I don’t have one so I wasn’t able to test this. If you’re going to use an extended battery, it might be best to trim a cutout from one of the pads to fit around the bulge in the battery door as this would provide better cushioning for the entire Axim against impact.

It took a few tries to place the Axim in the case properly lined up with the plastic window but it was very easy. I found it easier to look through the window as I put the Axim in place from below, then turn over the Otterbox to latch the back in place. Once I closed and latched the cover, my Axim was protected from water and impact. The flexible plastic window didn’t seem like it would be very durable but it was pliable enough to allow me to use all the front mounted buttons and write on the screen. I was pleased at how easy it was to write on the screen through the window. The window is taller than the height of the X50v so all buttons are reachable, leaving a gap. I found placing the gap at the bottom worked better because that placed the center button further from the gasket, giving more finger room to work the directional control. The width exposed the entire screen, even leaving a thin silver strip on each side.

There is a rubber gasket around the window, offsetting the Axim screen 3/8” from the front. The big difference between this model and the two more expensive cases is that they have a hard clear cover which can be flipped over the face, protecting the screen from impact. The 2600 does not have a cover so the screen is vulnerable to damage if dropped face down over a protruding object such as a rock. Otherwise, the 2600 seems to offer as much protection as its bigger brothers.

Unlike the more expensive cases, this one has no pass through ports or expansion capabilities. I have no needs for this so it is not an issue for me.

One of the first things I tried was to seal the Axim and GPS inside their respective Otterboxes and link them by Bluetooth. There was no problem with communications. I then synced my Axim over the wireless network. As advertised, the cases are indeed RF transparent.

The latches on the 2600 were easier to open than I expected and this may become a problem. The 2600 does have a hole for a lock or tie wrap to prevent accidental opening.

This product begged for a test for water tightness. Of course, I did it without the PDA inside for the first test. I needn’t have worried. I submerged the case in the swimming pool about two feet, swished it around and banged it against another case. I took it out of the water, dried the outside and opened the case. The inside was completely dry. There was absolutely no presence of water inside.

An unexpected bonus was that the Axim’s speaker is under the buttons on the front of its case and the sound transfers very well through the clear membrane of the Otterbox. I had no problem hearing the speaker while playing video. Wondering if the microphone would work as well, I fired up Skype and placed a call. I was able to hold a normal conversation just as if the Axim wasn’t inside a case. The microphone and speaker both work from inside the Otterbox.

Two major reasons for selecting the 2600 were weight and size. There is little noticeable increase in weight over the Axim alone and the case, though thicker than the Axim, is not much wider or taller. It can still be easily held in the hand, more so using the included hand strap.

I tried using the neoprene handstrap to attach the computer to the handlebars of a bicycle. I couldn’t get the strap tight enough to keep the case from slipping. If I could wrap something around the handlebar to increase the diameter, that might work better. Still, taking my Axim on a bike ride for navigation(with a GPS in my pocket) is something I would never have dared without the protection of an Otterbox.

There is a slot on the rubber face to hold the stylus but the X50v stylus is so thin that it isn’t a very snug fit. I managed to shake the case hard enough to free the stylus so I am concerned about losing it. The best solution may be to buy a replacement stylus for another PDA, one which uses a stylus that is a little thicker. The only other problem I had was the handstrap. The neoprene cover was not glued to the foam on mine and was coming off. I tried e-mailing the customer service address on their website about a replacement and the message bounced because the mailbox was unavailable. I called toll free number on the website and they cheerfully sent me a replacement by UPS 2nd Day Air at no cost. Score bonus points for Otterbox Customer Support..

My impressions are very favorable. The 2600 is all that I was looking for. I feel very confident in its ability to protect my Axim from the elements – and, sometimes, from me. The other two models are larger, heavier and more expensive than the 2600's $49.95 list price. I am very pleased with my choice. The big advantage of the 1900 and 3600 seems to be the hard plastic screen cover that can be closed when you’re not using the touchscreen. If you drop one of those cases face down on a rock with the cover closed, you have an extra measure of protection that the 2600 doesn’t provide. Your needs may justify one of the other cases but mine don’t. I can now use my Axim while hiking or riding a bike. I could even read an e-book or place a Skype call while in the pool. This case also opens up PPC usage to jobs that ordinarily would be fatal to the electronics, such as boating or pool maintenance. Would I make this purchase again? Absolutely.

At the same time I bought the Otterbox 2600, I also bought a Bluetooth GPS and an Otterbox 2000 to protect it. If there is interest, I will post a review of those items, too.

Kool Breeze

Wow, Jon Olivier! That was an excellent review; thoroughly thought out. I have been considering getting one of the Otterbox cases for quite some time now. Thanks for the review! It definitely gives me more to think about.

I would be interested in your impressions of the Otterbox 2000, also. Thanks again for the review!

And definitely don't be a stranger for another year!

skifree

I just ordered one on ebay check it out 19.95 plus 5.00 s&h best deal I found.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Otterbox-2600-LO...QQcmdZViewItem

Jon Olivier

I found a stylus that fits the stylus holder on the 2600 very well. The replacement stylus for the Palm fits very securely into the rubber stylus holder. I now leave the Axim stylus in imy Axim and keep a Palm stylus in the 2600 stylus holder. The Palm stylus is all plastic so it should hold up well to the elements.

Circuit City sells a three pack of this stylus for for $12.99.

Kool Breeze

Originally Posted by Jon Olivier

I found a stylus that fits the stylus holder on the 2600 very well. The replacement stylus for the Palm fits very securely into the rubber stylus holder. I now leave the Axim stylus in imy Axim and keep a Palm stylus in the 2600 stylus holder. The Palm stylus is all plastic so it should hold up well to the elements. Circuit City sells a three pack of this stylus for for $12.99.

Cool! Thanks for that info!

Jon Olivier

First, in addition to the e-bay listing for the 2600, I see that Otterbox has added a new item to their Clearance Sale page - the Otterbo 2651. It is just like a 2600 case except it is about 1.7" deeper inside. This should allow for extended batteries, or for tucking something else into the case beneath the Axim. The dimensions appear to be comparable to the Otterbox 2500 (just as the 2600 is comparable to the size of the 2000). The great news is that the 2651 is on sale for $24.95. I prefer the original 2600 because the size fits well in a hand, but users with extended batteries might want to consider this model. The price is attractive, too. Like the 2600, the 2651 is available in black or yellow.

After using the 2600 for almost two weeks, I realized that I'd never be fully comfortable taking my Axim along on a hike in the rain unless I fully tested the crush and water resistance. First, I tried standing on the empty case, then standing on the case with the Axim inside. Now I'm not a big guy, but putting 150 pounds on my Axim is more than I ever imagined doing to it. The good news is that the case protected my PDA. The only problem I noticed is that one time I stood on the case the Axim took that as a screen tap. It was running a video full screen in TCPMP and paused the video. There was no damage to the case or to the Axim.

There was also the issue of water. Again, I tested the 2600 empty as I had last week. Then, after checking that each clamp was securely seated and then checking each clamp a second time, I plunged the 2600 with my PDA inside into my swimming pool as deeply as I could reach (about two and a half feet). After swishing it around awhile, I let go and it rapidly bobbed to the surface, playing a video in TCPMP the entire time. During this test, I demonstrated two scientific principles. First, sound does not travel well between water and air. As soon as the Axim was submerged, the sound cut out though the video could be seen still playing. Even when it bobbed to the surface, the water trapped in the indention over the screen blocked the sound. When I poured the water out, I could hear the sound again. Second, radio signals do not travel well through water. When the Axim began its dive, a window popped up informing me that the Axim had lost contact with my wireless network. No underwater Skype calls for me!

I read an ebook as I waited for the outside of the case to dry before opening it to check for any water intrusion. It was a little disconcerting to have to brush water droplets off the screen of my Axim as I read. When I finally opened the case, the interior was as dry as it had been when I sealed the computer inside.

The Otterbox 2600 passed all my decidedly unscientific tests with flying colors. I now have no qualms using my Axim in what would otherwise be fatal conditions.

Jon Olivier

While I continue to be very pleased with my Otterbox 2600, I wanted to relate one problem I had. After considerable testing with regards to water tightness, I felt a lot braver using my Axim around water. I was using the Axim inside the 2600 to read e-books while relaxing in the swimming pool. One afternoon, I saw what appeared to be water inside the housing. I laughed off my momentary panic and thought it was water droplets sticking to the outside of the housing. I turned the case over and could see a small amount of water inside the housing at the bottom. I immediately held the unit over the outside of the pool and opened it to keep the water away from my Axim. I might add that it was a salt water pool.

There was only a tiny amount of water, but enough to be seen flowing from side to side as I turned the 2600 over. Because of the way the Axim mounts, it is held in suspension in the center of the housing so it never got wet. I dried everything and my Axim suffered no ill effects. The seals appeared to be undamaged. When I gathered my courage, I repeated the test a few days later and again found water entering the case. I called Otterbox and reported the problem. They asked if I had submerged the case and I said that I had, but not below the three foot level that they guarantee watertightness on their website. The woman said that the unit was not designed to be submerged. I pointed out the specific part of their webpage where they state the unit is watertight to a depth of three feet. She asked me what color mine was and asked for my shipping address. A replacement 2600 was immediately sent to me. I asked her how I should return the defective unit and she told me to keep it for spare parts.

When the replacement unit arrived (and it did so quickly), I did some more tests to try to determine the problem. I admit that I had to rebuild my confidence in the 2600. I submerged both cases to a depth of one foot, using scuba weights to keep them from floating. They remained underwater for twenty minutes face down and forty-five minutes face up. When I removed them from the water and opened them (after drying the outsides), there was no evidence that water had entered either case.

Perhaps the problem had been with the way the foam padding compressed when the case was closed with the Axim inside. I have since returned to using my Axim in rain as well as in the pool and have had no more problems with water infiltration. It is really nice to lie in the pool reading an e-book while listening to the music over the Internet from my MP3 server back home.

I continue to have the utmost confidence in the Otterbox 2600 and in the Otterbox customer service. Perhaps I had a defective unit. Other than those two times, I have not been able to duplicate the leakage issue. I commend Otterbox for their willingness to stand behind their lifetime warranty and replace the unit at once.

Cino

Thanks for the updates... I use my axim all the time for hiking but i'm using a silcon case and a padded pda case attach to my backpack. My gps unit I put in my top pocket of the backpack.. I think I may look into one of their cases for ease of mind... And it would be better then using a zipp lock bag when its raining.

Jon Olivier

Cino,
I used my Axim for hiking in the mountains on a recent trip. I kept the Axim inside the Otterbox 2600 to protect it from rain, dust and drops. The GPS, along with my cell phone and a spare Axim battery, were sealed inside an Otterbox 2000 in the top compartment of my backpack. This setup worked very well to protect all the equipment even during rainstorms.

Cino

Originally Posted by Jon Olivier

Cino, I used my Axim for hiking in the mountains on a recent trip. I kept the Axim inside the Otterbox 2600 to protect it from rain, dust and drops. The GPS, along with my cell phone and a spare Axim battery, were sealed inside an Otterbox 2000 in the top compartment of my backpack. This setup worked very well to protect all the equipment even during rainstorms.

Jon,
With my current setup, I have to blow out the dust on my axim. Before I had my rubber case, I would have to wipe the unit down to clean off my dirty fingerprints. Using the rubber case helps on the dirt but not the dust or rain.

Where did you attach the 2600 to?

Jon Olivier

Originally Posted by Cino

Jon, With my current setup, I have to blow out the dust on my axim. Before I had my rubber case, I would have to wipe the unit down to clean off my dirty fingerprints. Using the rubber case helps on the dirt but not the dust or rain. Where did you attach the 2600 to?

Cino,
I clipped a lanyard to the 2600 and hung it around my neck. The weight with the Asim inside is negligible. When I was reading it, I had my hand through the handstrap on the back. Either way works well. The plastic membrane face keeps the touchscreen clean while letting you use it. Being water- (and even air-) tight, dust and moisture are not problems.

When the bright yellow housing hung from the lanyard, a few other hikers were very interested in the map I had hanging around my neck. I recommend the yellow color over the black in case it is ever dropped and lost. The color would make it very easy to find.

Cino

Thanks for the info...