Nite-Ize Universal PDA Case Review.
Having just bought myself a new Dell Axim X50v, I looked forward to using it at work. Though the little slip-case it shipped with is very nice, I feel it's lacking on one critical area: a belt clip. Why they would not include a clip on this case, I'll never know, but I digress.
After taking a virtual stroll around the web looking for cases that would fit my needs, I decided to head out to my local CompUSA and see if there was anything there that I could hold in my hands before buying. I came across this nifty little case, The Nite-Ize Universal PDA Holster:
Nite-Ize Universal PDA Holster Page
Having lost a brand-new cellphone to a case with a sub-par belt clip (and having to pay 100 bucks to replace it with a less-capable model, thanks Verizon) I was sensitive to belt-clip durability and the clip on the Nite-Ize holster seemed to be VERY beefy and looked like it would fit the bill nicely. At a not-too-expensive 20 bucks, I picked it up. While I was there I picked up one for my new cellphone too
The fit was just as described- universal. That is to say that the skinny, slim Axim X50v slid right in with plenty of room to spare. In fact, I think it COULD have fit a little more snugly, but then some of the more hefty PDAs would have a hard time fitting in. There was plenty of room to hold an aftermarket stylus, which for me (gi-hugic hands) is a blessing. I also found a nice little slot for my USB thumbdrive, which I carry diagnostic tools and other utilities on when I make my rounds to the cubicle farm to fix problems. All of this fit very nicely into a package that clipped very securely onto my belt with a clip that showed absolutely NO sign of weakness.
I used the case for about a week and it performed very well. The velcro flap over the top of the case was secure and though the PDA was loose in the case, it didn't flop around like I had feared. I was all set to give this product an excellent review, until....
Yesterday morning, I got to work and got out of the Jeep in the parking lot to begin the long march to my office (about a half-mile from the parking space). I got about twenty feet from my Jeep and heard a horrible, sphincter-clenching sound. It was the sound of my two-week old Axim falling three feet to the blacktop surface of the parking lot. A short stream of rather juicy obscenities issued forth unbidden from my mouth as I surveyed the damage. Luckily(?), the PDA had landed on the very bottom rather than the screen and the worst that happened was that the battery and it's door popped off and went in two directions. I scooped up the pieces and put it all back together. I breathed a sigh of relief when it all came back on. More testing later in the day would show no ill effect from the fall.
As I took the case off my belt I saw that apparently the two small nylon straps that constitute the bottom of the holster were not properly sewn in to their anchors. They had started unravelling and when they did, they popped free and "BOMBS AWAY!!!". Not impressive. Here are some photos of the carnage:
Probably too late (read: definitely too late) I checked on the Nite-Ize website for warranty information and was not able to locate any. Same story for the packaging card it was attached to. No mention of warranty whatsoever. I visited their "Contact Us" page which had a form to fill out and submit. The form appears to be geared towards offering the company praise for it's products and begging for new ones, but I decided to let them know what happened and see if they'd at the VERY least offer to replace my holster. That was yesterday morning. As of this afternoon, I have not heard anything at all back from them. I plan to give them a few more days and see if I hear from them, if not, I will write them again and see if they respond. I will update this review if/when i hear back from them or not.
To sum up, what started out looking like a very nice pice of gear turned out to be a potential nightmare. Please note that there at NO time was any sort of stress placed on this holster and it was not used to carry a device that was in any way too large or small for it. It simply fell apart and almost cost me my PDA. Had there been any real damage, I would have been MUCH more upset than I am. I'm willing to credit this to an odd, faulty unit, but unless and until I hear from the company and am satisfied that they indeed care about bringing a quality product to market, I'm going to have to rate this one a "do not buy".
Thanks for reading!
