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May 11, 2005
Armor 1900 |
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Recently
I experienced a scare involving my Pocket PC. I had taken my Viewsonic V36
out of my pocket and suddenly dropped the unit onto the sidewalk. Images ran
into my head about the screen being cracked, the touch pad damaged, or
something as minor as a dent on the casing. Luckily my Viewsonic survived
this free fall being inside a slip cover. My original handheld by HP was not
as fortunate. The corner of the screen was damaged and no longer functions
in that area. Though I was very lucky with my Viewsonic, a simple slip cover
would not protect the average user from dropping. For many years now, companies have produced cases for the PDA's that provided drop protection. While all of these cases in the past were great for transporting but did little to provide accessibility when you wanted to use the device inside the rugged case. A company located @ www.otterbox.com has been manufacturing one of the few cases that do provide the missing accessibility. The recent addition to their lineup includes the Armor 1900. Designed with the accessibility in mind, this jewel of a rugged case has many excellent features. This rugged case is designed to work with numerous models recently released by Dell, HP and Garmin plus many others. You can check the compatibility chart HERE (pdf File). Those that require access to a rugged case for a number of newer models can just buy one case and have the protection desired by interchanging the PDA. |
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| When I first saw the Armor 1900 from OtterBox, I was impressed with the quality of the materials used. The unit is large compared to the actual PDA that it protects but this is minor issue when the case is designed for rugged protection. According to the manufacturer, the Armor fully protects the PDA from damage within a 4 foot drop onto concrete. The unit is also water resistant and dust resistant | ||||||
 The
true value of the Armor 1900 is evident once you take a closer look at the
casing. The unit comes apart in 3 parts via a hinged latch mechanism. These
latches can be secured further via screws to maximize the seal around the 3
components. Additional protection from water and dust is provided via a rubber
seal around the components. The screw is an Allen Hex version and the tool plus
the screws are
included.
As I have stated earlier, many rugged cases in the past were great for transportation but lacked accessibility while in the rugged casing. The Armor 1900 does not have this issue. The Armor 1900 has a flip up hard/clear cover that exposes you to a supple membrane allowing normal touch screen access. I was impressed to see that no additional pressure was required to access the touch screen. The case membrane doubles as a great screen protector from scratches while using the stylus. The clear top has a removable rubber stopper for the headphone and the bottom has a removable rubber piece for access to the power and expansion ports.
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The
base unit is designed to house the PDA itself only. This can be an issue for
those that have added cards or accessories. Fortunately, the manufacturer has
optional accessories that allow you to attach a card extension to the top of the
case plus a serial adapter to the bottom. Below are a few that are currently available.
You can also view the other adapters available HERE |
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 While
testing the OtterBox case for a few weeks, I found the case to be very ergonomic
within the hand. The strap mounted on the rear of the case was very comfortable.
The rugged case is useful in situation’s that calls for data entry in
unforgiving weather conditions or surroundings.
If your situation requires you to enter data in poor weather or environments that pose exposure to granular or liquid products should consider this rugged case. Even users that require a PDA for marine or vehicular use should consider the case with one of the optional mounts. Protection from wind, rain, sand storms, hale, water, dust and other common outdoor elements. |
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Here are some closer details on the rugged case External inches (L 6.50 - W 4.50 - D 2.20) mm (L 165 - W 114 - D 56) Internal inches (L 5.56 - W 3.50 - D 0.93) mm (L 141 - W 89 - D 23.5) Comes with a full life time warranty If you work or use a PDA regularly in one of these areas, I would highly recommend the Armor 1900 or one of the other cases for protection. Fire Department Police Department Military Chemical or hazardous materials Marine Heavy Manufacturing Inventory Control Should be used in any situation where dropping or exposure to harmful products is a concern. |
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The OtterBox Armor 1900 is rated 9 out of 10 Cons The casing has no provisions for PDA’s with buttons on the side. Cannot use the cradle to recharge or sync inside the case. The bottom does provide access to a sync cable or other accessory cables. Pros The case is very sturdy in materials and construction. Touch Screen membrane easy to use. Using screws to tighten the seal around the casing is an excellent feature. Numerous accessories makes the case fully customizable. |
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The Armor 1900 is one of the best rugged case that is not make/model specific. If you ever need to purchase a case for your PDA, consider the Armor 1900. The case is definitely worth the cost of $99.95 USD. Seems high for a case but considering most cases are $40 - $50 USD for any good case and these do not have any drop protection or any other form of physical protection. You can go HERE to view the Armor 1900 and to HERE to view the full production line. OtterBox also manufactures cases for the Tablet PC and iPod and others. You can also read a review on the iPod Mini case HERE. |
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Reviewed by Bob Katayama for Technobrains.com
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Copyright 2005 www.technobrains.com |
