The tradition, among hitech products users, is to purchase one or more accessories after some time, and this is especially true for mobile device users when talking about protective accessories, such as cases, sleeves or display films.
Obviously, with such a large market as the one created by Asus with its EeePC netbooks, and the first series of models (701 and 900) in particular, there’s been a natural spread of leather sleeves and leather cases, the latter being able to disguise such devices in a way they resemble ordinary books or organizers, adding a touch of style while giving effective protection.
Personally, I’ve come across different models and brands so I was able to test and judge their pros and cons but also build up a matter of judgment based on the various aspects of these products. One lesson I’ve learned is that in buying a leather case for your EeePC, more than in many other forms of shopping, bargain hunting isn’t a good attitude as quality has its price and saving may reveal some unhappy results in the long run.
So, let me introduce the clear winner among the products I’ve been able to test, and of course explain the reasons that made me choose it as my ‘number one’ case to protect and ‘dress’ my EeePC.
The Tradition Leather Case comes from Noreve, a French company based in the legendary Saint Tropez, which started its production of leather cases and sleeves for mobile devices in 2004. It’s offered in a rich range of colors (plus three special ‘skins’) and, if the one you choose isn’t immediately available, they’ll manufacture it for you and deliver in less than two weeks.
The model I’ve adopted is not a classic leather one but rather the ‘suede’ material which gives a softer and warmer feeling, although there’s no difference in manufacturing in respect to the leather version.
The first time you slip your EeePC inside one of these cases is the way it fits perfectly around its shape, leaving just the exact ‘holes’ where needed for accessing ports and connectors. A more careful observation of the case reveals even more attention to details, such as the open areas at the bottom: where other manufacturers use groups of holes distributed in a very rough way, Noreve leaves the right empty areas to help cooling ventilation flow and also takes care in adding a special round area that frees the ‘reset’ hole making it accessible in case of emergency.
The cutting and sewing techniques are equally admirable, with a whole portion of material for the top and bottom portions of the case where other manufacturers stick two portions of leather together adding one more stitching (which in turn spoils the products in their aesthetics). Needless to say, all the stitching in Noreve’s case are extremely accurate, leaving no room for smudges or other imperfections and giving an overall impression of both sturdiness and elegance.
The usual pockets for credit (or business) cards and SD memory cards are there, and I found the latter a little too tight if compared with those in other manufacturers’ cases, albeit a little manual ‘forcing’ helped accommodate the cards better than initially.
Finally, Noreve’s choice for closing the case has been a pressure flap instead of the more common magnetic one: I personally prefer the later or even Velcro closings, but it’s probably a matter of tastes and thus very personal.
If I’ve convinced you about Noreve’s Tradition Leather Case quality, you can find it at a starting price of 54,99 Euros on their on-line shop and from international distributors worldwide.
Posted in EeePC accessories |