A status symbol within a status symbol.
Written: Jun 21 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Well-constructed fliptop design with a well placed magnet to keep the top closed...
Cons: ...but magnets and hard drives aren't meant to be friends, are they?
The Bottom Line: A plain and simple answer to 5G iPod owners in need of a case or belt clip. Surprisingly resilient and snug as a bug, all while being fairly inexpensive.
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| rader6795's Full Review: Digital Life Outfitters PodFolio (009-0500) Case, ... |
I was an early adopter of an iPod Mini. It's something I'm not proud to admit as we were all scorned, be it by the 6GB release shortly thereafter or the advent of the iPod nano.
So, I told myself I wouldn't buy another iPod until they could handle video. Then came the release of the fifth generation iPod. And it became clear what I had to do.
Goodbye, Mini. Hello, Video.
One of the few things I grew to love about the iPod Mini did not exist out of package with the iPod Video, though. There was no belt clip.
Say what you will about belt clips. If you don't wear a belt every day, I can see where it would be lost on you. I know many people hate the idea of them, what with your pocket so near the same general area, but I "get" it.
Thus began the search for the perfect accessory.
It wasn't easy, either. It seems like every company under the sun is appealing to iPod owners, now. Old technology, such as FM Radio Transmitters or Car Cassette Adapters, are all namedrop iPod. I'm sure they even lose some business to people who don't read the packaging for compatible formats and such. But to those who own iPods for style rather than substance, it means the difference between a generic $7 FM Transmitter and a $40 Belkin Tunecast FM Transmitter for iPod.
However, killing time at Best Buy between classes, I stumbled across the DLO Podfolio Case. The packaging even made mention of the belt clip which was not some generic snap-on like so many other iPod cases, but a solid part of it. The real kicker, though, was the case's black leather construction matched my wallet so perfectly that I'm not sure if I should thank my wife, who bought the wallet for me years ago, or the good people at Digital Lifestyle. It's as though this case was built specifically with me in mind.
The Podfolio is nothing too fancy, when compared to the numerous skins and metal cases that can be found for the 5G iPod, but just appealing enough to catch one's eye. The design is simple, but not plain; It's elaborate, but not garish. The stitching is questionable but only because thread is thread.
Small openings are found in the case so as to keep it within the case at all times. The top has a slit to accommodate the earbuds, while the bottom a slit for the USB/Firewire connector. Flip the top up and you'll see a window perfectly sized for the 320x240 resolution screen and a circle cut out below it for the click wheel.
When you close the top, you'll hear a quick clapping sound. Two magnets reside within the case, small enough to not be noticeable, but strong enough to keep the case from accidentally opening at less than optimal times, say while fighting ninjas in a rose garden and there's no pommelhorse in sight. The case could surely stop a thorn from scratching your screen. Shurikens and katanas? Not so much.
However, as close to perfection as this case is, it is not without its faults. The case just barely fits on a 5G iPod. It's quite snug in the case, but to a fault. Good luck prying this baby off once it's on. Also, I've noticed some slight wear already, and I'm only five months into this case. I realize this is more my fault, what with the way I quickly slip my iPod along my hip, as the leather scrapes across denim. Damn you, friction, for slowly ruining a good thing.
Also worth noting is that this case can absorb a surprising amount of clumsy... more than any device that is primarily a hard drive with benefits should. Short falls are nothing and my iPod's even survived the day it made like a Slinky down the stairs. I like to believe it was this case that kept it together like Ghoulie.
Digital Lifestyle's Podfolio Case is just styling enough to not make you feel like an iPod sporting hippie, while plain enough to not make you look like a fancy-pants a-hole who owns an iPod because, well, who doesn't? No, if you want all the fun of an easy-to-use digital music and video player without all the complexity of, say, a Viliv P1, then this is the perfect case (and clip) to help you hide in plain sight.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
rader6795
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Member: Terry Rader
Location: noun - a point or extent in space
Reviews written: 107
Trusted by: 120 members
About Me:
If you can't beat them, join them. Look for game reviews on the horizon.
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