• $34

• Well constructed
• Good Protection
• Does not have to be removed to fit in cradle

• Buttons not completely covered

Design:
Cost/benefit:
Coolness:
Overall:

After a short time, it became obvious to me that the leather flip cover wouldn’t cut it. I needed something more substantial. (I had a hard molded case from Palm for my Palm V and a titanium slider for my IIIc, both of which protected the units well.) I looked but couldn’t find anything for the m505.

Then I saw the ad about the slipper from E&B cases. It looked good on the Web, so I ordered it. After about 3 weeks it came (Initially backordered).

Initial Impression
The case was a lot softer that I had expected. For some reason I thought it would be hard, polished leather. But, to my surprise (and delight) it’s glove-soft and very supple. The box says "form-fitting" and the name "Slipper" is a great analogy. (It also has the new leather smell).

Construction
The workmanship is great with all edges stitched and finished (except for the cutout around the universal connector and the credit card slot). The leather is evenly colored (I chose the burgundy color) and is slightly textured. Other available colors include black, brown, and dark blue.

The flip cover has some reinforcing material in it to help protect the screen. It has slots to securely hold two SD cards and the credit card slot can easily hold a handful of business cards or a few credit cards.

All buttons, the IR port, the reset hole, the SD slot, the stylus and the bottom connector are easily accessible and unobstructed.

There are two 1" long strips of Velcro sewn vertically along either side even with the Graffiti area to hook to their mates on the flip cover to hold the case securely closed. These are stated to "not fray". So far so good.

The case also has a small metal E&B logo on the lower right corner of the cover. A nice touch. (It would be nicer if my initials were EB.)

Usability
The best part of this case it that it does not have to be removed put the M505 in its cradle. It fits perfectly.

Though I haven’t been able to try it yet, I suspect it will even fit in the PPK keyboard. (I’ll let you know as soon as Amazon ships mine to me.)

The case it soft and comfortable to hold. It flips open easily yet holds securely enough so as not to open accidentally. The SD and credit card slots are secure and the cover provides good protection to the screen. The credit cards help protect it even more. The case is form fitting to the m505, but not so tight as to make insertion or removal a problem. I did find that if you hold the case by its sides, (which is natural) the case presses on the stylus making it a little harder to remove.

The case fits comfortably in a sports coat pocket, a shirt pocket and even it the pocket of your shorts. I can carry the Palm in the shift console of my truck without fear of getting it scratched up. It adds virtually nothing to the form factor of the m505, preserving that compact size we all love.

(There is also a model available with a belt clip for a few bucks more.)

My only complaint (and it’s minor) is that the buttons on the bottom and the connector is still partially exposed even when the case is closed. That leaves then vulnerable to keys or coins that are in you pants pocket.

Conclusion
At $34 (free shipping) it’s a good buy. It looks good; it’s functional, convenient, and well made.

I recommend it highly.

Update: Mike from E & B Company sent me some instructions for addressing the exposed button issue:

I have attached a picture to illustrate what users can do to make sure the the bottom-scroll-button is not exposed. The lid has a stiff plastic material inside to help protect the screen. This plastic can be bend slightly (with your fingers) to make the lid follow the curve of the machine. With this curvature all buttons should be covered.

I hope this helps address the closure point mentioned in your review.

Mike