Contact Info:

Vaja Cases
www.vaja.com.ar

PalmInfoCenter.com Bottom Line:

The Price:
  • $67.90 - Case
  • $7.90 - Leather Bag
The Pros:
  • >Excellent quality and craftsmanship

The Cons:
  • Some may take issue with stylus and IR access - I don't

PalmInfoCenter.com Ratings*:
Design:
Cost/benefit:
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*Maximum Rating is FIVE (5) InfoPalms



Vaja Omnisky Case Review
By Robert Zach
7/12/2001


Upon opening the delivery box from Vaja I knew this review would at least be a pleasant sensory experience.  After cracking open the lid I was immediately greeted with a very pleasant waft of leather aroma.  If you've ever bought a new car with premium leather seating - you know exactly how gratifying that smell is.  This case came from Argentina - I now know the pleasures of fine Argentinean leather!

The case itself was enclosed in a brown leather bag.  This was no ordinary bag either.  The bag is a nylon draw string type.  The leather is very supple - the outside feels like wax while the inside feels like felt or wool.  I have never experienced leather like this before!  I imagine it would provide nice protection for your off-duty case.  At this point I couldn't help but imagine that if the bag was this nice the case must be truly amazing.

The case itself is made from fine brown leather with the most perfectly uniform grain I've ever seen.  The stitching is in a nice contrasting brown and is very tight and solid.  The case is also very soft to the touch yet stiff where it needs to be - especially around the screen and button areas.  There is a hole for the OmniSky HotSync bottom and a small plastic window for the OmniSky's indicator LEDs.  The plastic window is actually sandwiched between the leather and the liner that is inside the case - it's not going anywhere.  The case also has a dimple in the top for the Palm Vx's power button, left and right silo notches (although a right hand docked stylus would require you to open the flip - not a big deal in my opinion - as the left opening is larger due to the antenna access [see below]), and two small metal plates which mate to the flip cover.

The flip cover on this case is also very interesting in itself. The cover is made from the same brown leather but also has a textured, burgundy colored, insert with a small metal oval bearing the company logo.  Extremely classy looking.  The flip has a small cutout in the left hand side for easy access to the OmniSky's antenna as well as a small hole to allow the charger to be connected.

On the inside of the cover are three "personal slots" for business cards, credit card, license, money, etc. as well as an embossed Graffiti™ reference chart - very thoughtful.  Imbedded in this cover, behind these slots, is an ABS plastic insert to provide additional screen protection.  Finally, the inside of the flip cover houses two small magnets on it's edges that mate to the small metal plates located at the screen edges in the case.

The interior of the case is embossed with the Vaja company logo and the following statement in script. 

This case has been designed by a group of Palm enthusiasts and made by skilled craftsman following the highest quality standards of the leather industry, taking care of every detail in each of it's almost fifty processes, only the top ten percent of the Argentine leathers are selected for it's quality, tact and durability, to be able to offer comfort and service during it's natural lifetime utility.

Based on my experience I would agree with this statement!

Snapping the OmniSky onto the Palm and sliding it into the case is the final reward.  One is greeted with a satisfying snugness and one perfect fit.  Nothing needs to be tucked or tugged like I have seen with other cases.  My only complaint is that my magnets didn't quite line up.  The flip when closed was slightly shifted left.  This was due to one metal strip slightly out of alignment.  I was able to move it within the case and resolve the problem.

This case also comes in a belt clip version, I did not have this version for review.  Also, HotSyncs are not possible from this case but that is defeated by the OmniSky already -  the serial port is connected to the OmniSky modem. Lastly, this case cannot be used for the Palm Vx alone, the OmniSky must be attached to have the proper fit.

This review unit was "Maroon all-weather Leather", it can also be ordered in "Black all-weather Leather" and "Black Ostrich." The case can be further personalized with your name embossed and your choice of "advanced", "basic", or no graffiti embossing.

 

Overall this is a gorgeous piece of art and a superb piece of quality work -  I highly recommend it. The price is justified by the high quality.  P.S. Get the bag...you'll love it!

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magnets and credit cards??

k @ 7/12/2001 10:59:05 AM #
won't the magnet cause some problems with credit cards?


OmniSky Case

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/12/2001 1:14:28 PM #
This is a great case, not all omnisky has to do is get off their ass and release a modem for the Palm m505.

RE: OmniSky Case
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/20/2001 3:50:02 PM #
Get off your ass and buy a Minstrel m500 modem for your m505!

Omnisky Case

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/12/2001 2:40:51 PM #
Don't get me wrong, the Vaja omnisky case is a top quality form fitting case but for less than half the price of the Vaja case, the $29 O-Pack Leather Omnisky/Palm V case from Dreambags.com is a much much better value. The leather on the O-Pack is top notch and removing the Palm each night for charging is a cinch. It's one of the best Omnisky/Palm V case solutions for the price.

a-

RE: Omnisky Case
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/12/2001 3:40:45 PM #
Thank you for the comment. It is always nice to hear about alternative products.

If Dreambags.com is willing to send a review sample, I'd be happy to compare it to the Vaja.

With my current experience, I'm staying with the Vaja.

Thanks so much for pointing out another option, I was totally unaware of the case you mention. And, that is the real benefit of doing reviews/message threads.

Best
-Rob Zach

RE: Omnisky Case
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/20/2001 9:37:34 AM #
Yeah I got one of those dreambags cases as well. The It's funny because I went there to get a case for my palm, but I ended up getting a leather case for my laptop. Check it out. Can't beat the price for something made here in the states.

Visor Springboard Case as well

michaelcpowell @ 7/12/2001 6:35:27 PM #
By coincidence my Vaja case arrived today - for my Visor with a Springboard mounted Omnisky modem. I absolutely love it. As far as I can tell, it is the only high quality case for that combination and it fits perfectly. Unlike the case described in the review, the Visor case uses a snap closure rather than a magnet so the credit card worry doesn't apply.

The case was designed for a Prism but it fits my Platinum fine. The only slight mismatch is that the power button on the Platinum is slightly covered by the leather since it is arranged differently than the Prism.

I recommend you go to www.vajacases.com and take a look at it! (By the way, they have matching cell phone cases as well.)



uhh...

macfixer @ 7/13/2001 10:29:17 AM #
OmniSky doesn't make the modems, Novatel Wireless does. Their website lists it as "coming soon" -- OmniSky would then have to support it.

Omnisky case

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/16/2001 4:06:21 PM #
I've been using my Rhodiana case for 6 months with my Palm/Omnisky and it clips to my belt.
Everyone keeps making lousy new cases for the Palm.
Checkout Rhodiana, there cases rock.

Vaja Omnisky case

Knowledgeman @ 11/29/2001 1:14:08 AM #
Vaja is a real find! Stylish cases that are beautifully crafted and provide real protection to the PDA. They should serve as an example for Omnisky, Palm, etc. on the type of cases to offer to their clients.

I've had Omnisky service for my Vx since Jume, 2000, and was always embarrassed by the cheap-looking pouch that Omnisky provided for my very serious investment. I jumped at the chance to have the "custom-fit" case that Omnisky offered last Fall/Winter. What a ripoff! It was a generic PDA leather zip-around case made for a stand-alone PDA. If you put the Omnisky/Vx combo in it, the units were tightly squeezed, and you had to leave it partially unzipped for the antenna to poke through: there wasn't room for the antenna in the case.

I bought my Vaja case this Spring, and get appreciative looks from colleagues and clients when I take it out of my briefcase for meetings. It is extremely simple to remove the unit from the case for chargeing, syching, or snapping on a keyboard. Quite simply, this is a beautiful glove for the unit that provides real protection, without sacrificing the 'glamour' factor that is one of the enhancements of owning the Vx/Omnisky combo. I would urge anyone with any type of PDA to look at Vaja's selection. Every one is flat-out handsome.

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