PocketGoddess Review: PDA Jacket for the Palm m505

I love doing hardware and software reviews, but sometimes I get too caught up in the grind of contacting developers, evaluating products, taking pictures, and writing articles to fully appreciate some of the innovative products available in the handheld market. But every once in a while I get a wake up call that makes me realize just how lucky I am to be doing what I'm doing, and in this case it's the PDA Jacket.

The concept behind the product is terribly simple and incredibly brilliant, all at the same time. The PDA Jacket is a vinyl overlay that is available in a variety of colors that allows you to personalize your Palm m505, Vx, HP Jornada or Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC.

Installation is a snap, even for someone as fumble-figured as I am. Each overlay is "sandwiched" between two layers of removeable backing. First you peel off the wite paper, then you apply it to your handheld, making sure that all of the cutouts for the Palm logo, the hardware buttons, etc. That's a lot easier than it sounds, because the second backing layer is made out of clear plastic. When you have it in the right spot, smooth it down all over the surface. When you're satisfied that it's stuck down pretty well, start peeling off the second backing layer. This takes a bit of patience to get started, but once you're done, the end result is fabulous. You may have to smooth it down in a few spots, especially at the edges, but the entire process is very fast. It took me about 4 minutes to cover both the front and back sides of my m505, and I'm very proud of the results.  

And for such a reasonable price, the level of detail is simply amazing. All of the cutouts are placed exactly where they should be, and each curve of the device is perfectly matched. You might be saying to yourself "I can still see the original silver color of the 505 on the edges!" and you're right, but I think there's a reason behind that. If the vinyl overlay exactly matched the silver part of the m505, I believe that installation would be a complete nightmare. As it is, the PDA Jacket is very easy to install, and if I can get such good results on my first try, I'm sure that just about anyone can do it. I would suggest that you start with the back first, as it is a bit more forgiving than the front-- and it certainly doesn't show as much!

One last point-- my Palm m505 is much more comfortable to hold, now that it has been personalized with its spiffy new green PDA Jacket. The vinyl provides a slightly more secure grip than the metal case of the 505, and my handheld isn't so cold and slippery feeling anymore. The quality of the material is excellent. I didn't have any problem with stretching, which vinyl is prone to do, and it isn't so sticky on the underside that I have to worry about being married to this particular color for life-- it's easy to remove if I so desire. I also get the feeling that it will retain its good looks for quite a while.

If you'd like to spice up your Palm but don't feel like spending $399 for a special edition colored handheld at the Palm online store, why don't you try the PDA Jacket? There are a variety of color choices available, and you can buy a complete set of front, back, and flip cover overlays for only $14, the front only for $6, or a set of front and back for $8. Purchase the PDA Jacket of your choice at the developer's web site and say goodbye to your boring old silver handheld forever!

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