Windows Phone Thoughts: Klaatu Barada Nikto! – Energy Leaf Case for the iPAQ 2200 Series Reviewed

What’s In the Box?
The Energy Leaf came wasn’t just put in a box… they slipped it in a soft pouch and put the pouch in the box. As a result, it came through with no scratches or dents. However, I did find some sloppy paint work on the edge of the cover, which left some small dark spots that look like chips.

As I looked it over for the first time, one thing that struck me was how light it is. I discovered that this was partially due to the fact that the metal used in the Energy Leaf is somewhat thinner than the other two metal cases mentioned above. However, I feel that the case is sturdy enough to do a good job of protecting your iPAQ.


Figure 4: The back with cutouts.


Figure 5: The back with case in place.

There are cutouts in the case for everything that needs it, including the speaker, the reset button and one to provide easy stylus access.


Figure 6: The bottom end with cover closed.


Figure 7: The bottom end with cover open.


Figure 8: The top end with cover closed.

As with other cases of this type, it won’t fit into your cradle, but a sync cable can be used to sync and/or charge without removing the iPAQ from the case.


Figure 9: The soft lining protects, but it sheds almost more than my dog…


Figure 10: My iPAQ being pampered by the soft lining.

The Energy Leaf is lined with what is called a “soft lining”. I don’t know the exact material from which the lining is made, but it seems to provide good protection from scratches. I did encounter a bit of “shedding” from the lining… my screen had a light sprinkling of black fuzz on it, but I removed it just by blowing lightly on the screen. After several days of use, this shedding showed no signs of abating, so I was dusting off my iPAQ a number of times during the day.

The iPAQ simply slides into the Energy Leaf through the top… no tabs or other fasteners are required. Inserting and removing the iPAQ is easy, although the case has a tendency from time to time to slide the iPAQ’s side pieces up a bit when inserting it into the case.


Figure 11: Open wide and say “Aaaahhh!”

The cover opens easily, and opens a full 270 degrees. That leaves plenty of room for your hand to hold the unit. All controls, including the power button, hardware buttons and directional pad, are fully accessible.

The hinge design has its pros and cons. It does allow the cover to open so fully, which is a good thing. However, since the hinge is so prominent on the upper edge, I had to be careful when putting the case in a bag with other electronic items, since it could scratch them. And I couldn’t turn the unit around, since the rather large plastic Energy Leaf logo sticks out so far, and could also cause scratches. I would reduce the thickness of the logo by about half... it would be a bit more attractive and less intrusive.