Review - Vaja Classic Case for Axim X50 / X51 Series

Posted by: PatrickJ on Sep 30 2006 - 1,457 views

 

I’ve been an Axim X50V and X51V user for a couple of years now. In my view the Axim is still the top of the heap for straight-up PDAs, and this Vaja case is a perfect companion and protector for this top-class device.

Everything about the Vaja Classic for the X50/X51 series gives a warm, comfortable feeling of high quality design and attention to detail. It’s been a pleasure to use the case for a few weeks now with the Axim X51V.

I’ve tried out several cases for the Axim X50/51V over the last couple years, from the Dell slip-overs to Rhinoskin metal cases and a very nice Sena front-flip leather case.

Read on for an overview of the Vaja Classic and why it’s immediately become my preferred case …

 

The Case Itself - Leathery Goodness & A Smooth Fit

The leather on this case looks, smells, and *feels* wonderful - this is definitely tender loving care for your Axim, and the stitching is just perfect in every area. The front of the case features the Vaja metal logo centered at the front bottom of it. Normally, I’m not big on ‘designer’ or other logos, but the Vaja logo is fairly elegant and fits well on the case.

It is lighter feeling than I expected and has proved very comfortable to carry in my hand and in a front pocket during work days.

One of the most impressive things about the Vaja Classic is how perfectly and easily it fits the Axim. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a case for *any* device that slips on and off so effortlessly. And it goes on right every time - as in, it doesn’t slip on easily but then require adjustment in order to access a side hardware button or be able to get to the D-pad efficiently - nope, it goes on easily and is instantly perfectly positioned for all its cutouts and button access.

Working with the Case - It’s Pretty AND Functional

I’ve been very impressed with how functional the case is as well.

I thought I would dislike the case’s button snap, because it has the little loop to connect the front of the case to the back (as opposed to Sena’s front of case magnet button). But this has proved to be easy to work with and I’ve honestly not even noticed the difference, as it’s very easy to open and close it with its magnetic snap closure.

The Vaja Classic allows access to pretty much everything you need - there’s a generous cutout for the sync cable slot that means syncing while in the case is no problem, left-side cutout for access to the lock, record, and WiFi buttons, and a small circular cut so you can soft reset the device while in the case.

It’s also got some very nice little touches - like a tiny little section of metal mesh covering the Axim’s microphone, and an angled cutaway at the top right of the case when open, so that you can see the WiFi / Bluetooth LED.

The inside of the case allows for storage of credit cards and SD cards. These slots are also perfectly cut and work very well, feel very solid.

Working with the Axim while in the case is comfortable and effective. I’ve entered all my review notes for this post while using it, and have been using it heavily at work each day while trying out the case.  Ultimately, this is probably one of the most important factors in judging a case - and the Vaja Classic passes with flying colors.

Customize It

Vaja has a range of nice ways in which you can customize the Classic for the X50/X51 series.  For instance - you can order it with or without a belt clip, choose from a range of colors or combo of colors, get an optional CF card cutout, choose the inside and lining, and even more personalized features.  I feel really happy with this case just as it comes, but several of those are nice features to be able to customize if you feel like it.

Conclusion & Further Info:

Vaja has long had a reputation for making excellent cases. This is my first experience in actually using one, and they have more than lived up to that reputation.

This is certainly my favorite case I’ve ever used with the Axim, and probably my favorite I’ve worked with on any device. The Vaja Classic is not cheap at around $75, but if you’re after a top class case for your Axim X50/51 and have a little budget flexibility, this is a complete winner.

If you’d like to see some (much) better photos of the Vaja Classic for the Axim X50/51 series and a very thorough review to accompany them, I recommend an Aximsite review done by Pete Bradley (SilentKnight) at:

Aximsite Review

For more information on this case and purchasing details, visit the Vaja site:

Vaja Cases Dell Axim X50/X51 Classic page

[tags]Dell, Axim, X50, X51, Vaja, Classic, Axim cases[/tags] 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!