I’ve owned an Axim x51v for almost a year now and I’ve gone through a couple of cases and I’ve seen many others, but none became an instant favorite of mine like the Prima Flip Style Dell Axim x50/x51v Leather Case. Using this case for over a month, I find it to be rugged, functional, comfortable, and just plain pretty.

Continue reading for an overview of the Prima Flip Style Leather Case for the Dell Axim x50/x51v Series and find out why it has immediately become one of my favorite cases …

I’ve tried other cases in the past – Dell generic cloth slip-on covers, Dell magnetic flip type leather covers, and even a Belkin leather case. But none of them could accomodate my extended battery "big butt" Axim so I had to choose between extended battery time or a case. Because of this, I went the homemade route and mom modified a free Franklin electronic Bible case (shown below) for me to hold my fat Axim which I used daily until about a month ago when I met the Prima Flip Style Leather Case.

The Case – Not just for Regular Axims, but "Big Butt"ones too!

Ahh, the joys of leather…stretchable, rugged, feels so smooth, and smells pleasant, this is the way to baby your Axim and treat yourself right! The case has been beautifully stitched and the front of the flip cover has a small metallic slightly protruding Prima logo which adds a touch of class to the case. The flip style flap is secured with an elastic snap strap (perfect for big butt Axims) that closes the case with a magnetic button.

Regular Size Axims (Axims using only the standard battery…)

The case fits the normal Axim like a glove. It’s loose enough that it’s easy to get out of the case, while at the same time being tight enough where it will hold the device in place in any situation. I decided to take the case and flip it upside down and shake it as hard as I could in an attempt to see if the Axim would fall out. The result? The Axim doesn’t fall out even after my arm became tired from all the hard shaking. This case offers a very good and sturdy fit for the device. There will be some slight alignments that need to be made in order to use of all the cutouts in the case.

Big Butt Axims (Axims using a double capacity battery…)

The case fits big butt Axims a bit tightly as it does take a bit of shoving to get the case on. After it’s on, you’re set to go. Due to a tighter fit, there was absolutely no question that the Axim will stay in the case. Taking your big butt Axim out will take a little bit of pushing as well, but it’s all good – sturdy protection for the baby. Similar to regular size Axims, you’ll still need to make some adjustments on the positioning of the device to make use of the cutouts in the case.

Using the Case – It’s Stylish and Effective (on the most part)

I’ve been marveling at the design of this case as there is no need to take out the case to connect it to a charge cable or cradle! That’s right. The way this case is designed with a little flap, all you need to do is unlatch the flip portion and plop the your Axim right on the cradle to sync and charge it (see picture below).

Cutouts

The cutouts on this Prima case can cover pretty much every function you need – soft reset, earphone, d-pad, and all function buttons. The positions and sizes of the cutouts are good but not perfect. The lock switch cutout makes it feel very awkward to use switch at times. It would have been better for them to cover up and have cutouts for the wireless and memo recording button and just leave the lock switch uncovered. Because of this, I’m not too sure of when I actually locked my Axim or if I just move the leather cutout a bit leaving the lock switch still unlocked. I find it easiest to use your nails to dig in and flip the lock switch on and off. It also appears that the lock switch cutout works better with the big butt Axim then the regular one – probably due to increased stretching of the case thereby holding the leather more stiffly to the device (compare pics above). The earphone cutout should also have been made larger. The current design makes it that I have to press the earphone plugs hard into the device which dents the leather. It works, but it does leave unsightly marks in the leather. I’m considering manually enlarging this cutout for a better fit for my earphones.

While we are looking at the top area of the case where the headphone cutouts are, I’d like to say that they should have put in a Compact Flash (CF) cutout at the top of the case. Without a cutout, it is extremely difficult to get to the CF slot unless you removed the Axim partially from the case. If you are a heavy SD card user, then you will have no problems. But if you use CF cards frequently, this case may not be suitable for you.

The cutout for the soft reset button works but not as well as I’d like. If the device shifts inside the case, you’re not going to be able to hit the reset button very easily and will need to angle your stylus. One remedy perhaps is enlarging the cutout here a little more. Regardless, you’ll need to be in a very well lighted environment to see if you are actually hitting the reset hole. If you have a big butt Axim, then due to the lifted portion by the extended battery cover you’ll be able to see whether or not you are hitting the soft reset hole. Of course, you could always just push your Axim out of the case to get to the reset button – but that defies the purpose of having a cutout. In any case, I’ve found the best remedy is just to use a software soft reset with Spb Diary or SBSH iLauncher.

Belt Clip

The case itself feels good to hold and the belt clip is quite nice. Just slide and *click* and you’re ready to roll. To remove the device, just press the button on the belt clip and slide the case off the clip. The other day I accidentally moved a bit too much (trying to toss garbage into the dumpster) and the belt clip became unclipped from my pants causing my poor Axim to spiral down and hit the concrete. I am pleased to say that the case did provide some protection as the back and the front have nice solid surface with the front even having some padding. The sides unfortunately do not have much protection other than a bit of leather. My Axim fell on the side, but thank God it fell not at too much of an angle so the cement hit the leather rather than the body of the Axim. After considering this fall, I have to say that this case may not have enough side protection unlike the Vaja Classic case which Patrick Jordan reviewed sometime last year.

Storage Slots

Inside the flip top flap are compartments for 2 SD cards as well as a credit card. Initially when you first use the slots, it is a bit difficult to get all the cards (memory and credit card) inside. After a few insertions and removals, it becomes much easier. I guess the leather just needed to be stretched out a bit. To get at the SD cards you’ll need to grip the cards on their edges (seems easiest if you just use your fingernails). To get the credit card out it’s easiest just to grab it in the center and pull it out after lifting the exposed side a bit. Not shabby at all and it has a comfortable feel after the leather gets broken in a little.

Customize It

Prima allows you to choose between 2 colors – Chocolate (brown) and Black. Belt clips are optional and your first clip is included in the $39.95. Additional belt clips will cost you $5 each.

Conclusion

Prima has certainly done a wonderful job with this case! I give it a thumbs up! It’s comfortable, beautifully crafted with genuine leather, functional, and it supports…BIG BUTT AXIMS! YAY! Aside from a few minor flaws, this case is definitely one to consider unless you are a frequent CF user. The price is excellent too at a modest $39.95 + $6.76 S/H via UPS Ground.

This has become my favorite case in just a few weeks of daily use. Consider Prima’s Dell Axim X50 / X51v Leather Flip Style PDA Case when you want a decently priced, top notch quality case for your Dell Axim x50/x51 series device.

Technorati Tags: Prima, Flip Style, PDA Case, Dell, Axim, X51v, X51, X50, Just Another Mobile Monday

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