The PDA Guerilla: iPod Otterbox

A few weeks ago my original 20 GB Apple iPod's hard drive died, the victim of 26 months of hard use. I certainly cannot complain about its longevity, but its demise created an emergency in my life. I listen to podcasts, audiobooks and music, all day, primarily over earphones, a habit I developed in the Walkman days. I like the high quality sound reproduction and portability both around the house and outside. Furthermore, because we live in a small house with limited shelf space, we pack away our music once we have copied it into iTunes, making the iPod our only method of access. So I immediately went out and purchased a 74 GB video iPod.

The iPod has been eclipsed in the public imagination recently by the advent of the iPhone. By comparison, my video iPod has a screen about half the size of the iPhone but with a similar very clear, bright display, perfectly adequate for displaying my digital photography in a portable format. And while it does not have a cellular (or any other) radio built in (Bluetooth would be nice to support wireless head sets without the need for a dongle), its huge storage capacity allows me to carry all my music plus audiobooks and photos. And at a street price of about $320 it is half the cost of the iPhone -- and I don't have to pay monthly fees to AT&T. Overall, it is an excellent deal.

But this beautiful device has one major issue that it shares with almost all other gadgets -- it is very vulnerable to breakage, damage due to rain or airborne sand and salt at the beach, plus theft and loss. This particularly concerned me as we prepared for our annual summer trip to the Grandfather Mountain (NC) Highland Games (http://www.gmhg.org/) last weekend. I planned to carry my iPod with me at the Games, mainly so that I could check its list of albums to avoid buying CDs I already own, and I wanted it adequately protected.

That sent me to Otterbox, the source of  waterproof, high-impact plastic containers for multiple purposes. I first learned about Otter years ago and own several smaller boxes of various sizes plus one of its original style PDA cases, the Model 2600, which I still use when I plan to take my PDA outside (more on this below).

However, I hadn't visited Otter's site for some time, and I was delighted to discover that the company now provides ruggedized cases specifically designed for several individual products ranging from Treo, iQue and Blackberry smart phones to Zippo lighters and cigars (not things that I personally have a use for), among them cases for several iPod models, including the video iPods. At $50 these are not cheap, however they offer protection against shock and dropping, a clear screen cover, a permanent flexible membrane that allows you to control the iPod in the case, and a pass-through connection for a headset or Bluetooth dongle.

The case, when it arrived the day before we left on our trip, proved to be everything I hoped. It is tight fitting, adding a minimal amount to the iPod's dimensions, and that mostly in length, since the hinges are on the top of the case and the latch on the base. The case is waterproof (Otter actually sells a waterproof headset to use while you are swimming), which comes in handy during rain storms. It also has a built-in secure belt clip, so I do not have to carry it in a pocket. I actually bent out the clip a little, but it remains secure (actually a little difficult to unclip) and satisfactory. Otter offers various add-ons, but so far I have no need for any of those. The only thing I cannot do is access the bottom port on the iPod; for that I have to take it out of its case. But since I only need to do that when recharging or playing music through a stereo speaker set, that is not an issue. Overall this is an excellent investment in protection for a $300 device.

While I am at it, and since Otter still sells it, I should talk a little about the Model 2600 PDA case. I bought this several years ago after dropping and breaking a PDA. I wanted something that provided maximum protection, and this was it. According to a review I read at the time, it actually can protect a device from being crushed by being run over by a car (the reviewer purposely ran over the empty case and reported that while it was cracked it did not crush, and had his PDA been inside it would have survived unharmed). It also is waterproof when the interchangeable transparent screen and gasket is properly installed, although Otter does not recommend using it with scuba gear.

However, this box does have several tradeoffs:

First, it is designed as a one-size-fits-all box. I actually can fit my T3 in it fully extended with a Power-to-Go external battery attached, with room to spare. The disadvantage of that is it is bulky, too large to fit in any but an outside sports jacket pocket. It does come with a very secure attachable belt clip assembly, which I use when I carry my PDA in the case, and which makes a unique style point with my wardrobe, but this definitely is an outdoor rather than an office solution.

Second, I have constant problems getting the screen to fully seal. I would not want to use mine underwater at all, even in the bath tub, although it is adequate for use in moderate rain or on the beach to protect the device from damage from sand and salt.

Third, while I can read the screen and operate the physical buttons on my PDA, I cannot write or use the screen buttons through the case. The screen on it is just too thick for that.

Therefore, I would recommend this mainly for outdoor use where you mainly want to read the device screen.

However, Otter has two other PDA cases, plus cases for laptops and tablet computers that look very interesting. Personally, I am seriously considering another of their cases for my PDA, one which perhaps is less bulky and which definitely will let me fully access the device in the case. I am quite willing to trade off waterproof construction for direct access to the screen when I need it.

In the meantime I could not be happier with the iPod case. It is an excellent value for the price, particularly given that it could easily save me from breaking a $300 iPod that I hope to use for at least two years.