The Proporta aluminum case for Dell’s Axim is over-all a great investment for any Axim owner. It is stylish and sleek, provides great protection for the device, and still gives adequate access to the unit.

The case is not much bigger than the Axim itself, which was convenient, and it hardly weighs anything, an additional convenience. I have gotten a number of compliments from my co-workers on how nice the case looked: it’s brushed aluminum style is very sleek and attractive.



The case is sturdy. I often put the unit in my back pocket, and I’ve never been concerned about damaging the Axim. The fact that the interior of the unit is padded provides a nice snug fit for the Axim, protecting it from scratches and from bouncing around too much. One point for improvement might be to pad the lid where it rolls over at the top, since I have sometimes been concerned about scratches from that area because it is unpadded.

This case provides a great deal of access to the Axim, without needing to take it out. I am impressed that I am able to access every function except the application buttons, D-Pad, and power button while the case is closed. Some nice touches are that the power port and sync port are available, and that there is even a small port for the speaker, while the lid is closed. However, I wish that the access port for the rocker and record button was a little larger in the length toward the SD access port, as it was a bit difficult to fully manipulate the rocker with my largish thumb. In addition, the lid style makes it uncomfortable to use for extended periods of time. The lid hinge is on the right, and requires the user to hold the case with finger tips only on the right side while the lid is open. I will take the Axim out of the case, or lay it flat to do any prolonged text writing entry.

Overall, I feel that this is a wonderful addition to my Axim. Despite some small inconveniences regarding access, and the need for padding on the lid of the unit, I feel that this is a huge improvement over the case that comes with the Axim from Dell.

Jason Killian
Guest Reviewer


Editors Note: I echo Jason's comment on the hinge and how it is difficult to hold for long periods of time with the lip open. That issue in not exclusive to Proporta but to all aluminum and hard shell cases for PDA's. What they need to develop is a double hinge that allows the lid to fold back behind the unit. If you take a look at the iPAQ Style Pack cases and the rubber hinge you will get the idea of what I am talking about. In a hard case it would be an armadillo looking hinge and make the unit far more conformable to use for extended periods of time. I plan on adding this editorial note to all future PDA hard case reviews until someone comes up with a manufacturing solution.