Quote:
Originally Posted by JSWolf
No pocket is a good idea. I've read of people getting bumped and the Reader getting damaged.
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I strongly agree. Before buying a PDA, my first question after deciding on which one to buy is what type of hard cases were available for it. If a hard case wasn't available for it, I would give it a pass.
The only exception was the Handspring Visor (which I've recently returned to using again), which included an excellent snap-on plastic cover that completely protected the screen when not in use and could be snapped on its back for convenient storage when in use.
When I used to regularly carry a PDA (Palm OS PDA) I put it in a hard case made of thick aluminum that looked touch enough to survive being run over by a car, and I'm glad I did. I carried it in my front pocket and after a few months the case looked scratched and dented from being banged around while not in use, not intentionally but just as a matter of course during the day. However, the PDA inside was completely undamaged despite the damage to its case.
Sadly, I recently had a bad experience with my Sony PRS-505. I kept it in the standard cover which seemed to offer good protection. Unfortunately, I dropped it and when I turned it back on the e-ink screen was damaged. The upper right corner area was dead and there were thin lines at several place in the screen. Now it has grown worse and it seems like the entire screen is affected.
Fortunately, I have a good backup in the form of my NookColor. They've improved the software since I first purchased it (the PDF reading software is much better than the original out-of-the-box PDF reading software). While it's battery life isn't as good as that of any of my Sony e-readers (due to the non-eink screen), it is still enough to last me a couple of days (I'm at about 90% after about two days of moderate use).
For protection, I'd like to see them come up with a padded thick-plastic/metal slip case for ereaders to provide completely protection from damage while carrying it, while allowing you to easily to remove it for use. If well designed, it would protect the ereader from damage due to small falls (like the 3-foot fall that my Sony ereader took).