Introduction:
I
have posted several times about my "adapted" case that I got for $39.99 at Office
Depot. Well I finally decided that a few pictures (plus a few words) would better
illustrate what I have talked about for months. In my "case" (pun intended)
I did this with my TC1000, but there is no reason why it would not work with
other tablets as well. It may not work for everyone, but it will give you an
idea of how you may be able to adapt something to your own personal use. There
are so many cases out there, chances are something will work well for you!
The
case I bought was the At-A-Glance Leather Planner "PadFolio". I tried
to find it on Office Depot's web site, but had no luck, this was bought
in the store itself. This is a 2 section zippered black case with several
inside pockets. Here are a few images with my comments on how this all
works for me: As I said, the case has two zippered sections that close
all the way around the top and sides. The zippers are pretty strong
with nice little leather straps on them, and have yet to fail me in
4 months of use. This is a nice leather "Padfolio" intended to hold
an At-A-Glance format calendar in the front section, and a pad of paper
in the back section. Here is a view from the front:
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Front:
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Back:
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Outside
the case on the back there is also a slip in section that I sometimes
find handy to slip a few papers, etc. in. Nice to have that plane ticket,
boarding pass, etc. right at my fingertips!
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This
view is of the folio opened up to the inside front section. Notice the
clear plastic sleeve on the left, that is where I keep my keyboard snug
and secure (more on that later). The right side of this has slits for
credit cards, business cards, a pen holder, and can also hold your paper
day timer, etc. (if you are so inclined <:D>).
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Inside
front section:
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Inside
back section:
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This
next image is the inside of the back section where I store my TC1000.
On the left side is a folder section (non zippered) that holds half
inch or so of paper without crowding the tablet any. It also has a small
see through zippered section that I keep paper clips, scraps of paper,
a little cash, etc. in. There is also a full length zippered section
on the left that comes in handy for my extra battery, network cable,
modem cable, etc. On the right side is where I keep the tablet. I experimented
with a couple of options for holding it secure, but wanted to do it
without resorting to major changes, so I placed a couple of pieces of
Velcro (on horizontal, one vertical) on the tablet and the case, and
it works out very well. It holds the tablet securely, but is relatively
easy to pull off too. There is also a pen holder on the top that holds
the TC1000 pen very well, but I still prefer to use the pen garage in
the tablet itself.
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Here
you see the front section again, with the keyboard inserted. This is
where I had to make the only case modification. To insert the keyboard
and have the case close correctly, I put about a 4 inch slit on the
inside where the keyboard hinge meets the case when closed. I then collapse
the hinge itself completely against the keyboard, slide it in, and voila,
when you close the front section, the hinge slides nicely into the slit,
and the clear plastic protects the keyboard nicely!
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Inside front section (Keyboard inserted):
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Inside
back section (Rubber flap open):
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Now
to the meat of the matter! Here you see the tablet inserted and placed
against the Velcro strips. As you can see, it fits perfectly, and allows
the zippers to close with little or no pressure. When I first got it,
I was careful to not put too much paper, etc. inside until the leather
stretched and formed, but have never had a problem with it being too
tight. I use the rubber flap that came with my docking station here
as a critical component.
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As you can see from the flap closed and flap open images, it is important
to have the flap attached in order to prevent the tablet screen from
getting scratched when the case is closed. The zippers, etc. on the
left side would scratch it without the flap.
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Inside
back section (Rubber flap closed):
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One of the nice things
about this case is that the back is very flexible as well, allowing you to bend
it back with the tablet still attached to the case. The only thing I wish I did
have in this configuration is a shoulder strap. The back of the case is leather
and you could pass a strap through it if desired, but I would be concerned about
stretching the back binder (but I may try it anyway). There is of course not room
for the AC adapter, but I do carry my extra battery with me in the case, so rarely
need AC power. When I do, I have my adapter in the car or in my suitcase at the
hotel anyway, so it is never very far away. So.., there you have it, "TC's" home
away from home. I would love to see someone make a similar case that would be
commercially available, but until that time, my simple adaptation works out very
well for "TC" and I!
Go ye forth and
innovate!
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