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:


Front:
 


Back:
 

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!

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>).

Inside front section:

Inside back section:

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.

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!


Inside front section (Keyboard inserted):

 

Inside back section (Rubber flap open):

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.

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.

Inside back section (Rubber flap closed):

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!