Palm handheld cases are usually made of metal or leather. Boxwave’s just-released ActiveCase goes a different way-it is made of a PVC-like glassy substance. Let’s review!

My review sample was shipped with ‘regular’ mail:

The ActiveCase is packed in a blister. Just for giggles-the front shows a Palm Tungsten E with TomeReader installed:

An ActiveCase appears very thin. It does not weigh much either. You ‘flip’ the handheld into its case. A little bar on the left locks the handheld in place by docking into the silo:

Our E2 handheld sits firmly in the case. There are cutouts for the hardkeys at the front-the case doesn’t need to be opened in order to access those. While this can come in handy, it increases the probability for the machine to boot on its own. Reset button and speaker get cutouts as well:

The hotsync port is accessible from the ouside, this is also valid for power button, stylus silo and memory card:

This ActiveCase opens to the right. The lid can be flipped to the back. However, there is no clamp that keeps the lid closed:

Overall, ActiveCases look cool. They are very beautiful, one almost doesnt feel their weight. However, mine already has a few scratches after just a week of moderate use. The plastic feels less tough than the aluminium in other cases. Also, there is no space for SD cards,… . If you need toughness and are willing to carry the weight, this is not for you. If you want to add a good bit of scratch/impact protection without the weight, an ActiveCase is a beautiful way to go!