Sunday, February 6, 2011

Portenzo iPad Case

It's been a while since I received my Portenzo iPad case so I thought I would post a few pics and thoughts. Here it is:


As I mentioned previously, it is a Moleskine-style case, which I loved due to its simplicity. I wanted something that doesn't advertise that I'm carrying an iPad, but is still functional and offers some degree of protection (i.e. from dust and dirt). I can't say how much protection this case can provide in terms of shock absorption, but I try to be as careful as possible not to drop my stuff. I suppose it would at least protect against nicks and scratches in that type of situation.

Back view with Portenzo logo and double-glued elastic band:


Inside view (Deep Purple interior):


There are no extra compartments, which I prefer. I initially looked at wallet-type cases, but those are too bulky and I don't want to carry the contents of my wallet with me around the house. When I really thought about it, all I wanted was something stylish to protect my iPad. The case does add a little bit of bulk to the iPad but I don't mind (the case is about 2.5cm thick).

The iPad is held inside with "Sure-Grip invisible corners". You basically push the corners of the iPad into the case, and the corner grips hold it in place. Other manufacturers' cases have similar mechanisms of securing the iPad, but I had seen videos and read reviews of iPads easily falling out. Some easily fell out and others took a wee bit of shaking and then easily fell out.

With this case, however, the iPad is held firmly in place - it is definitely not going anywhere. I've tried shaking the crap out of it and it does NOT budge once it's in. I often read on my iPad in bed, lying on my back and holding the iPad over me - no surprise attacks as of yet, and I don't expect any. Despite this, it's not difficult to take the iPad out of the case, although I've only done that once. I have no reason to remove it from its case so I can't speak to the durability of the corner grips with repeated removal/replacement of the iPad.

Bamboo frame with cutouts for the ports/controls:




The frame is smooth, beautiful, and durable. I have not experienced any warping of the frame.

"Audio-flow sound ports" that amplify the sound coming from the speakers:


The sound ports really do make a difference in the volume and richness of the sound. Not that you get fantastic audio from an iPad anyway, but the sound ports are a cool touch.

The cover can be folded backwards to create a slight incline for typing. As you can see below, the incline is not as much as that of the Apple iPad case but it works for me. In general, I'm not a huge fan of typing on the iPad (I prefer my laptop if I have a lot of typing to do) so this case is perfectly fine for that purpose.


The case can also be propped up for watching movies, slideshows, etc. There is nothing to secure the case in this position, so it can get a little precarious. 



To put it simply: I love this case! It's simple, stylish, and functional. I initially thought it was a little spendy but I think it's entirely worth it, especially considering the other, more expensive cases out there of inferior quality. If you're in the market for a similarly-styled iPad case, I highly recommend Portenzo!

4 comments:

  1. Nice! I think that my husband was considering one of these for his iPad. I've also been considering one for my iPhone. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I considered the iPhone case but I thought it might be too bulky for my liking. Let me know if you end up getting it!

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  3. I just ordered my iPad 2 Portenzo case in the deep purple color and can not wait to get it!!!

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  4. Anon: Hope you like it! The iPad 2 cases look slick - I especially like the sleep/wake feature.

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