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 The Great White Newt: Phase III | |
Yes, the case is done. My friend Holly Aiken,who makes some excellent, tragically hip handbags and purses (Check her site out if you want a killer purse, messenger bag, or tiBook case. She works in vinyl as well as leather and other materials.) put together the sleeve for my newt from my own design. It's a little funky at the moment, as the vinyl hasn't broken in yet, and the folds are still trying to flatten out, but I'm confident that with use, it will be more comfortable. Please forgive the lousy, inconsistent quality of these and all the other iNewt photos, as I am quickly realizing just how difficult it is to photograph white objects on a white background. I have to wonder how Apple does it... As you can see, it's not much bigger than the iNewt itself, so it doesn't add any more bulk to what I carry around with me. Plus it has a built-in place to hold two pens, or an extra-big Sharpie, by design. White outside with a nice CCC grey inside means it's two layers of vinyl, so it should be plenty hardy for taking lumps and padding the precious Oliver Cromwell inside. The above and below photos show the main flap open, with its obligatory business card sleeve. Yes, that's the iNewt inside the case. I might add another slit to hold longer pieces behind the business cards - i.e. my checkbook, if it's not too fat. You can see that there are cutouts at the top for the stylus holder and IR bulb, so I won't have to extricate the newt for any reason except to change PC cards. Inside, there will be a white Apple logo sticker, if i can find my Stash :) Rolled all the way open, it becomes apparent how the whole shebang is held together with Velcro. I'm not sure about how it feels on the parts that are in contact with the newt itself, so I may remove the Velcro on some of the parts and just sew them together for a slimmer, more permanent bond. Open this far, I can change batteries, swap out PC cards With the flap at the top open (in this shot, fully unfolded, but it can be pulled open while the case is completely closed), the interconnect port and AC plug become accessible, so I can recharge the little bugger or sync it without taking it out of the case. Another feature of my design, which I neglected to photograph, is that the cover folds completely back behind the case and Velcros to the same spot that holds it shut, keeping it conveniently out of the way whilst I work on the screen. This all begs the question: Why cover up the lovely gleaming white iNewt? For one, the finish isn't as pretty as it looks online - it picks up fingerprints and any texture it sits on for any length of time. Plus the paint job and seams look a little clunky under close inspection. However, as a showpiece, it still kicks big booty, so I expect I'll be using the new white case for my MP2100 (once I rid it of the Jaggies it has taken on as of late), and keeping the iNewt naked, just for grins. Please feel free to email newton@option8.com with contributions, links, or comments. | |