I have two Treos and I want them both protected at all times. I used to have a cheap Siemens cell phone, and I do mean "cheap". Even though the phone was cheap as dirt and sure wasn't much to look at, I still bought a case for it so it would be protected. Well, all you Treo owners know that Treos do not come cheap. These devices are to me, not only feature-filled devices, but works of art in their design. And the screens are so delicate on our devices. There's no way I would carry a Treo without a case of some kind protecting it. The only time my Treo isn't in a case is when I'm sitting here at my desk working or the Treo is in the cradle charging. I know that many people carry their Treos around in their pants pockets. I'm just too much of a worry wart to live that freely. I'm also pretty clumsy and I could just imagine myself carrying a Treo around in that manner and smacking right into a doorway. My butterfingers dropped my Treo while getting into my car once and my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. Thank goodness I had the Treo in a case! Even though it bounced around on the pavement after doing a slow motion flip through the air, there was no harm done. Isn't it funny how whenever we drop our precious Treos, we always seem to see it happen in slow motion?

I've heard a lot of stories about people dropping their Treos and other devices and having a cracked screen or a scuffed device as a result. One of my best friends hardly ever carries his devices in a case. Just the other day, he was carrying his iPhone and thankfully he did have it in a case. He dropped the iPhone on the street and the corner got scuffed. If not for that case, I cringe at the thought of what might have happened. It's best to use a case because you just never know what little accidents are waiting around the next corner.

Metal cases provide a great amount of protection for your Treo. They are hard and sturdy and can prevent dings and scratches. I'm reviewing a sweet metal case from Smartphone Experts this time around.

Design

And of course if you do want to use the belt clip, just put the screw in the hole and tighten it up. The lightweight belt clip is easy to attach. You just need to push in the release button that protrudes on the top of the belt clip and slide the opening over the screw post. The belt clip won't come off the case until you press the release button again and pull it off. The belt clip swivels 360 degrees which is really nice. Since the case is able to swivel all the way around, it wouldn't come unattached from your belt as easily if you were to bump the top or bottom of the case against something. Instead, it would hopefully spin freely instead of having the impact tug the case free from your belt. My husband has a similar belt clip on his Treo 650 case and I've seen him bump his Treo in case against the side of our entertainment center. His case spun around on his hip instead of coming off his belt. And I've seen him accidentally knock a different type of case right off his belt because the case had a belt clip that didn't swivel 360 degrees when there was an impact. This usually happens when he's in a hurry to get to work and going out the front door. Man alive, I'd hate to see his Treo if he didn't have it in a case all those times! Sheesh!

For my review, I chose the Champagne colored case. I'm so glad I chose that color because it is beautiful! Champagne is such a warm and pleasing color. And the finish on this case is just gorgeous. It's so satiny smooth and mirror-like! I've never felt a smoother finish on a metal case. And I've tested several over the years. You'd think by looking at the case that it would be a virtual fingerprint magnet, but surprisingly, it's not. I can't tell you how happy I am about that. If you've read my other reviews, you know how much I detest fingerprints on my gadgets. *Shudder*. As slick as the surface is, I've had no problems losing a grip on the case.

The case is made of aircraft grade aluminum and has a tough anodized finish. I feel confident that my Treo won't get scratches or dents while inside this case. The inside of the case is lined in a velvity soft and protective neoprene. I really appreciate neoprene lined cases because my Treo doesn't get scratched when being put in or taken out of such a case. My Treo slid down in the case very easily. Both my Treo 680 and 750 fit perfectly in the case. The case holds a Treo nice and snug but not too snug, and it's easy to slide the Treo back out.

The case opens up like a book and there are a couple of strong hinges on the right side of the case. The front swings open but it doesn't fold all the way around to the back as some cases do. I believe I need to put a tiny bit of oil on my hinges because they have a slight squeak when I open and close the door. I wouldn't recommend doing something like that with the Treo inside the case of course. I'll add a drop or two and then blot it and leave it to sit for awhile before I put my Treo back inside.

The door snaps shut and stays firmly in place. The door latch snaps over a small plastic tab that sticks out on the side of the case, keeping the door closed. To open the door, you use the side of your thumb or your thumbnail and push upwards on the latch.

Usability

The SPE SafeGuard MetalCase has cutouts for easy access to the Treo's ports and controls. On the front of the case are cutouts for the ear speaker, LED light, the five-way navigation buttons, phone send and end, and other hard buttons.

The case has a hard, protective, plastic built-in window to protect the Treo's delicate screen. If you want to use your stylus, you'll have to open the case. The keyboard is completely covered by the front of this case except for the very top of about four keys. So similarly, if you want access to the built-in keyboard, you'll need to open the door.

Luckily, the Treo was designed so we can use it one-handed with the 5-way button for lots of tasks. For example, if I want to make a phone call on my Treo 750 while it's in the case, I can simply press the Phone button and my list of Contacts comes up. I can scroll down the list of Contacts with the down button, and when the person I want to call is highlighted, I just press the center button. On my Treo 680, I can press the Phone button and I'll be taken to the Phone application. Then I can use the right directional button to go over to my Contacts. Then I can scroll downwards until the person I want to call is highlighted.

The left side of the case has a cutout for the side buttons. The right side of the case has a cutout large enough for the SD card slot on the Treo 680 and the miniSD card slot on the 750 and 755p. There is also a cutout for the infrared port on the Treo 750 and 755p.

The top of the case is fully exposed for easy access to the ringer switch on all three Treos and the infrared port on the Treo 680. The back of the case has the hole for the belt clip screw. There is also a cutout for the rear speaker and the camera. And a nice rounded edge cutout for easy access to the stylus.

The bottom of the case has a cutout for easy access to the sync/charge connector, headphone jack, and the microphone. I have to take my Treo out of the case in order to put it on the cradle, but it's nice to be able to use a USB charge and sync cable while the Treo is in the case.

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Read Merciful by Casey Adolfsson