Price:	£12.95 (via Expansys)		Reviewed by:	Philippa Conmy
Supplied:	Krusell		Review date:	29/07/2005
Pros:	Can take calls with Treo inside case Detatchable multidapt belt clip Slim profile Inexpensive		Cons:	Difficult to use touchscreen through case Won't protect from hard fall No holders for extra cards

Introduction One of the first things I buy for a new PDA is a case to protect against bumps and scrapes. The problem with my Treo 650 is that it's a fairly hefty size and most of the cases I'd normally buy (book style) would leave me with not only an excessively large pocket bulge, but also look really silly when held to the side of the face during a call. The Krusell Classic Multidapt case is designed to have a slim profile so I thought I'd try it out. The Case The case itself has a leather rear and sides with the front panel covered completely by plastic. There are cutouts to remove the stylus, access the infrared port, camera, micropohone, antenna, top speaker and bottom cable sockets. Therefore I can use the hotsync, power and headset cables with the case on. The volume button cutout has plastic covering but none of the others do. As the case is designed for both Treo 600 and the Treo 650 it has the odd cutout which is not needed (such as for Treo 600 reset hole). However, none of these leave the Treo 650 exposed. The phone is inserted and removed through a zip up hole in the base of the case. When I first was using the case I found that it was a little tight around the Treo and difficult to do up the zip. It's now loosened up nicely after a few weeks use, but not to the point where it's loose around the phone. I do find I have to remove the Treo once or twice a day though, as it is difficult to use the touchscreen through the plastic cover for anything which requires some accuracy. Fortunately it's possible to do an awful lot on the Treo via the keyboard and there are very few problems tapping the keys or using the nav buttons through the plastic. I've occasionally found I've had to tap the black number key in the left hand corner a couple of times to make it register but that's all. The biggest plus point for this case is that not only does it have the slim profile I was after, but thanks to the cutouts I can take calls with the case still attached. This means I can quickly answer the phone and avoid getting the touch screen greasy by placing it next to my face. People familiar with the multidapt system will be pleased to find the case has a multidapt connector and comes with a belt clip. I don't personally use a clip but it seems well made and attached and detached no problem. There are a couple of disadantages to this case though. If you drop the phone on the ground with force it won't have the protection of, say, an aluminium case. In addition there are no slots for storing spare cards. The SD slot in the Treo is blocked by the case so that you will have to remove the phone from the case to get an SD card out, but given the number of times I managed to knock the card out of my Treo 600 I'm not sure if this is not a pro rather than a con! Conclusion If you are looking for a slim-line case for a Treo 600 or Treo 650 then the Krusell is well worth a look. It won't protect against very hard knocks, but will protect from small scrapes. The fact that you can take calls with it on is a huge bonus as it stops your screen getting horrid and greasy during phone calls. I've used it for over a month now and really can see no need to look for another case at the moment.