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Poll: Do you put cases on your gadgets?

2 points by shutter ↗ HN
My MBP (which I've had for over a year) has a case on it, a keyboard protector, and the like; I also have a case on my iPhone. They protect the gadgets, but add a bit of bulk (and typing difficulty, in the keyboard protector). I've been tempted to take them off, but have left them there because they're not too obtrusive.

One could argue that you'd get a better resale price if your gadgets aren't scratched. I've wanted to take the rubber case off of my iPhone, only to be relieved when the case protects it from yet another unanticipated drop onto a hard floor.

Yet there's something to be said for actually enjoying a gadget without the extra bulk of a case.

So I ask you: Do you put cases on your gadgets, or do you prefer to enjoy them "as they are"?

6 comments

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watmough
I don't like things cased generally, though I'd probably make an exception for carrying laptops further afield.

This habit stems from the giant pain that having a camera in a case is, compared to just having one around your neck, ready to use.

hardik
I did not put a case on my beloved iPhone.. it was on my desk and Mum dropped it while cleaning.. its developed a deadstrip and is lying unused from 6 six months. (sob)

You either keep your desk real clean or case them gadgets.

yan
I used to put cases on stuff until I realized that two years later, that gadget had no resale value and I was slightly frustrated at the bulk/inaccessibility. From then on, I buy gadgets to enjoy them, not to lease them so I use everything without cases. I have a case for my iphone that I put on sometimes when it's around a lot of keys and change or the like, but 99% of the time, it's naked. I find that I'm much happier and `free' when I take the accepted loss on the gadget and use it like it's actually mine.
gtani
i keep laptops and musical isntruments incredibly well protected in transit: e.g hardshell case inside messenger bag, but no form-fitting cases.

Luggage i rely on : Patagonia, Chrome laptop case (from the guys that do nuclear messenger bags), Brenthaven MetroLite case (bombproof)

iigs
I tend to purchase electronics with wear and tear in mind. I generally select devices that I've found (or heard) to be reliable, and I don't think I've ever purchased with resale in mind -- I tend to hold on to them long after any resale value has gone.

Proper care and cleaning (damp cloth, mild cleaners) has kept my keyboards and palm rests clean well past their apparent age. I don't touch PC LCDs (this is tremendously important), and I try clean them before food, beverage, or other peoples fingerprints dry on them.

r11t
I am using the revo2 for iPhone and pretty happy with it. IMHO it is one of the better designed cases for the iPhone. It also comes with a non-adhesive anti-glare and anti-fingerprint screen film. Also there are covers for the docking port and leaves almost no part of the device exposed.