The delicate yet durable feel of the case is a good blend of classiness and strength of protection you would find in any premium quality protective cases. However this particular product boasts a neat little innovative design. The design allows the ability to use your system while still in the case! The workmanship is excellent and seems quite durable. The white stitching works with the black color of the rest of the case, especially since my Aspire One was also white. The case is held together by a magnetic clasp which is a lot nicer than alternative mechanisms such as zippers and velcro straps. The designers of the case were thoughtful when it comes to functionality since they even created pores on the bottom to allow the laptop to “breathe” meaning maintaining cooler temperatures. Although, I wasn’t to wild about the appearance of the ventilation pores, it servers a purpose and in the end goes pretty much unnoticed.

Furthermore, there are various sized pockets suitable for holding a couple of your SD cards as well as a credit card sized pocket. A look behind those reveal an even larger pocket; ideal for holding perhaps a lint-free cloth for maintaining the Acer’s LCD screen while traveling. The careful placement of the cut outs in the leather design provide access to every necessary hardware component. Components such as the track pad, Wi-Fi indicator/switch, and card reader are all accessible through cutouts in the case. I originally assumed a case would make typing difficult, but I instead found the tiny palm rests even more comfortable with the leather covering. The simplicity and compactness makes the case an excellent accessory. There is always a slight addition of bulk with any case, but this case was just the right balance from providing enough protection without too much extra baggage.

Conclusion:
Proporta’s Leather Case for the Acer Aspire One is affordable and durable. Prior to reviewing this product I was using a generic polyester case for portable DVD players. The substantial difference was the fact that I would no longer need to create a commotion during a class lecture to take out my laptop with a noisy zippers, which is definitely a thumbs up on Proporta’s magnetic clasp design. If you are in the market for a case for your netbook and enjoy the leather look, this accessory is a great choice. And if you are conscious of animal rights, Proporta delivers this to you animal parts-free! And as a bonus, as a reader of Skatter Tech, you are entitled to a 10% discount. Just enter the code “skattertech” (no quotes) during checkout. In addition Proporta provides a Lifetime Warranty on this product!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Links: Proporta.com

The Cruzer Contour is a bit heavier than most flash drives, but this is due to the aluminum encased back-side. The top front was made of glossy plastic, which unfortunately had a “cheap” feel to it. To open the drive, you’ll have to slide it backwards then forwards. To close it, you’ll have to slide the top forward then back. Overall the build quality was superb. It isn’t an IronKey, but it is more than enough for the average consumer. I also personally felt that this looks much better than most flash drives I’ve seen. The only other physical caveat I had was that the “cheap” plastic on top kept creaking when opening and closing the flash drive. I also appreciated the fact that SanDisk threw in a leather protective case with a key chain loop along with the flash drive. The whole package looks “executive” enough for me.

As I mentioned previously, the unit’s performance is an important factor. SanDisk officially stated that the drive has 25 MB/sec read speeds and 18 MB/sec write speeds. I used a benchmarking tool (HD Tune) and found that the transfer rate was actually 22.1 MB/sec, about 4 MB/sec faster than they had stated. The read and write speeds were sure enough much faster than generic SanDisk Cruzer Micro I had lying around, but was on par with the IronKey. SanDisk included a set of U3 applications on the drive, these included: Avast! Anti-Virus, Skype, HP Photosmart, some games, and a password manager. I wasn’t a fan of the idea of the launcher starting up each time I plug in the drive nor to have applications I don’t plan on using on my flash drive. As a result I downloaded and ran the U3 uninstaller, which I was able to easily find on SanDisk’s website. All traces of the launcher and applications were quickly erased leaving me with space for my data and media. Keeping the U3 apps would allow me to encrypt the drive, however the downside would be that I would only access my data on a Windows-based machine, no OS X support. Despite that, from some quick tests proved that the default security was quite robust. The partition on the flash drive with encrypted data was completely inaccessible without the correct password.

Overall all the entire idea of the SanDisk Cruzer Contour deserves a thumbs up. Although I happened to not be a fan of the pre-installed apps since I preferred to use my own tools and encrypt my data with TrueCrypt, most consumers will appreciate it. As for the unit’s lifespan, I won’t be able to say how long the flash drive will survive under standard wear and tear, however I would assume it will keep running much longer than cheap generic flash drives. Fortunately it comes with a lifetime warranty, however that won’t cover any data lost due to defects. As for the physical aspect, I found the opening and closing to be a bit tricky at first and is a bit difficult to operate with one hand, however it isn’t an issue after a couple of uses. The unit I reviewed had 4GB storage capacity, however SanDisk also has 8GB and 16GB models available. The drives are available for purchase for as low as $43 for 4GB, $55 for 8GB, and $112 for 16GB on Amazon, however MSRP is much higher for each of the models.

Buy Now: SanDisk Cruzer Contour on Amazon
Link: SanDisk Cruzer Contour Flash Drives
Related: IronKey Review

Skatter Tech recently got a hold of Proporta’s Alu-Leather Case and Advance Screen Protector for the Creative ZEN. I put them to the test right away by carrying it around to see how well the Proporta accessories would protect my gizmo. I was quite pleased as the case was quite rigid while it maintained a fairly fancy look and the screen protector adhered and fit the screen perfectly. The Creative ZEN digital audio player slides into the case and is held in place by to well padded clamps. The case is enclosed by a strong flap which is fastened with a magnetic clasp. A lightweight yet strong aluminum sheet is embedded into the leather both on the bottom and top flaps to provide additional support. Proporta provides an attachable belt clip which can be easily removed if you don’t plan on using it. The headphone jack and the USB port have been left open therefore listening to music and/or charging the device won’t be a problem. No functionality of the ZEN is lost and even the SD card slot is reachable without having to remove the device from the case.

The Advance Screen Protector for the Creative ZEN has been pre-cut exactly to fit the square around the screen. Although the protector achieves its goal of guarding the screen, it fails to cover any other portion of the top of the player such as the controls. Proporta provides a cleaning cloth and a application card in the packaging so that the screen protector can be applied easily and properly. The main issue we faced was the fact that screen clarity is lost due to the graininess of the plastic sheet. Although it isn’t a problem for browsing through music, it can become very irritating if you plan to watch videos.

The leather case and screen protector are available for purchase from Proporta’s website for $34.95 and $9.95, respectively. However by using the coupon code “skattertech” (no quotes) during checkout you’ll get a 10% discount bringing the price of both items to just $40.41. Overall we were quite satisfied with both these products, however if you own a Creative ZEN and you feel you know of a better way to protect your device, please let us know by replying in the comments.

Links: Proporta Alu-Leather Case | Advance Screen Protector
Coupon Code: skattertech

I recently reviewed Proporta’s screen protector for the iPod Touch, which I highly recommended all owners to purchase. Although that was good step towards protecting your iPod, it won’t be able to protect the other parts of the device from rough handling or drops. This is where Proporta’s Leather Case for the iPod Touch plays a role. The iPod touch slides in and the case’s clamps hold the device in place and it’s actually quite durable. As the implied in the title with the word “Alu-,” Proporta has actually embedded a strong lightweight aluminum sheet in between the leather layers to protect the iPod Touch even further. The case will be able to protect the iPod Touch from a fairly good amount of pressure. Proporta also includes a belt clip which can easily be removed. All ports and buttons are accessible and no functionality will be lost. As seen in the picture, the bottom is left open so headphones can connected even if the case has been closed.

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s a good idea to spend a few bucks to protect your $300-400 investment. Especially since it is something you’ll be carrying around with you everywhere you go. Purchasing a screen protector to go along with this case will offer just about all the protection you can get without loosing usability. If you aren’t a fan of leather cases, take a look at our review of iFrogz’s Silicone Case. Anyways the Alu-Leather case by Proporta is available for purchase on their website. It will cost you $45.95 USD, however you’ll receive a 10% discount if you use the promotion code “skattertech” (no quotes) during checkout. If you know of any better products or have a case you would like us to review, please leave us a comment or send us an email.

Links: Proporta Alu-Leather iPod Touch Case
Promotion Code: skattertech