iPad Mini: Poetic slimline case

[Ankaa]

Thanks! So it get's in and out easily?
Just curious, but will it scratch if you take your iPad out of the case and put it back in frequently?

Sorry for all my silly questions

[sealos]

So is this essentially the same case as the Joy Factory one? Just rebranded?

I have the Joy Factory and got it for what I thought was a good price on Mac Mall for $36, but $5 is way better.

The only difference I see is maybe the Poetic cutout for the volume buttons aren't centered like what I see on my case. Can anyone who owns the Poetic cas confirm that the cutouts all line up correctly? I know other "cheap" cases were cheap because they were made from pre-production models.

Thanks.

[jedolley]

Originally Posted by sealos

So is this essentially the same case as the Joy Factory one? Just rebranded?

I have the Joy Factory and got it for what I thought was a good price on Mac Mall for $36, but $5 is way better.

The only difference I see is maybe the Poetic cutout for the volume buttons aren't centered like what I see on my case. Can anyone who owns the Poetic cas confirm that the cutouts all line up correctly? I know other "cheap" cases were cheap because they were made from pre-production models.

Thanks.

The cut outs appear to be fine on the two that I have (Black & Navy). I had a Joy Factory case for a short time before returning it... The main difference between the two is the feel/texture of the faux leather. The Poetic SlimLine has a pebbled leather look, and i'm not sure what to call the Joy Factory. Basically it comes down to a style or look preference. IMO, even if you think the Joy Factory looks better, you couldn't convince me that it looks $30 better.

[sealos]

Originally Posted by jedolley

The cut outs appear to be fine on the two that I have (Black & Navy). I had a Joy Factory case for a short time before returning it... The main difference between the two is the feel/texture of the faux leather. The Poetic SlimLine has a pebbled leather look, and i'm not sure what to call the Joy Factory. Basically it comes down to a style or look preference. IMO, even if you think the Joy Factory looks better, you couldn't convince me that it looks $30 better.

Excellent. Looks like I'll check it out. Unfortunately the black and navy ones don't have Prime shipping. Will see if that changes in the next couple of days before ordering.

Update: well, since it was free shipping anyway, order it today.

[hyteckit]

Originally Posted by Ankaa

How so? What do you mean? Can anybody second that?

The case snaps on. I'm kinda afraid it would totally scratch the corners. One corner I had to use a lot of force. But in order to take it off, you have to pry it off with your fingernails or screwdriver.

I have a Moko case that's basically the same. Fits better and doesn't have the smell.

[jedolley]

Originally Posted by sealos

Excellent. Looks like I'll check it out. Unfortunately the black and navy ones don't have Prime shipping. Will see if that changes in the next couple of days before ordering.

Update: well, since it was free shipping anyway, order it today.

Yeah, I was going to recommend ordering it regardless of Prime since it's free. I checked my order and saw that it shipped on the 13th and I got it on the 15th (CA to TX), so it should be pretty fast regardless.

[tominabox1]

Originally Posted by hyteckit

The case snaps on. I'm kinda afraid it would totally scratch the corners. One corner I had to use a lot of force. But in order to take it off, you have to pry it off with your fingernails or screwdriver.

I have a Moko case that's basically the same. Fits better and doesn't have the smell.

By no means should you need a screwdriver. Mine is not that tight. Bro, do you even lift?

[Ankaa]

Anyways, I'm really worried about scratches now. I might take the mini in and out quite often and the only real reason I want to go with this case is to protect the back from scratches.

Sorry for being annoying...I have no experience with the silver alu backs of the iPads and how sensitive they are.

[psychonaut]

Originally Posted by Ankaa

Anyways, I'm really worried about scratches now. I might take the mini in and out quite often and the only real reason I want to go with this case is to protect the back from scratches.

Sorry for being annoying...I have no experience with the silver alu backs of the iPads and how sensitive they are.

I see no way that this is any different than say the SwitchEasy CoverBuddy, Devicewear Ridge, Speck FitFolio.. all these cases snap on. The key to not scratching your iPad is to go slow when removing it.

Also, for the person asking what is different between this and the Joy Factory - I will add the Joy Factory has a line of stitching around the smart cover area.

At the price point this case is going for its hard to beat IMO

[Ankaa]

Sure it's no different...I'm just starting to get sceptical about any snap on case, thats all.

[weisjt]

Originally Posted by Ankaa

Sure it's no different...I'm just starting to get sceptical about any snap on case, thats all.

I have taken mine on and off multiple times with no threat of scratching.

[psychonaut]

Originally Posted by Ankaa

Sure it's no different...I'm just starting to get sceptical about any snap on case, thats all.

No worries

[iPadMini]

I have the Invellop and am getting the Slimline sometime soon so I'll do a comparison when I get it.

[burnside]

Originally Posted by Ankaa

Sure it's no different...I'm just starting to get sceptical about any snap on case, thats all.

You usually will get scratches from metal on metal, not plastic on metal. I wouldn't be too worried.

Getting my case Monday. I see that on the black case the silver logo stands out. Does it look like you could scratch off that silver with something? For $5 this case was a no brainer, but man do I hate obtrusive branding like this.

[cali0028]

Has anyone gotten the red color one yet?

[jedolley]

Originally Posted by cali0028

Has anyone gotten the red color one yet?

psychonaut/metagamers shows the red one in his video of the case.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nv40...eature=g-all-u

[cali0028]

Originally Posted by jedolley

psychonaut/metagamers shows the red one in his video of the case.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nv40...eature=g-all-u

Thanks for that vid!

Wondering when tech21 is gonna start shipping theirs!

[Captain Dynamo]

Here's my review from Amazon (after I wrote this I read the reviews here and it DOES smell like fish, but I had to put my nose right to it to pick that up):

I ordered two of these, one in blue and one in white. Received a black one today--close enough to blue!

In my notes below, I'm comparing it to the Apple Smart Cover. I know that's not entirely fair, since the Smart Cover costs 8x as much (at this writing, with introductory pricing) but at least it provides a baseline for comparison.

Pros:
--Looks great
--Fits perfectly, all the cutouts are in the right place etc.
--About as lightweight as seems possible for its function
--Protects the back, unlike the Smart Cover
--Paid $5 with free shipping, and it is well worth that. Actually, $5 is a great bargain.
--Magnet in cover works fine for auto on/off when opening/closing
--When the front cover is folded to a triangle, it holds the ipad mini up nicely for landscape viewing. Feels as stable as the Apple Smart Cover in this position. If you're using the folded back cover to type in landscape mode, it's about as good as the Smart Cover (which is to say, IMHO, barely useful).
--3 year warranty from Poetic (if they will be around for that long)

Cons:
--When the cover is folded back flat, it doesn't make for really comfortable holding. Smart Cover is better in this regard.
--The front cover is nowhere near as supple as that on the Smart Cover. A little concerned that with repeated folding it may not close firm and flat over the screen.
--I'm concerned about the durability of the hinge, which is essentially cloth covered with plastic.
--The edges of the front cover look like they might delaminate. They are not sealed in the same way as the Smart Cover.
--Not exactly a con, but I don't know how much protection this will provide for dropping. Certainly more than the Smart Cover which has no back. The back on the Poetic is essentially hard plastic. No cushioning. Absolutely will protect from scratches.
--Surprisingly hard to get out of the case (maybe I'll learn how to do it easily), which is good in a fall but not so good if you want it to go in and out a lot. One of the things I like about the Smart Cover is easy on and easy off. I'll probably want to keep the Poetic cover off for use in the house, simply because I like the feel of the iPad mini and don't like to encumber it needlessly.

Summary:
Buy it if it stays so inexpensive, if only to use when you're taking your iPad Mini out of the house. If you have the $s you might also want to have a Smart Cover for in house use, because less protection may be needed at home and the Smart Cover is lighter, feels better with the front folded all the way back, and goes on and off easier (if you like to use the iPad Mini sans cover when possible). I plan to try a Skinkomi skin on the back for use with the Smart Cover.

[jksu]

cool reviews.

just ordered one in white just for the novelty of it.

will probably get dirty easily but for $5, it'll be cheap fun and if I really liked it i could order 6-7 more for the price of some other cases!

[weisjt]

Originally Posted by Captain Dynamo

Here's my review from Amazon (after I wrote this I read the reviews here and it DOES smell like fish, but I had to put my nose right to it to pick that up):

I ordered two of these, one in blue and one in white. Received a black one today--close enough to blue!

In my notes below, I'm comparing it to the Apple Smart Cover. I know that's not entirely fair, since the Smart Cover costs 8x as much (at this writing, with introductory pricing) but at least it provides a baseline for comparison.

Pros:
--Looks great
--Fits perfectly, all the cutouts are in the right place etc.
--About as lightweight as seems possible for its function
--Protects the back, unlike the Smart Cover
--Paid $5 with free shipping, and it is well worth that. Actually, $5 is a great bargain.
--Magnet in cover works fine for auto on/off when opening/closing
--When the front cover is folded to a triangle, it holds the ipad mini up nicely for landscape viewing. Feels as stable as the Apple Smart Cover in this position. If you're using the folded back cover to type in landscape mode, it's about as good as the Smart Cover (which is to say, IMHO, barely useful).
--3 year warranty from Poetic (if they will be around for that long)

Cons:
--When the cover is folded back flat, it doesn't make for really comfortable holding. Smart Cover is better in this regard.
--The front cover is nowhere near as supple as that on the Smart Cover. A little concerned that with repeated folding it may not close firm and flat over the screen.
--I'm concerned about the durability of the hinge, which is essentially cloth covered with plastic.
--The edges of the front cover look like they might delaminate. They are not sealed in the same way as the Smart Cover.
--Not exactly a con, but I don't know how much protection this will provide for dropping. Certainly more than the Smart Cover which has no back. The back on the Poetic is essentially hard plastic. No cushioning. Absolutely will protect from scratches.
--Surprisingly hard to get out of the case (maybe I'll learn how to do it easily), which is good in a fall but not so good if you want it to go in and out a lot. One of the things I like about the Smart Cover is easy on and easy off. I'll probably want to keep the Poetic cover off for use in the house, simply because I like the feel of the iPad mini and don't like to encumber it needlessly.

Summary:
Buy it if it stays so inexpensive, if only to use when you're taking your iPad Mini out of the house. If you have the $s you might also want to have a Smart Cover for in house use, because less protection may be needed at home and the Smart Cover is lighter, feels better with the front folded all the way back, and goes on and off easier (if you like to use the iPad Mini sans cover when possible). I plan to try a Skinkomi skin on the back for use with the Smart Cover.

I now have the black and blue models and neither smell like fish, in no way do I even get the slightest smell of fish and I know what it smells like. Out of the the box it had the slightest smell but went away very quickly

[lilcosco08]

My white case should be here Tuesday

[Captain Dynamo]

I put mine out to air for an hour and the smell is gone. To me it did indeed smell like fish of come kind.

Originally Posted by weisjt

I now have the black and blue models and neither smell like fish, in no way do I even get the slightest smell of fish and I know what it smells like. Out of the the box it had the slightest smell but went away very quickly

[jedolley]

Originally Posted by Captain Dynamo

I put mine out to air for an hour and the smell is gone. To me it did indeed smell like fish of come kind.

Maybe the guy that packed it just got done with lunch. I ordered two and neither had a noticeable smell.

[Ankaa]

My white case arrived today and while I don't hate it, I'm not yet totally impressed either.

First, it does not smell like fish, mine doesn't smell at all. But some edges looked a little worn already. It definitely is a little tricky to get the iPad in (have yet to try taking it out). The cutout for the volume/silent is not centered on my case, too. While the stand works fine in the movie position, I can't get it to hold in the typing position yet.

It does look great on my white mini and I really like the weight, the size and the feel (it does add grip). It's definitely worth the 5$, it's in no way worth the 20 bucks I paid (thanks to shipping) nor the 30 or what they want on their website.

[weisjt]

Originally Posted by Ankaa

My white case arrived today and while I don't hate it, I'm not yet totally impressed either.

First, it does not smell like fish, mine doesn't smell at all. But some edges looked a little worn already. It definitely is a little tricky to get the iPad in (have yet to try taking it out). The cutout for the volume/silent is not centered on my case, too. While the stand works fine in the movie position, I can't get it to hold in the typing position yet.

It does look great on my white mini and I really like the weight, the size and the feel (it does add grip). It's definitely worth the 5$, it's in no way worth the 20 bucks I paid (thanks to shipping) nor the 30 or what they want on their website.

I would email them. My cutouts are perfectly centered and while the typing positing is tricky at first mine seemed to settle in after a few days of use