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Portenzo iPad 2 Case: Now a Smart Cover
- Thread starter Jeff5i
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Havent heard anyone complaining about not getting a response on e-mail, I know they have had a very strong presence on their Facebook page. Have you tried there???
Hey Glen,
I know you taped everything off pretty well based on the pictures, but is there a chance that you got something on the rubber corner at that end of the case. I would think some acetone or thinner would possibly clean anything off that may have gotten on it if that was the case. Just a thought..
no it's the rubber - you can see that corner is thinner - the case was completely taped off and no acetone or any other thinners came near the case...it's a defect in that corner material...I have some extra corner material from P&Q and a few other things that will make it work...I still like the case a lot...
Back to ALERT everyone Portenzo cases are NOT Toddler-proof!!!!
My 18 mo. old nephew destroyed my custom 23.5 case.
Said case was magna-grip+elastic, the front upper and lower edges were peeling from day 1(pre-toddler exposure by a couple weeks). Also the green linen/cloth was loose/peeling near the 4 embedded magna grip magnets.
My case being poor quality seems to be a fluke, and I have decided to give these individuals a chance at redemption.
I have ordered a NON-custom standard iPad2, Sans-camera hole, With not-so-mellow-yellow interior, standard elastic, no magna-grip(as that made the linen loose in that particular area on my last case from them.) But WITH Stylus holder.
My original MArch 18th order was 5264, my order tonight is 146XX, so in two months they moved about 9,500 orders.
Another reflection, the camera hole is NOT dust-proof, at least not in all cases or MY particular case, hence my opting no-hole in my latest order.
EDIT: I love how all you coward-a$$ haters gang neg(-) my posts, knowing full well if names were attached to the karma you all'd think 3times before pressing that button, but then again everyone one the internet has some whack cyber-courage they never exhibit in the real world.
Kick rocks you trolling haters =)
My 18 mo. old nephew destroyed my custom 23.5 case.
Said case was magna-grip+elastic, the front upper and lower edges were peeling from day 1(pre-toddler exposure by a couple weeks). Also the green linen/cloth was loose/peeling near the 4 embedded magna grip magnets.
My case being poor quality seems to be a fluke, and I have decided to give these individuals a chance at redemption.
I have ordered a NON-custom standard iPad2, Sans-camera hole, With not-so-mellow-yellow interior, standard elastic, no magna-grip(as that made the linen loose in that particular area on my last case from them.) But WITH Stylus holder.
My original MArch 18th order was 5264, my order tonight is 146XX, so in two months they moved about 9,500 orders.
Another reflection, the camera hole is NOT dust-proof, at least not in all cases or MY particular case, hence my opting no-hole in my latest order.
EDIT: I love how all you coward-a$$ haters gang neg(-) my posts, knowing full well if names were attached to the karma you all'd think 3times before pressing that button, but then again everyone one the internet has some whack cyber-courage they never exhibit in the real world.
Kick rocks you trolling haters =)
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My Custom order #7040 is shipping!
Ordered on 3/30
Morocco
Fresh linen
Magna w/strap
No hole
Clear bumpers
Now I can ditch the $10 POS iPad 1 case I have been using.
Service has been great for me even though it took forever to get the case shipped. Since I have been benefiting from following this forum, I will also post a first impression and pics when I get it.
Ordered on 3/30
Morocco
Fresh linen
Magna w/strap
No hole
Clear bumpers
Now I can ditch the $10 POS iPad 1 case I have been using.
Service has been great for me even though it took forever to get the case shipped. Since I have been benefiting from following this forum, I will also post a first impression and pics when I get it.
It's kind of ridiculous when a company takes 2 months to hand-build a product and the quality is still lacking.....that is all x.x
Very true, I just hope your issue was a fluke and mine is the high quality that we have all come to expect from Portenzo.
I am sure that every job that you have done has been perfect and you have never had to rework or redo something. But I do agree, taking that long it should be right. I am sure it has more to do with growing pains than anything else. Crap happens, it is what they do after the fact. Now if you got some crap and called it awsome, I would really be worried, since I have seen that concerning some of the other cases. I am glad to see that people are still himan and that some people stand behind theie product and correct the issue.
By the way, did they ever fix or replace your case since I am catching up on reading again.
Honestly, I don't know how Portenzo was careless enough to mess up your case. You have one of the few customized 23 1/2s out there so I bet your case gets a lot of attention on the internet from anyone interested in looking Portenzo up. Portenzo should have taken care NOT to mess it up.
I also don't understand why you're throwing more money at Portenzo by ordering another case when you were dissatisfied with your first. I guess you're trying to justify your first purchase by giving them another chance?
If this info matters to anyone, I recently tried contacting Portenzo about the status of my case and asking about any potential in upgrading my cover as well: No response. I then filed a dispute on Paypal and awaited their reply: No response. I finally escalated to a Paypal Claim because I decided I do not want a case from a company that is so completely negligent towards their customers, that they cannot only manufacture cases during the time frame that they have promised, but also neglect to their emails as well....However, the day after I escalated it to a claim, Portenzo sends me an email saying my case had shipped.
At this point, I am not sure if I will or won't keep the case just because of my animosity towards them in my head. I know I ordered it for a reason, and I'm sure I'll be relatively satisfied with the case, but we'll see what happens from here.
Hope all of those that are still case-less receive theirs soon....
At this point, I am not sure if I will or won't keep the case just because of my animosity towards them in my head. I know I ordered it for a reason, and I'm sure I'll be relatively satisfied with the case, but we'll see what happens from here.
Hope all of those that are still case-less receive theirs soon....
Aside from the edges peeling at the top/bottom and the area where the 4 magnagrip magnets go, I was pleased with the case and the added stealth in public transport of the iPad 2.
So all in all I am dissatisfied with one detail, not the case as a whole =]
Well, also I did not like the camera hole, the quality was lacking, like it was punched out with a hole punch, and even after the foam settled, the seal was far from perfect, the bottom 40% of the circle was tight/closed seal, the upper 60 % was quite loose, loose enough to allow dirt/dust in.
So my new order is different in that it has NO camera hole( iPad camera is crap anyway, and ackward to use in a book case) , NO magna grip, YES STYLUS holder.
AND it is a standard Black case, yellow lining, no more 23.5 for me.
I have seen cases without magnagrip and with good adhesion of the lining so aside from the fact that I need a case now, I wanted to give them one more chance.
To the other poster, they "fixed" it but then my 18 mo. old nephew got a hold of the case and destroyed it/broke it beyond repair.
Good news is the iPad 2 was unharmed.
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How long have you been waiting for yours? Funny thing is..my 45 day dispute period is almost up because I'm on day 42. I posted my experience on Portenzo's facebook wall and told Portenzo that if I don't get a shipping notice by Monday, I'm filing a dispute. I also advised people who are in the same boat as me to do the same just so we could better protect our money. Well the funny thing is, I got attacked by Portenzo fanboys (who obviously haven't received their cases either) and they accused me of wanting to freeze Portenzo's paypal account and delay orders for everyone else. (FYI, putting in a dispute does not freeze a seller's account, an esculated claim will but that's esculated with in 20 days after the dispute.)
I bring this up becuase it's good to see someone else has brains to use Paypal's buyer protection features.
I have noticed something in the past week of use during the day for business. I have the magnet close and if the case is the least bit loose due to a bad corner (mine is top right) the cover will actually -slowly but surely - pull the pad loose by opening and closing it....If the pad is 100% secure in the frame - seems to be no problem.
Exterior Leather Colour
Hi all,
Need some help. Am trying to order a notebook style iPad 2 case from Portenzo but am unable to access the option of a different colour for the exterior, other from the default black being offered.
May I know if a black leather exterior is the only choice? Would like to get a coffee brown one.
Thanks a mil!
Hi all,
Need some help. Am trying to order a notebook style iPad 2 case from Portenzo but am unable to access the option of a different colour for the exterior, other from the default black being offered.
May I know if a black leather exterior is the only choice? Would like to get a coffee brown one.
Thanks a mil!
This is a very good idea. I didn't do that and when I had a problem with my case, paypal told me where to go. At least if you file any type of claim, you can change it for an additional 20 days.
Although since I thought portenzo was based in SF I was surprised to see the tracking originate from a FedEx Office location in MO?!?
i don't care how cool their covers are, the headache isn't worth it. I gave up even thinking ordering from them. Even Apple is shipping the ipad 2 ontime now.
Best Skins Ever with Portenzo Case?
Sorry, but I don't recall if this was answered before.
Has anyone applied a BSE Back Skin before putting it in a Portenzo case? I'm wondering if it will effect the fit. The BSE skin is pretty thin. I guess I can cut the corners off if necessary but would prefer not.
Thanks in advance!
Sorry, but I don't recall if this was answered before.
Has anyone applied a BSE Back Skin before putting it in a Portenzo case? I'm wondering if it will effect the fit. The BSE skin is pretty thin. I guess I can cut the corners off if necessary but would prefer not.
Thanks in advance!
I just received my case today and overall I am very happy with the feel, quality and improvements in my case. Here is my list:
Pros:
I was pleasantly surprised to find that there have been some changes made in my case that I did not see in previous orders. This may be because I ordered my custom with clear bumpers and my frame was a made fresh with the new changes.
There is no longer a cutout for the sleep/power button, which is great since the auto sleep function takes care of that. They added a feature called "Secret Button" which allows you to press the button but pressing the back of the case and the front of the iPad together, note says that videos are on the website but I can't find them. At first I was not convinced but when I tried it, it actually works and works well enough for me. I don't plan on using the button much anyway and I really like the absence of the cutout, looks much nicer.
The sticker is left unattached to the case leaving the option to use it or not.
The Portenzo micro fiber cleaning cloth is a nice touch and the first thing that I used so my iPad would be clean for it's first matchup with the case.
The extra material for the camera hole is gone since I did not order the hole, this seem to help the iPad sit more level.
The iPad sits slightly below the edge of the wood but causes the bumpers to get more of a "monkey-grip" over the top edge. Not visually noticeable (the monkey-grip that is, the recessed iPad is noticeable) but very secure. The recessed iPad is not what I would have chosen, preferring the more flush design but I will gladly sacrifice this small design issue for the added grip depth of the bumpers. I will have to remove the iPad to clean the edges if debris gets stays on the edges. Also, because of this, the 30-pin port is more difficult to get to, most connectors thicker than the Apple one will have varying degrees of difficulty fitting with the wood in the way (it doesn't appear that the wood can be made thinner without sacrificing strength). The Apple connector still works fine though and one aftermarket one that I tried although my other aftermarket connector does not fit.
Cons:
Packaging. My case sustained some noticeable dings in shipment because the box was crushed and the packaging was not enough to protect it. I can deal with this because the damage is no more than I will probably inflict on the case within the first month anyway.
I am glad that I went with the strap with Magna-Grip because the magnets don't seem to have a strong enough hold with the iPad sitting below the edge of the frame. Maybe previous designs were more flush and made better contact with the magnets. The hold is good enough to keep it from flapping around but not a very secure option by itself.
The wood does seem unfinished with some roughness to it that some fine steel wool would have smoothed out. Nothing major or too distracting, I just would have preferred a more refined finish and a light clear coat. I don't want the frame to be shiny just preserved and protected from oils and moisture. I will probably do what a recent poster did and finish it myself.
Using the strap to stand it up won't work for me, the strap is too short. This is not a design flaw at all but I just wanted to answer that question. I will be looking into the strap mod that was talked about many pages back.
Conclusion:
Overall I am very happy with the case and knowing about the shipping wait going into this helped keep my expectations reasonable. Every email was answered in a acceptable timeframe and my questions resolved completely. This is a great case that I would buy again and encourage others to do so as well. Now to pre-order for my next iPad
Pros:
I was pleasantly surprised to find that there have been some changes made in my case that I did not see in previous orders. This may be because I ordered my custom with clear bumpers and my frame was a made fresh with the new changes.
There is no longer a cutout for the sleep/power button, which is great since the auto sleep function takes care of that. They added a feature called "Secret Button" which allows you to press the button but pressing the back of the case and the front of the iPad together, note says that videos are on the website but I can't find them. At first I was not convinced but when I tried it, it actually works and works well enough for me. I don't plan on using the button much anyway and I really like the absence of the cutout, looks much nicer.
The sticker is left unattached to the case leaving the option to use it or not.
The Portenzo micro fiber cleaning cloth is a nice touch and the first thing that I used so my iPad would be clean for it's first matchup with the case.
The extra material for the camera hole is gone since I did not order the hole, this seem to help the iPad sit more level.
The iPad sits slightly below the edge of the wood but causes the bumpers to get more of a "monkey-grip" over the top edge. Not visually noticeable (the monkey-grip that is, the recessed iPad is noticeable) but very secure. The recessed iPad is not what I would have chosen, preferring the more flush design but I will gladly sacrifice this small design issue for the added grip depth of the bumpers. I will have to remove the iPad to clean the edges if debris gets stays on the edges. Also, because of this, the 30-pin port is more difficult to get to, most connectors thicker than the Apple one will have varying degrees of difficulty fitting with the wood in the way (it doesn't appear that the wood can be made thinner without sacrificing strength). The Apple connector still works fine though and one aftermarket one that I tried although my other aftermarket connector does not fit.
Cons:
Packaging. My case sustained some noticeable dings in shipment because the box was crushed and the packaging was not enough to protect it. I can deal with this because the damage is no more than I will probably inflict on the case within the first month anyway.
I am glad that I went with the strap with Magna-Grip because the magnets don't seem to have a strong enough hold with the iPad sitting below the edge of the frame. Maybe previous designs were more flush and made better contact with the magnets. The hold is good enough to keep it from flapping around but not a very secure option by itself.
The wood does seem unfinished with some roughness to it that some fine steel wool would have smoothed out. Nothing major or too distracting, I just would have preferred a more refined finish and a light clear coat. I don't want the frame to be shiny just preserved and protected from oils and moisture. I will probably do what a recent poster did and finish it myself.
Using the strap to stand it up won't work for me, the strap is too short. This is not a design flaw at all but I just wanted to answer that question. I will be looking into the strap mod that was talked about many pages back.
Conclusion:
Overall I am very happy with the case and knowing about the shipping wait going into this helped keep my expectations reasonable. Every email was answered in a acceptable timeframe and my questions resolved completely. This is a great case that I would buy again and encourage others to do so as well. Now to pre-order for my next iPad
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