Eee PC owners have had to wait a while for the first cases to appear but finally they are starting to ship. The Eee PC is so portable that it simply must have a case because it is likely to be carried on a train, dumped in a briefcase and go through the rigors of it’s owners for a large proportion of the day. My ideal case must keep the portability of the Eee PC itself and thus act as a protective skin, without adding too much bulk.
The Brando case is designed to carry the Eee without adding any bulk, yet still affords good protection thanks to the fairly rigid leather structure. The front and back are protected well but there is little protection on the sides and back. To be fair, this is a logical compromise because the Eee has a lot of ports that the user will require access to and the Brando case leaves them all open for use when in situ. The ‘in situ’ ability of this case is what I like the most because I can use the Eee 100% with the case attached, as I am now, and I strongly suspect that the Eee will be spending 98% of it’s life shrouded in $38 of leather for here on in.
On the underside are 5 sets of air vents which is good to see. Those of you who own an Eee will know that it can get a bit hot during prolonged periods of use and thus ventilation is essential. The Eee is held in place by a strip below the keyboard that surrounds the trackpad with holes for the front LEDs, SD card slot and headphone/mic jacks. Fortunately this strip is thin enough to not interfere with the trackpad and actually feels more comfortable when resting your hands on it than the bare Eee PC.
When closed the case is secured by the now standard magnetic circular set up and is placed far enough in to stop accidental undoing when picking it up. It is difficult to write case reviews at the best of time because they are ultimately just pieces of leather designed to suit a particular device. If they are designed well, made of good quality materials and good value for money then they deserved to be recommended. In the case of the Brando case, I am pleased to say that it ticks all 3 boxes and would be a good purchase for any Eee owner. The inclusion of 4 SD slots and a slot for credit and business cards is an added bonus. I suspect my search for a case for my Eee is now well and truly over…
Available from http://shop.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=02253 for US$38.00
EEE PC 
There’s a fourth box that it does not tick, unfortunately: It lacks a handle. That’s a serious oversight, in my opinion. Clutching this precious device under your arm or merely gripping it with your hand is a recipe for dropping it.
Personally a handle would be pointless for me- it would be too small and look like a handbag:)
I’d want a carrying strap at least- however, I bought the EEE to take it around the country to meetings etc, and want to be able just to carry it on its own, with power supply etc, rather than in a separate bag, and so a “shell” case, whilst suitable for some purposes, just wouldn’t suit my usage 🙂
Neil
[…] von Hong Kong bis in den Staaten ein paar Tage aber es gibt dennoch schon einen ausfuehrlichen Testbericht. Die Tasche kostet 38$, ist aus hochwertigen Leder hergestellt bietet dem Eee PC, sowie 4 weiteren […]
[…] Es dauert noch mindestens 22 Tage, bis ich meinen ASUS EEE PC besitze, aber dennoch habe ich schonmal den ersten Zubehör bestellt: Eine praktische Tasche für den Kleinen, damit er auch unterwegs gut geschützt, aber dennoch schnell genutzt ist. Okay, bis das gute Stück bei mir ist, wird es angesichts der Bestellung aus Hong Kong wohl noch ein bis zwei Wochen dauern, aber so konnte ich immerhin auch ein wenig vom günstigen Dollar profitieren Für umgerechnet ca. 28 Euro (38 Dollar) kann man es (bis zum 1. Januar auch versandkostenfrei) hier bestellen. Gefunden bei eeepcnews.de, weiterer Testbericht auf Englisch. […]
Re: Case with handle
I use Caselogic case designed for DVD players. Has sufficient space for the EEE and a small mouse. See here http://www.limitedgoods.com/itemView.php?ProdID=155251
I just received my case in the mail. I’m pleased by the construction of the case, but am concerned that EeePC will overheat.
Have you experienced any heat related problems?
[…] Un ordenador tan novedoso no tiene funda en el mercado obviamente salvo la que regalan o un par que hemos visto en blogs. […]
We have four Eees and the Brando cases arrived today. We’re all very satisfied.