PDAir Leather Case for MSI Wind Review

As much as I love my MSI Wind, I am not a fan of the case that was included in the box.  Sure, it is functional.  It protects my Wind, and keep a relatively low profile.  But it is not exactly stylish.  So, I have been watching for an opportunity to upgrade to something a little nicer.  Fortunately for me, our friends over at PDAir were more than happy to oblige with an extremely nice brown leather case.  Hit the jump for all of my thoughts on this one.

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The first thing I noticed when I took this case out of the bag was how nicely it was constructed.  Even for PDAir, which has always impressed with the quality of their cases, this one was extraordinarily well made.

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There are basically two sections to the case.  The front is a pocket which hugs the front of your Wind.  Perfectly placed cutouts ensure that you have full access to the touchpad mouse, ports, and lights.

The rest of this section, which covers the entire bottom of the Wind, features some nice thick padding.  Not enough that I would recommend dropping it out of your second story window, but perfect for people like me who just toss it into an unprotected briefcase.  This is sure to protect the Wind for the every day dings and bumps it will encounter in your life.

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OK, that brings us to the top of the case.  Sure, it is made of the same fantastic leather, and very well padded, but I have to admit that I was not as enamored by this part of the case.  The big problem for me was that the top does not wrap around the screen or hug your computer.  When it is opened, this top just hangs off the back, which struck me as a little odd.

Now, I will mention that there are a few pockets on the inside of the cover.  You can store up to four memory cards, as well as a few business card sized pockets.  This is nice, but I really felt it was geared much more toward a mobile device than  a netbook.  With the MSI Wind, I really have much more need for USB based peripherals and do not need to carry a lot of spare memory cards.  So, I would much prefer to be able to wrap this case around the top of the screen and add an outside pocket, in which I could store a USB modem, thumb drive, or other small peripherals.

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To secure the case, all you have to do is close your computer.  A leather strap hangs off the top which will secure with a magnetic clip on the bottom of the case.  I really liked this clasp, but I felt it was a bit misplaced.  When I am on the train, I frequently rest the case so that it is against the top of my Wind.  When I do that, however, the leather strap hangs down in front of my screen.  It would be nice if this latching system would hang off the bottom of the case, with the magnetic snap on top.

Fortunately, these slight drawbacks were not enough to ruin the case for me.  I loved the brown leather, which just hugs itself against my MSI Wind like a cozy warm blanket (can you tell it is a little chilly here in Virginia).  It worked great and is a much more attractive and functional option that the case which was included in the box.

What I Liked: Great brown leather.  Stylish and function.  Cutouts for every control and indicator.  Nice padding for toss and go use.

What Needs Improvement: Cover should be able to hug the top of the Wind so it is not hanging off the back.  An external pocket for small peripherals would be nice.  Latch should hang off the bottom instead of the top.

Where to Buy: PDAir

Price: $69.99

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2 Comments on "PDAir Leather Case for MSI Wind Review"

  1. I like seeing cases for the Wind, and other UMPC/netbooks. I hope that Vaja comes out with something. I think that these things are awesome, especially the Wind, and want to give it as much love as I can afford…

    Good job with the review, Doug. I agree with your criticisms, too. I think that the case should hug the device and not hang, flop or otherwise lay anywhere other than the device itself…

  2. You can get it cheaper on ebay (40 euros)

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