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Well, I know it's been a while, but it's DONE!
First, some back story. I carried an iPhone 4 for two years. For those 24 months I had it in a case from a company called Pad and Quill called "Little Black Book". This was indeed a case for the iPhone 4 that looked and felt like a "little black book" notebook. I loved this case… in fact I loved this case more than I did the iPhone 4, which I felt was powerful yet frustratingly limited. When I liberated myself to the pure Google experience of Android and Nexus, I was saddened at the bleak landscape of the third party case market.
So I set myself on a mission to re-create the handmade notebook love of my beloved Pad and Quill case. After months of putting this project off, I decided to bite the bullet and complete it this weekend. What you see here is "Galaxy Nexus Bookcase ver 0.9 Beta". This is of course not the "first" version, there were 2 pervious alpha releases, but they didn't quite meet my expectations.
The problem was, and still is, fashioning the wooden surround for the phone. My very first attempt used wooden popsicle sticks, cut and glued to shape. While this held the phone well, it looked too much like 1st-grade-art-class. My second attempt used a 1/2 inch wooden (Birch) backing, with thin wooden rails glued to it. This looked better and held very well, but was very, VERY, thick.
With version 0.9 Beta I took a different approach. I wanted to have the solid wood look while still getting the thiner overall design. The solution is of course a wood planer, but the overall length and width of the wooden holder would be too small to go through the Dewalt planer I had access too. My plan then was to glue two layers of 1/2 Oak together. The bottom layer would be a single piece amply wide and long enough to be effectively planed. The top layer would be comprised of 4 smaller pieces arranged to leave a rectangle just big enough to set the phone into. Once the glue setup overnight, I ran the two conjoined layers through the planer, planing down the top layer until it was just tall enough to cover the phone, and planing down the bottom layer until it was nothing but a thin backing. I then trimmed away the excess length and width with a table saw until only the thinest side walls remained. I then used a rotary tool to cut away the button, usb, headphone, and camera holes in the side rails. I purposely did NOT make a hole for the pogo pins. While I do have a pogo charging cradle, the ideal of somehow modifying it or the case to make the connection is just silly.
If anything, I "might" look into modifying the wooden rails to install an inductive charging disk between the wooden rail backing and the back cloth/leather cover. I could then run the wires from this inductive charging disk into leads that make contact with the pogo pins, thus creating an inductive charging case. But this most likly is just a pipe dream.
For the speaker, I decided to barrel sand down a small channel from the Galaxy Nexus's speaker to the lower portion of the case. This has actually increased the perceived volume from the device as it keeps the speaker from being impeded when laid on a flat and soft surfaces.
Overall I am happier with this rail design than it's two predecessors, but there is much room for improvement. I still want it to be thiner, and I'm not happy with how I botched the button holes. While the "wood" look is classy, I can always use another material and apply a wood veneer. I'm thinking my next version might be 3D printed with a polymer. This technique would also allow for a more "form fitting" back, and more exact holes.
The "book" was to me the easiest part, because I had it made by someone else
My wife is a professional librarian / bookbinder / book-restorer. She used book leather, backing, and cloth to create the 3 parts of the cover. I then attached the elastic closing loop, which is both held together by glue, and by thread stitching between the wooden rail backing and the back cloth/leather cover.
While I made a hole for the camera and flash in the wooden rail backing, I've not decided if I'm going to cut a corresponding hole the the cloth/leather back cover.
The last issue may be one that cannot be "fixed". The overall case is just a little too big to fit into the breast pocket of my shirt. The cases easily adds an inch to the older all length of the phone, a little over a half inch to the width, and only a 1/4 inch it's thickness. The Galaxy Nexus is already a large device, so I might just be stuck having a phone case that sticks out of the top of my pocket. At least it looks like a book.
In any event, I wanted to share this with the community and get some feed-back. Thanks!
mckinleytabor said:
Well, I know it's been a while, but it's DONE!
First, some back story. I carried an iPhone 4 for two years. For those 24 months I had it in a case from a company called Pad and Quill called "Little Black Book". This was indeed a case for the iPhone 4 that looked and felt like a "little black book" notebook. I loved this case… in fact I loved this case more than I did the iPhone 4, which I felt was powerful yet frustratingly limited. When I liberated myself to the pure Google experience of Android and Nexus, I was saddened at the bleak landscape of the third party case market.
So I set myself on a mission to re-create the handmade notebook love of my beloved Pad and Quill case. After months of putting this project off, I decided to bite the bullet and complete it this weekend. What you see here is "Galaxy Nexus Bookcase ver 0.9 Beta". This is of course not the "first" version, there were 2 pervious alpha releases, but they didn't quite meet my expectations.
The problem was, and still is, fashioning the wooden surround for the phone. My very first attempt used wooden popsicle sticks, cut and glued to shape. While this held the phone well, it looked too much like 1st-grade-art-class. My second attempt used a 1/2 inch wooden (Birch) backing, with thin wooden rails glued to it. This looked better and held very well, but was very, VERY, thick.
With version 0.9 Beta I took a different approach. I wanted to have the solid wood look while still getting the thiner overall design. The solution is of course a wood planer, but the overall length and width of the wooden holder would be too small to go through the Dewalt planer I had access too. My plan then was to glue two layers of 1/2 Oak together. The bottom layer would be a single piece amply wide and long enough to be effectively planed. The top layer would be comprised of 4 smaller pieces arranged to leave a rectangle just big enough to set the phone into. Once the glue setup overnight, I ran the two conjoined layers through the planer, planing down the top layer until it was just tall enough to cover the phone, and planing down the bottom layer until it was nothing but a thin backing. I then trimmed away the excess length and width with a table saw until only the thinest side walls remained. I then used a rotary tool to cut away the button, usb, headphone, and camera holes in the side rails. I purposely did NOT make a hole for the pogo pins. While I do have a pogo charging cradle, the ideal of somehow modifying it or the case to make the connection is just silly.
If anything, I "might" look into modifying the wooden rails to install an inductive charging disk between the wooden rail backing and the back cloth/leather cover. I could then run the wires from this inductive charging disk into leads that make contact with the pogo pins, thus creating an inductive charging case. But this most likly is just a pipe dream.
For the speaker, I decided to barrel sand down a small channel from the Galaxy Nexus's speaker to the lower portion of the case. This has actually increased the perceived volume from the device as it keeps the speaker from being impeded when laid on a flat and soft surfaces.
Overall I am happier with this rail design than it's two predecessors, but there is much room for improvement. I still want it to be thiner, and I'm not happy with how I botched the button holes. While the "wood" look is classy, I can always use another material and apply a wood veneer. I'm thinking my next version might be 3D printed with a polymer. This technique would also allow for a more "form fitting" back, and more exact holes.
The "book" was to me the easiest part, because I had it made by someone else
My wife is a professional librarian / bookbinder / book-restorer. She used book leather, backing, and cloth to create the 3 parts of the cover. I then attached the elastic closing loop, which is both held together by glue, and by thread stitching between the wooden rail backing and the back cloth/leather cover.
While I made a hole for the camera and flash in the wooden rail backing, I've not decided if I'm going to cut a corresponding hole the the cloth/leather back cover.
The last issue may be one that cannot be "fixed". The overall case is just a little too big to fit into the breast pocket of my shirt. The cases easily adds an inch to the older all length of the phone, a little over a half inch to the width, and only a 1/4 inch it's thickness. The Galaxy Nexus is already a large device, so I might just be stuck having a phone case that sticks out of the top of my pocket. At least it looks like a book.
In any event, I wanted to share this with the community and get some feed-back. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not my cup of tea but looks like a fun item
i'd be tempted to paint/varnish/stain the wood .... or cover the visible bit in printed paper
Its always good to see what people do. keep up the good work
Wow Nice! A bit hard to fit into my pocket I think though...
It is that...
kayaker said:
Wow Nice! A bit hard to fit into my pocket I think though...
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Click to collapse
It is rather large in the pocket. Even if the next iteration cuts down on the length, it will still be pretty big. I think the "size" issue is something a lot of current generation Android users have to deal with. My aforementioned wife tried to carrying a Galaxy Nexus for a few weeks, but it would never fit into the pockets of her "skinny jeans". I'm on the hunt for a Galaxy s3 Mini for her, but haven't pulled the trigger yet because Cyanogenmod hasn't realsed a 10.1 (Android 4.2) nightly version for that platform... and I think it's a form of spousal abuse to make one's wife use the TouchWiz UI.
Thats pretty slick. Its cool to have that sort of skill set to create something quality like that
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Cool project. I definitely agree with the 3d printer idea, that is what I was going to suggest.
Hi, I saw the other keyboard thread but couldn't find what I was looking for.
I have a horrible back and I need to keep my back lightweight. So, I need a portable, compact, keyboard for note 10.1 Next year I will be commuting to college for 2 hours (there and back) every single day.
I was thinking http://www.amazon.com/MiniSuit-Keybo...+10.1+keyboard
But reviews arent good. I like it cause it can go directly over the screen and it will be compact in backpack. Next semester i will be commuting for a hour everyday, so I need good one.
I also saw the logitech keyboard, but I went to the store to look at it and it seems thick and heavy. It would be thicker then netbook...
I use to have a netbook and I don't want a keyboard to be thicker then my netbook, with tablet combined. The reason I got a tablet was due to lightweight portability, so it would be pointless if its thicker. Thanks.
Hahahalalala said:
Hi, I saw the other keyboard thread but couldn't find what I was looking for.
I have a horrible back and I need to keep my back lightweight. So, I need a portable, compact, keyboard for note 10.1 Next year I will be commuting to college for 2 hours (there and back) every single day.
I was thinking http://www.amazon.com/MiniSuit-Keybo...+10.1+keyboard
But reviews arent good. I like it cause it can go directly over the screen and it will be compact in backpack. Next semester i will be commuting for a hour everyday, so I need good one.
I also saw the logitech keyboard, but I went to the store to look at it and it seems thick and heavy. It would be thicker then netbook...
I use to have a netbook and I don't want a keyboard to be thicker then my netbook, with tablet combined. The reason I got a tablet was due to lightweight portability, so it would be pointless if its thicker. Thanks.
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You should take a look at Zagg Flex. I just got it yesterday, and am quite satisfied with it.
Really, I mean, really light and compact.
http://www.amazon.com/ZAGG-FOLZKFLE...UTF8&qid=1367102163&sr=8-1&keywords=zagg+flex
RooftopFiddler said:
You should take a look at Zagg Flex. I just got it yesterday, and am quite satisfied with it.
Really, I mean, really light and compact.
http://www.amazon.com/ZAGG-FOLZKFLE...UTF8&qid=1367102163&sr=8-1&keywords=zagg+flex
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Click to collapse
Thanks! I was looking at that before, but it did seem thick and heavy? I have a netbook sleeve, would it fit? Is it thin? Thanks!
Hahahalalala said:
Thanks! I was looking at that before, but it did seem thick and heavy? I have a netbook sleeve, would it fit? Is it thin? Thanks!
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I am also a commuter student with back problems. I just got the Zagg Flex a week ago, and I love it! The Logitech with it's AA batteries and thick cover was too heavy and bulky for me, but the Zagg is just right. My kitchen scale says it's just shy of 11 ounces including the cover and charger cable (micro USB). It's about 6 ounces without the cover, but I really like the stand functionality, so I carry the cover too.
I purchased it so I can use my Note as my primary computer while I'm studying abroad in Spain this summer. Portability and weight were two huge factors. I also wanted a decent chiclet keyboard and not one of the weird silicon ones. I love the key layout of this one. I tried 6 other keyboards/keyboard cases before settling on this one.
It feels pretty thin to me. The keyboard is .75 inches with the stand/cover or .65 inches without it. For comparison, the Note is .35 inches thick with no cover. The two together would most likely be thin enough to go in a standard netbook neoprene sleeve especially if you took off the cover. It is also thin enough to fit in the back pocket of my jeans (not that you would, but there's an image of a model doing this on the box, so I had to try it.
The Minisuit keyboard case is .43 inches by itself and .66 inches when attached to the note, so the Flex would be a bit thicker, but the Minisuit weighs in at 12.3 ounces.
The only downside to the Flex is that it's separate from the stand, so it's not as convenient to use in your lap on the train like the keyboard cover is. You have to either do a balancing act with a textbook on your lap, or put it flat on your lap or the seat beside you and type from afar. I'm still trying to find a good cover to pair with it that would double as a base for the keyboard when I want to use it in my lap.
stephiroth said:
I am also a commuter student with back problems. I just got the Zagg Flex a week ago, and I love it! The Logitech with it's AA batteries and thick cover was too heavy and bulky for me, but the Zagg is just right. My kitchen scale says it's just shy of 11 ounces including the cover and charger cable (micro USB). It's about 6 ounces without the cover, but I really like the stand functionality, so I carry the cover too.
I purchased it so I can use my Note as my primary computer while I'm studying abroad in Spain this summer. Portability and weight were two huge factors. I also wanted a decent chiclet keyboard and not one of the weird silicon ones. I love the key layout of this one. I tried 6 other keyboards/keyboard cases before settling on this one.
It feels pretty thin to me. The keyboard is .75 inches with the stand/cover or .65 inches without it. For comparison, the Note is .35 inches thick with no cover. The two together would most likely be thin enough to go in a standard netbook neoprene sleeve especially if you took80 off the cover. It is also thin enough to fit in the back pocket of my jeans (not that you would, but there's an image of a model doing this on the box, so I had to try it.
The Minisuit keyboard case is .43 inches by itself and .66 inches when attached to the note, so the Flex would be a bit thicker, but the Minisuit weighs in at 12.3 ounces.
The only downside to the Flex is that it's separate from the stand, so it's not as convenient to use in your lap on the train like the keyboard cover is. You have to either do a balancing act with a textbook on your lap, or put it flat on your lap or the seat beside you and type from afar. I'm still trying to find a good cover to pair with it that would double as a base for the keyboard when I want to use it in my lap.
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Thanks so much! You have no idea how helpful this is to me. I appreciate this a lot!
You're welcome. I hope it works well for you.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
I was gong to try this one....
https://www.techiewarehouse.com/product-p/b009skvicm-j92.htm
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
tony1208 said:
I was gong to try this one....
https://www.techiewarehouse.com/product-p/b009skvicm-j92.htm
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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I hope you don't buy it from there, Amazon has it for half the price(http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Aluminum-Samsung/dp/B009SKVICM/ref=pd_cp_pc_3). I just ordered a Note 10.1 from yesterday's Woot deal so I'm looking for accessories, keyboard/case combo ideally. The only gripe I had seen about this one is that the space bar comes into contact with the screen when it's closed and in some cases wore a line into the screen. That's a little scary. I wonder if you could put some additional rubber feet on the palm rests to prevent this. Anyone on this forum used the above keyboard and have any feedback?
PsycloneTW said:
I hope you don't buy it from there, Amazon has it for half the price(http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Aluminum-Samsung/dp/B009SKVICM/ref=pd_cp_pc_3). I just ordered a Note 10.1 from yesterday's Woot deal so I'm looking for accessories, keyboard/case combo ideally. The only gripe I had seen about this one is that the space bar comes into contact with the screen when it's closed and in some cases wore a line into the screen. That's a little scary. I wonder if you could put some additional rubber feet on the palm rests to prevent this. Anyone on this forum used the above keyboard and have any feedback?
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I did not buy it... Saw a review where it shows how flimsy it is... I think I am just gonna go with the oem samsung book case
Sent from my I337 Galaxy S4
Bought my 10.1 2014 after my N10 began to act up. The 10.1 is fantastic but I can't stand the back of the tablet. It constantly feels like it's going to slip out of my hands. One of the things I really liked about the N10 (and both versions of the N7) was the rubberized sides /back. I've tried to recreate that by coating the Notes backside with plasti-dip paint. The first time I merely cleaned then painted, but the stuff began to peel within a couple of days. The second time I sandpaper ed a bit of the back in an attempt to provide the paint with a better surface to adhere to. Didn't help, began to peel within a few days., from the edges where my fingers came in most contact with the tablet.
Any ideas how to improve the grip of the tablet? I prefer to use the tablet outside of its case to minimize weight, so a textured case is out.
Thanks a lot.
Use paint primer first and then paint with the plasti-dip. It should stick very well then. Just make sure you use plastic primer though.
Buy 2 Flygrip gravities, ask for the advanced primer (3 auto adhesive) and attach without anycase. You can hold the tablet 1 handed and use the S-pen. If you aren't familiar with flygrips, learn. Super useful a d easy to use....just trying to help.
Sent from my SM-P600 using xda app-developers app
skin
I just posted some photos/my experience in the cases thread, but I got a skin off of Amazon for $10 that improved the in-hand grip quite a bit:
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FYKFH0O/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It isn't perfect, but it is better than the samsung material/plasti-chrome edge.
Note10.1Dude said:
It isn't perfect, but it is better than the samsung material/plasti-chrome edge.
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Just received mine. I agree with you, it's not perfect, but it's a big improvement, and for $11.... Many thanks for the link.
krico said:
Use paint primer first and then paint with the plasti-dip. It should stick very well then. Just make sure you use plastic primer though.
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Click to collapse
I've also ordered some Plasti-Dip primer (couldn't find it locally). I'm going to give the plasti-dip another try with a base coat of primer. But a plasti-dip coating might not measure-up to the new case: not sure about applying the plasti-dip to the edges of the tablet, so the case probably has it beat. I'll know in a week or so.
Going to miss the N10: for my tastes it set the standard for back/edge texture. In Best Buy the other day I noticed that the little Note has a rubberized-style back. Hopefully Samsung will import that to it's big brother one day.
If you're open to a case, then I can recommend the poetic strapback case. I got it in part cope the elastic grip on the back that you can stick your hand into, and it works great to me.
Went comes to any of my android devices, I am partial to cases that protect rather than covers that are thin and pretty. For S3 I have the Poetic TurtleSkin Galaxy Tab S3 9.7 silicon cover and am happy with it. The only drawback I see is that it doesn't have an S-Pen holder. In my last tablet (10.1 2014 edition, the pen could be stored on the tablet). What I am looking for here are solutions, hacks or hints that allow me to store my S-Pen with/or on my silicon encased Samsung Galaxy S3 at all times when I'm not using it. Any ideas?
I bought a Microsoft surface pen loop, which sticks to the case.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/sto...rface&ef_id=WAkMbQAAAXH5mkuo:20170506203504:s
I'm buying a MoKo "Defender" case because I'm paranoid of actually dropping the blasted thing and breaking the back panel. Not sure if it has an accessory for S-Pen but guess will know when it arrives.
For s-pen Moko Tab S3 Case (folio) has a loop.
I aimed for the SUPCASE.. Should get it soon
Sent from my SM-T825Y using Tapatalk
volcolm said:
I'm buying a MoKo "Defender" case ... Not sure if it has an accessory for S-Pen but guess will know when it arrives.
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Got this case in today. Will post photos later.
The plastics are a mix of shiney/slippery surface on the kickstand (ugly implementation but I didn't buy it for that), it's not as "rough" textured or rubbery like the photo would suggest (even the sides aren't). It will slide around but not as much as using it bareback glass. Might wind up putting felt padding on it. The screen protector uses that glue-snot that's commonly used on non-permanent labels and whatnot, so it was easy to remove. I'm not really going to complain about a cheap case that sorta-kinda copies a design Otterbox would have used (and not have to pay $100 for it).
Oh, and it doesn't have felt padding on the inside like the folio case (doesn't need it) or an S-pen thingy (need to get your own tethering device).
ewans said:
I bought a Microsoft surface pen loop, which sticks to the case.
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I love you.
volcolm said:
I'm buying a MoKo "Defender" case because I'm paranoid of actually dropping the blasted thing and breaking the back panel. Not sure if it has an accessory for S-Pen but guess will know when it arrives.
For s-pen Moko Tab S3 Case (folio) has a loop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know I didn't really have a chance to review/photograph this thing (I wish I had) but it was actually quite rugged and big. I'd buy it again for the Tab S4 once I decide whether I'll buy that or not -- covers on the headphone and USB-C ports are decent, and better material than Otterbox uses. Nice soft insulator on the inside if you do drop it, and fits tightly on with no slipping. It did not block any part of the screen. The photos aren't accurate since it's clearly a computer image but the back stand was more a glossy plastic and the case itself was proper black not grey like in the photo. I find these cases with stands to be lacking. I wish these case manufacturers would make a hinge so the whole back folds out for lap use since the majority of what I'd like to do with this is on transit, or in bed watching TV or playing games on. The hinge felt a little cheap to boot, as though it would break after a certain amount of insertions back into the frame.
So I've had this for 5 days now and quickly realized the shortcoming that Samsung missed. I bought a Tech 21 case as well as the Samsung flip case, (what a disaster,). I cut the pen holder off the flip case and super glued it to the back of the Tech 21 case. As you can see this pen slides up-and-down the slot allowing it for removal. But with the pen attached it creates a handle of sorts, a pivot point that allows you to now hold the device safely with one hand. Of course, with the pen located on the back right side, you can slide the pen in-and-out while folding the device. You can also use the pen's positioning as a stand of sorts upright and and otherwise. For me this makes this completely functional and a true phablet.
IMO
seriously pretty cool... may have to do this before I get the spigen spen case....
dugryce said:
So I've had this for 5 days now and quickly realized the shortcoming that Samsung missed. I bought a Tech 21 case as well as the Samsung flip case, (what a disaster,). I cut the pen holder off the flip case and super glued it to the back of the Tech 21 case. As you can see this pen slides up-and-down the slot allowing it for removal. But with the pen attached it creates a handle of sorts, a pivot point that allows you to now hold the device safely with one hand. Of course, with the pen located on the back right side, you can slide the pen in-and-out while folding the device. You can also use the pen's positioning as a stand of sorts upright and and otherwise. For me this makes this completely functional and a true phablet.
IMO
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Click to collapse
Nice mod! I had the same idea. I added a kickstand too. This is the Samsung silicone cover, but same thing otherwise. I used 300LSE tape instead of super glue though, just so I'd have the option of removing or repositioning without damaging anything. And yeah I agree it kind of acts as a handle and is quite nice for that. Not perfect but definitely better than Samsung’s case with the flappy bit.
supersonic64126 said:
Nice mod! I had the same idea. I added a kickstand too. This is the Samsung silicone cover, but same thing otherwise. I used 300LSE tape instead of super glue though, just so I'd have the option of removing or repositioning without damaging anything. And yeah I agree it kind of acts as a handle and is quite nice for that. Not perfect but definitely better than Samsung’s case with the flappy bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice mod.... I'm to spoiled on wireless charging tho or I'd replicate yours.
cmart4 said:
Nice mod.... I'm to spoiled on wireless charging tho or I'd replicate yours.
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Click to collapse
That's why I did mine the way I did, to retain wireless charging. Of course I had to modify a wireless charger to push the coil right up against the edge of the stand, but it works. Seems like cases for this phone are nothing but compromises!
Got 1 of these off of ebay for around $20. works pretty good with my spigen slim armor on the front.
good job. that's the cleanest mod i've seen yet. I'm waiting around for the spigen case too, but want to see some reviews before i order.
I did the same thing with the VRS case... Only, I used Shoo Goo as it's only as permanent as long as I want it to be. I can easily pull it all off and the shoo goo won't leave any sign/residue that it was ever there. +1