Finding the right iPod case for you is hard. I’ve been looking at quite a few recently (and you’ll be seeing more iPod case reviews this week and next), and it’s really, really difficult to find “the perfect case”…
Well…usually anyway.
The Centerstage Flip-Stand Case from Griffin Technology is a case specifically designed for those of us that want to watch video on our iPodshandsfree. It has an anodized aluminum cover that flips open to turn into a stand to hold your iPod upright. The aluminum cover is available in black, blue, pink, and silver. The hard plastic case snaps on to either your 30 or 80 gig 5th generation iPod tightly, because they include two separate backs to accommodate both sizes. This is important because Griffin has taken pains to ensure that the case increases the bulk of youriPod as little as possible (with the case attached to my 30 gig iPod, it’s still thinner than a Zune).
When the aluminum cover is flipped up around the click wheel, the case fits easily in your pocket without collecting lint or feeling bulky in your pocket, and when the cover is flipped out, theiPod sits at a 75 degree angle that, in my office at least, helps reduce glare from overhead lights. The cover is a solid, strong support for the case, allowing me to still easily navigate through menus, pause, and adjust volume with one hand.
My only major complaint is that the inside of the case seems to scratch easily, and I’d recommend that you be careful when wiping this area clean.
I watch a LOT of video podcasts. I was one of the Tech TV faithful back in the day (all the way back to ZDtv), and as a result, I can’t miss Diggnation, Digital Life TV, Cranky Geeks, or any of the Twit podcasts. My video podcast watching isn’t limited to just those, however, and I have video podcasts running at least 2 or 3 hours of my working day, 5 days a week…so I watch a lot of video on my iPod.
Because of that, Centerstage is the perfect case for me. The only times I’ve removed it since I received it, was to try out other cases for review, and as soon as I was finished, Centerstage went right back on.
If you watch a lot of video, or if you just want a slim hard plastic case, the Griffin Technology Centerstage Flip-case for iPod is $24.95 and is available now.
