Review: The Hummer of cases
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 20, 2014
For me, the draw of buying a new Kindle HDX, at least in part, was that it's ultra thin, compact and lightweight. All features that get tossed out the window once you place it inside this case. Sure, it's rugged, but it literally makes the HDX 4x thicker than it really is.This is The Hummer of HDX cases; it looks like something the Terminator might need when going into battle. Which begs the question: what are people doing with their tablets that they need a case like this? Going into combat? Checking email while bungee jumping? Playing Angry Birds while competing in a demolition derby? Hmmm... to each their own I guess.This thing is VERY difficult to pry apart. Once my HDX was inside, it definitely felt secure. I was tempted to toss it across the room, just to test it, but thought better of it. But make no mistake - once your HDX is in there, it ain't coming out easily; on purpose or otherwise. The screen is still very responsive, even behind the clear plastic shield, but it doesn't exactly have the same clarity of the bare screen itself. It's a cheap piece of clear plastic, compared to HDX's glorious, cutting edge screen -- which do you think looks better?There's definitely a customer that might need protection like this -- soldiers, international spies, delusional weekend warriors -- but it all begs yet another question: Why isn't it Waterproof? This case is such a pain in the arse to get open, and gives me all this impact protection, yet if I spill something on it, my HDX is hermetically sealed inside a liquid death trap that I can't easily free it from -- like it's already in it's own coffin.This case is thee one to get if you're a clutz, or have a legitimate need for an impact impervious case. However, for the rest of us, it's just needless overkill that turns my svelte HDX into a morbidly obese gizmo. Excellent for those that need this sorta thing, but just not for me. I'm taking my HDX outta this thing, pronto. Provided I can pry this case apart anytime soon.PS - if you're that worried about damaging your HDX, why not just get an extended warranty? It covers accidental damage and costs the same as this case. Hmmm...