Review: A charming but pricy and slightly awkward case for the basic Kindle
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 19, 2012
I own a basic Kindle and had been using a heavily discounted case (Acase(TM) Classic Kindle Leather Case (Dark Brown) for 4th Generation 6" Kindle Wi-Fi w/o Keyboard (Not for Kindle Touch)) that wasn't much from a visual perspective but generally worked well. I saw this Verso Artist Series case as a chance to pick up something a bit snazzier. And in that regard, this case isn't bad. At first touch the texture can feel a little rubbery, but over time it comes to seem more natural. The design is attractive without becoming distracting, something mildly diverting to look at if you happen to be carrying the Kindle around. That diversion, in fact, left me wanting to continue using this case despite a few practical issues.The first is that, because it's designed for usual with multiple e-readers, this case is not necessarily a great fit for any particular model. Although the four bands hold my basic Kindle comparatively tightly, there's enough border around the edges that they feel a little floppy, detracting from the compactness of the Kindle. (If your e-reader is larger, of course, that won't be an issue.) The absence of a permanent clasp, which I imagine would have interfered with the simplicity of the design, also bothers me, not least because it again makes the case feel loose rather than compact. The document pocket, on the other hand, is so thoroughly compact that I don't know what you could practically keep in it. An index card, maybe. Quibbles aside, this is a perfectly functional case that will undoubtedly get the job done. The question is whether it does well enough to warrant the asking price.As of this review the case costs about $40, which is a lot for something that doesn't have any real bells and whistles beyond its artistic flair. If you're not too picky about what covers your Kindle, you're probably better off going with something cheaper; the Acase model I mentioned above, for example, works just as well for (at present) a quarter of the price. But if you want something with an elegant design and especially like Sharyn Sowell's Cities Red, it might be worth the extra cash.