Monday, December 15, 2014

Tech Tip of the Week - December 15

Holiday Shopping? A Chromebook case is a great gift and investment!

Over the past month I have been talking to many students who have purchased their own Chromebook case and would like to pass on that information and some of my thoughts about cases. I think investing in a case for your student is a good idea for two reasons:
  1. More Protection: These devices are being carried around along with books, binders, pencil cases, backpacks, etc. and in the hands of middle school students juggling all of these items is challenging. All it takes is one slip and the Chromebook might fall to the ground and be damaged. So far, the most common damage we have seen is cracked screens and corner damage. This is usually caused by dropping or pressure applied to the top that will often crack the screen. A nice case will give you added protection.
  2. Personalization: A case will also allow your student to identify their Chromebook more easily and it will stand out in a stack of Chromebooks.
I have seen four different case designs. All of them have their pluses and minuses which I will detail below. This information is taken from my experience and is my opinion - I do not have hard evidence to back up these claims; this is my gut feeling from my knowledge of middle schoolers and their handling of these devices.

The Dell Chromebook 11 has an 11" screen and measures 11 5/8" x 8" x 3/4".

Hard Plastic Clip On
  • Pros: Very sleek, form fitting, you can use it without taking it out of the case, most have a transparent cover so you can see any stickers or labels on the front, lots of different colors.
  • Cons: No padding, I am not sure how much shock absorption you get with a clip on case, also there is not much protection against pressure to top. There are not many to choose from.  I have seen some students use this type of case along with the soft case for double protection!
  • Brands: iPearl




Soft Case
  • Pros: There are a lot to choose from in this category, these cases come in lots of colors and patterns, they usually have good padding and shock absorption - especially on the top and bottom, usually fits very nice, it is form fitting and small in size.
  • Cons: Corners are not well protected. If it gets dropped on the corner there may be some damage, doesn't protect from top pressure screen breakage.
  • Brands: Evecase, Runetz, Kamor, amCase, CaseLogic and many more





Hard Case
  • Pros: The most protection available in a case. Will protect from drops and pressure damage.
  • Cons: Large size, not many available, most expensive
  • Brands: Thule


Hybrid Case
  • Pros: A good combo of the soft and hard type that includes pros from both.
  • Cons: The only minus I can see is that it is not form fitting and is a bit bigger than the soft case.
  • Brands: Drive Logic