Many people have been asking about the aluminum cases that just about every retailer is carrying now. I finally got mine today. People's main concerns have been;

1. The latch coming open and the phone falling out after snagging itself on something.

2. Removal of the plastic screen cover.

3. The screw-in belt clip attachment can come unscrewed.

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1. The latch is not as secure as I would like it. It's obvious they didn't want it too secure as then you might have difficulty getting the case open to use the landscape keyboard. I, for the moment, have fixed that problem with some trusty Velcro (pics attached). I may modify it with some type of small mechanical catch. The Velcro, while not exactly artistic, is functional and keeps the case from flying open without adding any real "bulk" on the side.

2. The plastic screen cover is absolutely useless to me as I'm a stylus kinda guy and I use a screen protector. It is held in place by the sticky back foam that is there for cushioning the phone. You can gently peel back the foam and the plastic cover pops right out. It is not glued in. Then carefully replace the foam and you're all set. The foam tends to stretch from peeling it back so you may want to trim it to get it back in place correctly. If you completely ruin the foam you could replace it...sticky back foam is pretty easy to find at craft stores.

3. Go the automotive store and buy some Loctite. I would recommend the "blue" Loctite. You can use the "red" but it's pretty permanent (maybe that's what you want!). Squeeze a little on the threads, screw it in, and Voila!

As a side note, for those who are worried (rightfully so) that their SD card may come flying out and get lost;

I don't use the keyboard very often and I never take out my SD card (it's a 2gb), so I don't really open the case that much. Wedging a small piece of cardboard (black to match the case) in between the two halves of the case and covering the SD card will keep it from inadvertantly coming out.

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I thought I would make the case useless if I attempted to remove the plastic front. Keep my black alminium case now for sure.

Excellent stuff!

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XV6700- Awesome!

To modify my latch, I purchased some of those replacement stick-on rubber feet from Radio Shak. You know, the kind you put on the bottom of an alarm clock or a computer. They usually come with some extra rubber. I used the extra rubber, cut a wedge off and stuck it to my case so that the latch would catch it. Used some superglue.

Haven't had a problem in months.

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TOV - The Entertainment Industry Chaplain

One thing I forgot to mention;

You may want to be careful if you bend the tab for a better grip or use other means at the latch location because it doesn't take much to cause the top half of the case to move (warp) slightly...

Where did you find this case?

Just about every major PDA online retailer is selling the silver and black aluminum cases. Make sure you specify with or without extended battery.

Do a Google search for "XV6700 aluminum case"

im gonna end up grinding off the corner along (be nice about my crappy MS Paint hack job) the red line so that i can more easily press the on/off button

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