[sandman02002002]

Otterbox has just came out with a great case for the 8700. I have there 3600 case it great. it is a bit $$ at 129.00

[racker1]

i had one of the generic sized otterboxes back in 1997 - i tested it by putting my palm pilot in it and backing over it with my 1984 suburban which weighed almost 7000 pounds.

The otterbox hinges and latch cracked but it protected my PDA perfectly.

Otterbox makes great stuff! Good if your into outdoor activities.

[chrispopovic]

Well, if you wanted to wrap your BBerry in a Hummer, buy one of these. The case is just pure, unbridled overkill. However, it does function as promised. The case opens up with a lever. It has some type of screw-in clip option but mine didn't come with it. It has a clear plastic screen and you can see everything just fine. In any case, excuse the pun, it makes the BBerry much, much larger to carry and hold. I bought it as a ride a bicycle and I need to keep the sweat and potential rain off of my device.

The customer service rep was great to deal with. They made a point to tell me that the case is warranted for life. And also that the current setup on the click wheel is going to be replaced. Parts of the case are removable. There are essentially rubber plugs for certain parts. The clickwheel is covered by what I can only think to call a "nub" of sorts. There is no rolling of the wheel. You just have to nudge the nub up or down. It works but I wouldn't want to use it this way all day. Again, when the new upgrade is available I will be shipped one gratis. The rep claims that it will be a reall wheel and somehow still water resistant. The side buttons and top power buttons all function just fine.

The keypad is big but is does work. It doesn't feel like I have to press any harder. My buddies at work just looked at me and laughed. Not at me but at the sheer testosterone dripping off of the thing. I've been carrying it around for two days and just putting on tables when I meet people. It's an instant conversation starter. Most people know me as an extreme gadget-freak. I'm in sales and anything to get the customer talking is a good thing in my eyes.

I have a Seidio extended battery but it won't fit in the case. That bums me out as I've really come to love the extended battery. I go days between charging. I also have a Seidio belt clip. Outside of the top clip that won't allow the BBerry to fall, the nicest thing about that clip is the easy swivel connection. It's much better than the standard Cingular crap sled that came with it. But I digress...

$129 is a LOT of money for a case but if you're worried about your pride and joy taking a dip in water then I'd say go for this. The case is warranteed for life and hell for that kind of money it should be. Be wary of the heft and size it adds to your phone. I didn't anticipate it being as big as it is but I don't see myself using it everyday.

[chrispopovic]

The wheel clicker that came with the case was lame. I called back last week and they quickly sent me out a retrofit to the original case. It's cool that it's a modular design and a new piece just clipped right in. The retrofit seems to be working much better than the original. Very cool case. Still pricey but I haven't seen anything else that protects the BBerry better while still letting you see what's happening on the phone.