1. FIT: Must fit the device snugly, yet not add substantial bulk to the device.

2. QUALITY: Must be sturdy as the device it protects will most likely be expensive, and hold many precious memories for the person using it.

3. EASE OF USE: With all products, it should be easy to use, causing as little interference with the actual operation of the device as possible.

4. APPEARANCE: Of course, it must look good! I mean, this is one of your little friends, and you would never want to dress it up in second hand clothes!!!

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OK, onto the review!

Criteria One: FIT

First, as in all reviews I do, I must continue my habit of full disclosure. This is the second case I have used with my Archos Media Wallet. The first was the stock case that came with the device. While the stock case seemed to protect quite well, it did little for the ease of use, and appearance. Also, it is made out of some lousy man made material (pleather, I believe), and does not give the impression that it would last very long under regular use. That said, the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case is a complete opposite of the stock Archos case.

The Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case fits like the proverbial glove, and as previously mentioned, adds very little bulk to the device itself. When I first went to put my Media Wallet into the Noreve case, it was quite a tight fit. This is a good thing as the case is made of leather, and since leather stretches, you want it to start out as snug as possible. If it starts out with a nice fit, then it will only get looser, and thus be less protective. In the weeks that have followed, the fit has gone from quite snug to perfect. I am now able to get my Media Wallet in and out of the case with no difficulty at all. The fit is just tight enough so that I feel secure the device will not fall out of it should the case be open.

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Next, regarding fit are the openings, or cut outs for the screen and controls. One of the things I liked about the stock case was that everything was covered up, and nothing was exposed except the top part of the case. I like that, and naturally I was concerned about the Noreve case not protecting as well. After working with the case, I can honestly say that I had no reason to worry There are actually less exposed areas with the Noreve case than there are with the stock case. OK, back to the cut outs. In short, the folks over at Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case got this part right! They are all in the right places, and work perfectly, again without interfering with the operation of the device. There is even a nice little cutout(s) for the speaker on the front! I often take my Media Wallet with me at lunch and sit and read. The cut outs on the top allow me to power the device on without having to open it up. This is nice as I can have it turned on and ready to go when I get to my reading chair. While I realize it only takes a few moments to power the device on, we all know that every minute counts when we are taking lunch. Every minute I can spend enjoying my break as opposed to having to fiddle with my toys, the happier I am.

Enough said! For FIT, the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case gets 5 Globes!

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Criteria Two: QUALITY

The quality of the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case is top notch. The first thing I do when I get a new piece of leather is bury my nose in it. Weird? Maybe, but I know everyone else does it, so BACK OFF!!! Anyway, I do this for two reasons. One, because I can't help myself, and second, you can tell the quality of the leather by the natural or unnatural smell it gives off. Somehow the nose can tell if the leather has been treated with a fragrance, or if the smell is natural. With all that said, the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case is definitely a natural case. IT SMELLS GREAT! Yeah, OK, maybe I am a little weird...

All my strange quirks aside, this is one quality case. All the stitching is well done, and from what I have been able to determine, there are no exposed stitches. Usually when I get a case, there is at least one spot on the case where the stitching is exposed, and rough to the touch. With the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case, there are none of these. I always worry that an exposed stitch will lead to case separation, and thus shorten the life of said case. Given that there are no exposed stitches, and that I tend to remove and replace my Media Wallet several times during a normal day, I feel quite comfortable that the life of the case will not be diminished.

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Next, with regard to quality, are the cutouts. While this also goes under fit, I must note that the cutouts are well done, and do not look like they will fray under normal use. Sometime you get a case where it appears that the exposed material around a cutout was just glued together, and after a while, they start to separate. BUMMER... On the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case, all cutouts are stitched together, and as mentioned before, they are very well done.

I am not quite sure where to put this, but I am not typically one for logos, feeling that I am paying someone to have the right to use me as their billboard. As with most products, there is a logo on the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case. This logo however, is very well done, and discreet. It does not in any way take away from the case itself. This is a logo that would have no problem displaying as it does not over do it. Kudos to Noreve for making this decision!

As with FIT, on a one to five globes iGlobility scale, for the QUALITY criteria, the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case gets five globes!

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Criteria Three: EASE OF USE

This is probably the shortest criteria to review. Either a product is easy to use, or it is not. The Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case is definitely easy to use. When I first received it, I was a bit wary of the leather kickstand on the back. I thought (in my best Mike Myers "Church Lady" voice) now, isn't that special?!!! After getting over my initial arrogance, and actually using the kickstand, I have found that it is the feature that makes this product the most usable. Funny how that works out, huh? When I am sitting in my reading chair at lunch, I find that the kickstand really makes a difference in my listening and viewing pleasure.

Of course the cutouts as previously mentioned are in the right places, and these contribute in no small part to the usability of the device. The only cutout that I have any problem with is the one for the headphones. This is probably because I am using some headphone cables with a large rubber end around it. If I were using a standard headphone cable, I am sure this would not be a problem.

For EASE OF USE criteria, I give the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case 4.75 globes. I did not feel deducting an entire globe for the headphone jack was appropriate, but needed to make not of it.

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Criteria Four: APPEARANCE

OK, this is actually going to be the shortest review area!

This thing is HOT!!! If it were a woman, it would be as near perfect as I can imagine. If it were a car, it would be fast, look good, and protect my family. If it were a Media wallet case, it would, oh wait... It is a media wallet case, and it is HOT!!! While maintaining a discreet appearance of a fine Hublot watch, it also has the sleek design of a geek's best friend. With the minimalist design approach that Noreve used on this case, they struck a very solid balance that is sure to appeal to anyone that uses it.

For the APPEARANCE criteria, I give the Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case five globes!

Conclusion

The Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case is a joy to use, and provides superior protection for your little friend. If you are in the market for a case for your Media Wallet, you will not be the least bit unhappy with this case. I strongly recommend it.

The Noreve Archos 604 Tradition Case gets five out of five globes on the iGlobility globes scale. Way to go Noreve!!!

This review was done entirely on the t-Mobile Wing using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse (brands not mentioned as they refused to provide review material to iGlobility.com). It was edited for Web Page placement using PocketHTML.net.