Investigation: A Tale of Three Cases (OtterBox iPod Cases User Tested)

I’ve reviewed OtterBox iPod cases before, but this article is going to be a little bit different.

Personally, I’ve used cases, a lot of cases, so I have very established ideas of what a case should do and what I expect from them.

In terms of hardest core protection, OtterBox’s iPod cases completely cover off all my expectations in that department, but really, I wondered, what do other people think?

I know that we really shouldn’t care about the opinions of our peers, or at least that’s what they taught us in our Narcissistic Personality Disorder classes. Somehow, despite my trying to the contrary, I do.

How would three people who have either never used cases for their iPods before, or who have used different cases without paying much attention to them, react to using these cases? The OtterBox waterproof cases are definitely very hard not to notice or pay attention to! I expected their impressions and thoughts to be at least interesting.

OtterBox was good enough to help me with my little experiment by agreeing to provide me with some test cases and I selected one owner of an iPod Mini and two owners of 20Gb iPod 4Gs for this test, which was quite simple. Take away a user’s old case (if any), make them use the new OtterBox iPod case, and after a week or so interrogate them about their experiences.

User #1, “the Mini user”

She’s a cyclist, though hasn’t been biking as much recently due to a new job. Has used a red leather-looking case hung about her neck. Not ruggedized, not environmentally protected, but somewhat better than nothing.

User #2, “the non-case guy”

He’s never used a case for his iPod. Though he does use it a lot, it mostly sits in his pocket. A light-duty user, but might move to more robust and demanding iPod usage later.

User #3, “the whatever is there user”

She inherited her iPod from her husband, with the case as well (an OtterBox oPod). Rarely if ever uses her iPod without the case, because she wants to keep it safe, but doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it.

All three are relatively technologically appreciative people, but they are all unlikely candidates for going iPod accessory shopping, except under duress. I have personally inspected this last qualification. None of these people have any of what I would consider even the minimum number of iPod accessories, like FM transmitters, in-ear phones, fuzzy bunny suit costumes, or 7.1 surround sound wireless speaker systems.

So, I helped them fit their iPods into the new cases and left them alone for about a week.

User #3’s first response was positive. Compared to her old oPod, OtterBox’s new form factor was a marked improvement. It was, she noted immediately, a lot easier to open and close, and she didn’t have to worry about losing the oPod’s cable gasket every time she opened the case. Since she already had been using a heavy-duty case, the difference in size wasn’t an issue. In fact, she said that the new version case seemed smaller, so that’s a plus! For her, basically, ease of use was the most important success criteria for the OtterBox iPod case, and it succeeded quite well on that front!

User #2’s first reaction was also positive. He liked the look and design of the case a lot. I don’t think he felt (or realized) that his life was incomplete before without the OtterBox case (funny how people can’t see this for themselves), but I suspect he’ll also leave his iPod in his new case most of the time. His word for it was, and this is a quote, “impressive!”

User #1 was the hardest case (not a pun). She already has a case that she bought and uses all the time. Her usual red vinyl case has a strap she hangs around her neck while biking and that’s been enough for her for some time. When I asked her what she thought of the OtterBox case, she said it was “nice.” Unless she starts biking in the rain, I think her old case is still her favourite. It’s a familiarity thing I guess.

I suspect User #3 will keep using her OtterBox until her iPod dies and she has to buy, or inherit, a new (or new to her) one. The good side of this is that if she keeps her current iPod in this case, it’s going to last a long, long time!

User #2 will probably keep his iPod OtterBox encased as well. This being his first case, he has no previous familiarity-based preferences. He’s quite happy with the combined concepts of using a case, any case, and using the OtterBox case. He is not going to shop around now.

User #1 has her old habits well entrenched and hasn’t ever had anything happen to her, like a bike spill, getting caught in a torrential downpour, or dropping her iPod on a hard concrete slab, to convince her that she might want to change. For her, using the OtterBox case regularly, rather than just for a bit to humour me, will come if and only if something occurs to her, or almost occurs to her, to change her mind.

It’s a small sampling, yes, and not very scientific, but my conclusions are simple. Once people have a case preference, it’s difficult to change their minds, but if they are in any way open to the idea of protection and iPod safety, once they start using the OtterBox iPod cases, they are not likely to go back to being un-encased, or to look for another case.

My recommendation then is to buy an OtterBox case for yourself at the same time you buy your iPod, or buy one for your friends and family as shortly after they buy their iPod as possible. If they are accessory nuts, they’ll look for other special purpose cases later, but will likely keep going back to their Otterbox case whenever novelty or high-fashion are outweighed by the need for protection and durability.