i got nailed with the "impulse purchase at the counter" swindle yesterday with the Marware sleeve for iPod - http://www.marware.com/sleeve.html - simple, not overly ridiculous or fancy - my thinking was, well... "i don't need the Convertible - i just want something to keep it safe in my bag" since i almost always clip the remote to my bag strap and use it that way. i wanted just a bit more protection than the included iPod holder.

problem:

the hole in the flap of the marware sleeve (for the headphones) is just small enough that there's no way to feasibly fit the REMOTE connection through it - so, you can use the sleeve if you're not an ADD-addled remote-using person who tends to fast-forward and rewind a lot (like me). or, you can use the sleeve if you have the time and the hands required to pull it out of the sleeve every time you want to skip or replay a song, for example (not feasible for me, i tend to ride the bike a lot - wearing headphones is probably stupid enough already when you're riding through the streets of new york, but i don't turn it up that loud, really - just loud enough that it dims the sound of the constant cat calls and car horns a bit and gets me home without swinging my bike lock at a taxi that's just cut me off).

get what you pay for, i guess, since it was only twenty bucks, but the convertible was forty, and reminded me far too much of one of those luggage containers families put on the tops of station wagons. as well, space is at a premium in my bag at this point - as soon as i can start taking calls and photographs AND audio/video recordings with my iPod i'll ditch the digital camera(s), cell phone, and minidisc player/mic ;-) at that point i will probably be far more willing to fork out the dough/space for the fancy/schmancy case (geez, slash much?)

*sigh*

so my next wish for the iPod (in addition to a cheap, small and sensible case) is for a better remote with a small screen that shows you what's 'now playing'. tomorrow i'm off to return this silly marware sleeve and debate the vaja leather instead - but feeling a bit like a dorky consumer for having this debate at all, or the fact that i'm debating dropping $55 on it, hehe. i'm glad there's an entire forum of obsessed folks here to make me feel a little better about myself. ;-)

dori