Sony PCGA-CK5T
Introduction
I’m a big fan of slip cases for notebooks. This is especially true for sub-notebooks which, due to their diminutive sizes, can easily slip into many different kinds of bags. In the past, I had slip cases for my Sony VAIO PCG-SR7K, Fujitsu Loox-T and my Fujitsu P2120. All of my previous slip cases offered a decent amount of padded protection and allowed me to easily carry them in whatever bag I chose.
When I purchased my Sony VAIO PCG-TR1AP recently, I was shocked to see that Sony USA was not offering any sort of slip case for it. In fact, I felt that their choice of bags were not very attractive nor practical for myself.
Of course, I knew that there were slip cases available because I had been checking on the available accesories at Sony Japan’s website. The PCGA-CK5T semi-hard case caught my eye as the perfect case for my new notebook.
A quick search on Ebay found several reputable dealers selling these import items for a reasonably priced $58. The list price in Japan for this case is 4980 YEN. After a few days, the case arrived and let’s see what I found.
PCGA-CK5T
The PCGA-C5KT is a semi-hard slip case with a clamshell design that is secured with the use of two rubber tipped zippers. The build quality of the case is excellent. This is my first “semi-hard” case and it truly is. The padding is reasonably thick and there’s just the right amount of stiffness in the on the front and back. Additionally, there is padding around the sides of the case so that when you zip up the case, it notebook is fully surrounded from all angles by padding.
Upon opening it you see two halves. One half is for holding the TR and the other half hides an accessories pouch.
The TR is held in the case with a sleeve to keep it from moving around. It’s a perfect snug fit and adds a little bit of extra padding.
On the other side, you can open the accessories pouch which is a stiff board on one side and two slim pouches on the other side. The two pouches were actually designed for CDs or DVDs but you can slip in some headphones, Bluetooth adapter or PCMCIA card in there.
With the notebook inserted and case closed, the entire package measures a little over 2.25” (5.7cm) and should allow the case to be easily carried in a backpack or even the slimest of messenger bags.
Final Thoughts
I highly recommend this case if you’re not a fan of true laptop bags or backpacks. The protection the case provides allow you to turn almost any kind of bag into a laptop bag. The price if you can actually find the case is not too bad when you compare it to other high quality cases. Of course, the best thing is that this case was designed specifically for your TR-series notebook so you’re guaranteed a perfect fit.
The one negative point about the case is that you should know is that the case will not accomodate the TR when it’s using the enhanced capacity battery (PCGA-BP3T). If you frequenty use your TR with the enhanced capacity battery then you’ll either need to find another case or disconnect the battery during travel. Update: I’ve received a PCGA-BP3T and it “can” fit inside of the PCGA-CK5T; however, it’s a very tight fit and stretches the case a little bit. So, it is possible but still not recommended.
Here’s one last photo of the case with the extended battery.
