By Victor Chen \\ Published: 2004.08.11
Introduction
Anyone who knows me or reads this site knows about my love/hate relationship with Sony. They often bring nice though pricey technology to the market but have very odd ways of deciding which markets get what. Japan obviously gets the best of the best stuff while most other markets seem to get the scraps.
Over here in the US, we rarely get to see all of the neat accessories that Sony has to offer as they will typically not sell them overseas. If you read about my review of the semi hard slipcase for the Sony TR then you would know that I’m a huge fan of slipcases and was again upset by the fact that Sony USA is not selling any currently for their new Type S series notebooks. Of course, there is a model available in Japan and of course, I had to get one for my new Type S.
VGP-CKS1
The VGP-CKS1 is a semi-hard slip case for the Sony VAIO Type S notebook which you can carry by itself or stick inside of another bag.
The case weighs roughly 450g (~1 lb) and measures 330×245×50 mm (13 x 9.64 x 2.16 inches).
It has a generous layer of padding around it and nice soft interior that won’t scratch your notebook. The top and the bottom of the case are hardened while the midsection of the case is padded. The exterior is coarse with a slightly rubbery feel and is designed to be scratch resistant. It’s too early to tell if it really is or not but it’s definitely rugged and durable looking. I suspect it’s liquid resistant to a certain degree.
And as always, the nice Sony touches with the logo on it. One nice thing about the case is that it’s unassuming and doesn’t have Sony or VAIO plastered over it.
As you can see, the notebook has a nice snug fit so it won’t move around and is sealed inside of the case via two hardened velcroed flaps. The interior looks to be double layered in addition to the soft lining for extra protection.
Final Thoughts
If you’re an S series owner then you should really consider this slipcase since it’s well constructed and offers very good protection for your S. However, if you usually use the large capacity battery then you’ll be out of luck since the case cannot accommodate the larger battery without removing it first. Of course, if you already have a good notebook bag or backpack then you may not need this. However, if you want to tote your Type S around in some non-notebook type bag then this slipcase can be used to offer the same sort of protection.
Since you can’t currently buy the case in the US, you can always check eBay or you can go through my favorite trusted importer for Sony accessories at Smart Imports. They offer very fast shipping directly from Japan for reasonable prices and they provide tracking number information and impeccable packaging to ensure your product arrives in good shape.
For more information about the case, you can go to Sony’s Japanese site here. For further discussion about this case or S related topics you can visit the forums here.
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