eReader Zone

I got my Kindle 2 without a cover and used it for a couple of months. I got used to using it "nude," and I think the usability is very good that way, with the wide bezel to grip.In transporting the Kindle out of the house I’ve used a couple of dollar store cases that are fine, but not purpose made. I ordered the Octo Faux Leather Sleeve to replace these, for only $20.OCTO Faux Leather Slip Cover for Amazon Kindle 2For reasons I won’t explain I don’t contribute reviews to Amazon’s product section, so I’ll review it here.It’s sized exactly to fit the Kindle 2. The Kindle is held firmly in it, but is easy to insert and extract, but the Kindle won’t slip out unless repeated jerked as you would a bottle of ketchup. You can squeeze the sides to make it come out easier, and there is a notch at the top to allow you to grab it. There appears to be thin foam padding between the faux leather and an inner fuzzy lining.I expected the color to be black, but instead it’s a very dark brown. The material is very stiff, which when combined with the padding, would seem to be capable of protecting the Kindle against most things. I’d imagine that a very strong impact or strong pressure from a corner of something or from a pointed object hitting the middle of the display area could wreak the display, but it’s going to protect things just fine in your purse or backpack.I like it because it’s the absolute minimum that a sturdy sleeve could be. The price is a quarter or a fifth of the real leather versions, and from what I read is much stiffer than real leather. Stiff is good for something that is protecting an e-ink display. I’m not a leather/faux leather expert, but the quality seems very good. The faux leather has a very fine texture/grain to it, just enough to hide scuffs, not enough to be an actual pattern. The stitching is very well done. The brown paint line on the inner edge is not perfectly straight, and there is a bit of the new vinyl/leather smell to it, but nothing extreme.

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