Hi, does anyone know if there is a Aluminum protective case that totally incloses the 8800....... I would love to take my 8800 skiing and listen to my tunes while skiing but I don't want to damage it in case I fall.... Their are several aluminum cases for other pda's... Does anyone know if any other case would fit the 8800? . . .. ... Here is a picture of what I am looking for....

Seeing as how it's been officially out for less than a week, I doubt there are any third party aftermarket accessories available yet. Give it just a few more week and those thrid parties will have some time to complete their R&D and get out a new accessory.

Wirelessly posted (Cingular 8100 Pearl: BlackBerry8100/4.2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

You might be better off taking a throw-away iPod (I mean the shuffle) with you on the slopes.

Steve

"In case I fall"

With me I always fall! The mogels are quite punishing.

Actually, the biggest problem with bringing these phones skiing is not falling, but rather condensation build up. Went skiing with my 8700 and even though I thought I had the device safely stored in my arm pocket, between moisture in the air and sweat and whatever else, my phone died and when opened, had the dreaded red tab vs white tab indicator on (meaning somehow moisture got in the phone and warrany now void).

Fortunately, the Cingular rep covered me and I paid nothing for a brand new phone, but in my view, the number one phone killer on the slopes is moisture, not the bumps!

Just wondering if the case you suggest is moisture proof as well, in which case I'd be first in line to buy...for now, using the low budget solution to my problem, which is a Ziplock plastic bag!

Just like my camera equipment, if you get it cold soaked and bring it into a moist and warmer enviroment it will sweat. Not just the outside but inside as well.

I have always had to put my camera equipment and phone in a air tight ziplock prior going back into a warm enviroment. This only applied to it really being cold soaked. I find my phone will not require this if kept inside my clothing and somewhat warm.

get yourself a cheap usb mp3 player, why would you risk crashing and breaking a $400 device

Agreed. For $79 you can get an iPod shuffle, which if an aluminum case did exist it would probably cost a little less than the shuffle would. I use my shuffle when I go skiing, and its great. I can change the song and volume without having to reach into my jacket.

I know the original poster indicated he needs his music and your suggestion is a good one...for me, I need the phone close at hand in that the family is all over the mountain and we communicate on lunch and the like through SMS and phone...guess someone will now suggest we all get walkie talkies, but somehow that feels like 1 step forward, 2 steps back.

Get a phone that has music capabilities.

How about a big old dirt cheap nokia 3360 or something? swap sims into them while skiing, if they die you can get another for almost nothing. They will probably not die though, that generation phone was really tough.

I also need my phone at hand to find the family... It can come very usefull when your on a big mountain and meeting people or people looking for you... I have an mp3 player already but it doesn't make sense to carry 2 devices on me that do the same thing except 1 cannot make calls..... I got an email from an Ebay seller that sells these aluminum cases for the 8700 and he said the 8800 aluminum cases are coming soon and they are totally enclosed with protective padding on the inside... They are apparently pretty secure and will protect your phone even if you threw it on the cement floor...... As for moisture I do not need to worry about that since my jacket cost me and arm and a leg and is %150 moisture and waterproof........