KlearKase joins booming Kindle enclosure market (updated)
You know a product's taking off in popularity when new cases for it start dropping on a daily basis. So here we are, two Kindle cases in two days, only this one is klearly the feistier one. The KlearKase press release wastes no time in slamming yesterday's M-Edge Guardian for being twice as expensive, three times as heavy, and presumably nowhere near as cool. This new 6-ounce polycarbonate shell has some industry bigwigs behind it too, with Dick Brass and other former Microsoft execs forming its brain trust. We still don't see ourselves spending $39.99 on something like this, but if you feel otherwise, Amazon will have stock of the KlearKase by the end of the month.
Update: M-Edge pointed out to us a pretty major discrepancy between their products: the KlearKase isn't actually waterproof. It's only "splashproof," whatever that means.
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KlearKase Announces First Always-On, Always-Sealed Case for Amazon Kindle
Just in time for summer, the KlearKase protects against scratches, water, dirt and drops while allowing normal use of the Kindle. At just 6 ounces and $39.99, the KlearKase is a better choice for everyday protection than the M-Edge Guardian case launched yesterday at almost triple the weight and double the price.
June 10, 2010 08:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time
SEATTLE--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--KlearKase, a firm founded by veteran Microsoft senior executives, today announced the KlearKase for Kindle. Unlike other Kindle cases, the KlearKase provides a fully sealed, protective environment while still allowing easy access to the Kindle's controls.
KlearKase delivers the ideal balance of design and protection for the everyday use of the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader. The case is designed to be left on all the time for continuous protection against spills, bumps, dirt and sand, as well as the rigors of travel, children and pets.
"The fully sealed KlearKase is designed so that you can leave it on all the time," said Bob Mckenzie, CEO of KlearKase LLC. "Our founders, and their families, have broken more than 6 Kindles between them. The Kindle is an amazing product and we love it. But it is not designed to survive a hard drop, a soaking, or the threats of mobile life unprotected."
Manufactured from specially hardened polycarbonate plastic, the KlearKase is beautifully transparent and weighs only 6 ounces. The case has been in development for more than a year. It features unique design elements that enable normal use of the Kindle and great protection without the bulk and high cost of other cases. The company is seeking patent protection for these advances.
The KlearKase will be available on Amazon.com later this month at an introductory price of $39.99. KlearKase plans a national promotion to coincide with the release. Pre-orders will be accepted beginning next week. The product is positioned as an alternative to the M-Edge Guardian, announced in January and finally launched yesterday. The Guardian, priced at $79.99, weighs over a pound. It weighs three times more than the KlearKase and costs twice as much.
"The Guardian is a wonderful case for those who want to read while submerged under water," said Bob Mckenzie. "It is rugged and innovative, but it is also heavy and expensive. For the Kindle owner who wants to read by the pool, or even in it, the KlearKase offers protection all day, every day, at a fraction of the cost of the M-Edge Guardian."
KlearKase LLC was founded by a group of technology veterans with decades of experience building mobile electronic devices. When the founders looked at the cases available on the market, they did not find the right balance of design and protection required for everyday use. The solution was KlearKase: a fully sealed, transparent, "life-proof" case.
The founders include Dick Brass, who ran the Tablet PC and eBook businesses while a Vice President at Microsoft; Will Poole, formerly VP of Microsoft's Windows and Unlimited Potential groups; and Bob McKenzie, former General Manager of the mobile software division at Microsoft and manager of its automotive software division; as well as Dave Vaillancourt, who brings more than 30 years of experience manufacturing plastic and waterproof products.
