surface pro/pro 2 concept case. what do you think?

[manonthebrain]

Hello
As some of you may know, good surface cases are hard to come by. Some have good functions but suffer from compromise or bad build quality. Others don’t fully protect the surface during use (e.g. a sleeve) and others protect the surface but hinder many of the cool features and intended use of the product like the stylus holder, usb ports that are too small and most importantly VENTILATION. (It’s kind of insane that some pro cases don’t have vent slots. did they even look at a surface pro??)

So that’s why I’m trying to make a case of my own for the world to use. it will hold the stylus where it’s supposed to be, be usable with both the type and touch cover and offer good protection of the corners and most all the edges on the surface.



The case will be a snap on made of hard plastic that will be 3D printed. This will make the case both cheap and accessible to many more people round the world. The case can be customisable to ones content even after it is put on the web.

*PROTECTION: the case will protect all 4 corners of the device, protecting the surface from dings and scratches if happens to take a tumble and will help protect the bottom corners and the kickstand from wear when in use. The bumper going around the device will also be able to give easy access to ports, the stylus will fit on the side of the device and the keyboard will fit In between the two pads on the bottom of the case

*Ventilation: the case will have a band going around the outside of the device that will serve two functions. 1. Keep the rear edges intact if dropped by providing a buffer zone. and 2: keep heat insulation to a minimum by not having the entire back covered and not covering up the exhaust at the top of the device.

*DESIGN: the case will be as light as practically possible and still offer sufficient protection for day to day use. It will leave almost all ports open and functional with stylus support

So why am I here?
I do not have a 3d printer or any knowledge of 3d printing. I want to find a group of people who are willing to help develop such an object.
If you could help or have tips or would like to give your opinion on the case, they would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TheJokker]

If it works like the incipio case but without covering up the back I might be interested. I liked the incipio case except my Surface Pro 2 was getting too warm while under heavy load and I suspect it needs to "breath" more.

 

[benjitek]

Nah... Thumbs down, but then I think the Surface is best used with a padded case to transport it, and naked when in use. Personally, I think a case detracts from use of a Surface Pro -- it wasn't designed with case-usage in mind.

 

[Wayne Orwig]

Nah... Thumbs down, but then I think the Surface is best used with a padded case to transport it, and naked when in use. Personally, I think a case detracts from use of a Surface Pro -- it wasn't designed with case-usage in mind.

This......

I put my Surface and a mouse in a padded case to transport. Then I use it naked.

 

[surfdock]

Manonthebrain,

Its a good idea, but I have some advice for you. 3D-printing is only useful for prototyping. The resin is not suitable for production due to cost and durability.
Check out the "ballistic" cases for cellphones - they have replaceable soft corner thingies. I think you should re-consider using hard plastic and think about a rubbery-stretchy material. Check out all the cases at a cell phone shop to see which ones work best. I suspect customers prefer the rubbery flexible ones.

I would skip the protection for the flipstand and focus on the corners of the main tablet as those are the points likely to get damaged. If you drop the unit with the flipstand open, either the flipstand closes itself or it will snap backwards. It is very unlikely that any extra plastic around the edge will offer useful protection. Plus any added bits there might prevent the flipstand from closing which would detracts from the design aesthetic.

Where are you in Canada? If you are close to one of the 10 big cities (T.O., Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec, Winterpeg, Hamilton, Waterloo) there are many "maker" spaces available. If you're not close to one of those cities its going to be tough for you to get this going.