I’ve had my 30GB 5G iPod since last October, but I was never really in love with the inCase sleeve I had for it. It was better than the pieces of felt that came with the iPod, but the plastic over the screen bothered me and I was always dealing with the tangle of cord in my purse. Sure, I’d wrap the headphone cords around the case but it always got undone. I don’t like those separate cord winder things. I want to wrap up the cord when it’s in my purse, but when I’m listening I like the cord completely undone.

Over the weekend we visited an Apple Store and I finally found a case from Marware that deals with the cord tangle issue!  

It’s nice. It’s a hard case, but not aluminum, The iPod slides in from the top and it feels like if I drop my iPod, it won’t get a scratch on it. There’s a hard plastic screen over the video portion, and the click wheel area is left open. A flap pops out at the bottom to give access to the dock…best yet, a section slides out of the side to wrap the cord. When you’re listening to the iPod, the cord winder slides back in to the case and is out of sight. Finally!! It even has a kickstand for desk-top viewing, and a belt clip. Not bad for $30.

The only disadvantage is that it does add some weight to the iPod. I wouldn’t recommend this case if you carry your iPod around on your hip or use it while working out. It’s perfect for people like me who throw their iPods in a purse full of other junk. My iPod…and the miles of headphone cord that comes with it…never felt so safe in those waters.