Gumdrop Case to Make Galaxy Tab Garage-Worthy

7" Galaxy Tab 2 in Gumdrop Protective Case

Swarf-covered mill or lathe is hardly the an ideal environment for a brand-new Android tablet. I have a bit of OCD when it comes to keeping my toys in mint condition, therefore the first order of business for me was getting a protective case for my brand-spanking-new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2. None of the local stores carried any cases that looked remotely rugged. Online, though, there are several cases that looked promising, ranging from $10 for a generic silicone case to $70 for a top-of-the line Otterbox. At the end I took a bit of a shot in the dark and ordered one of the Gumdrop Drop Tech cases four around $60.
The case came in earlier today, so I took a few pictures to give you and idea what it's about.
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the build quality and the construction. It consists of a plastic frame with a removable screen protector and the rubber back. The frame snaps around the front of the tablet with a tight, solid fit. The rubber piece (with a cosmetic “tire pattern”) pulls over the back of the assembly and is secured with a series of small tabs that fit into slits on the plastic frame. Once in the case, the table appears to be well protected. Rubber flaps of the case cover the charing port and the headphone connector.
So far I have found two minor drawbacks:

• The case is by no means water proof, since there are two speaker holes on the bottom and a microphone hole on the top.
• The process installation process is a bit finicky. The tabs are pretty thin, so it takes a few minutes to get the case to sit properly.

Neither of those issues is a show stopper for me, since I'm not planning on adding flood cooling, and the case will probably stay on the tablet full time. Never the less, if those are important for you, this might not be the case for your tablet.
Overall, I'm very happy with the case. While I haven't mastered enough “intestinal fortitude” to drop- or splash-test the case, it makes the tablet feel much more garage-worthy.