In the iPoditude review I made a joke about the "especially lethal blister packaging," that the cases were packaged in. It was thick plastic and happily formed into spiny shards as the innocent iPod owner tried to open it with scissors. Well, that nightmare is behind me because the MetroVue cases now come packaged in a unique and attractive paperboard box that is easy to open and recyclable to boot. What is unique about this box is the gatefold flap on the back that provides you with information about the product, "One system, many options." Neat marketing idea.

Enough about the packaging, the really important thing is the improvements to the cases. Big difference here. The first thing I noticed about the new cases was the improvement to the headphone port cut out. In the previous MetroVue cases it was loosely stitched and was misshapen on one of my review cases. Now it looks like it's die cut and fused with heat. However they're making it, the cut out looks a lot more professional. It's still too small for the Shure E3c's large headphone plug, but now it's a neat and clean cut out that looks great and was perfectly centered on all three cases.

The Marware belt clip that was nearly impossible to remove before has been modified so that it works just fine now. I should say that the case has been modified so that there is a small empty space directly under the pin that holds the belt clip in place so that when you press it down to remove the clip, it moves downward enough to properly release the belt clip. Works great.

This may be trivial to some: The joints between the stiff outer panels have a much greater range of motion now. This means that I can bend the flap backwards and make an iPod stand out of the case when I put it on my desk. See photo.

Another improvement that Marware has made is that the clear vinyl sleeve that holds the iPod is a thinner and more flexible material than before. The iPod fits more comfortably and the material feels like it would hold up to temperature extremes and regular wear and tear even better.

Overall, the stitching of the cases is better quality and more even. The outer panels are just as stiff as before, but the hinges work better and feel like they'd be more durable. The iPod fits better in the case and the flap closes around it more easily. This case has undergone significant improvements and is much better for it. The problems I experienced that made the case difficult to live with have been fixed by a redesign and the quality of the cases has been greatly improved. Instead of a cheap version of Marware's TrailVue, the MetroVue has now become it's more stylish little brother.

Related: iPoditude Review: Marware TrailVue case for iPod mini