Galliardist
Major Contributor
Top: not too bad. If you have a large hand but a small fingertip and can push very hard, it might work. I've got a couple of that type where the plastic came unstuck, though I could reglue them.Here are a few well designed jewel boxes:
Top: Booklet style, cardboard exterior, thick cardboard hinge, plastic insert holding CD glued to cardboard. Removable booklet inside. Pros: easy to access CD, and CD is securely held. Cons: there is no mechanism to keep the container closed, so the booklet falls out easily.
Middle: Booklet style, two plastic inserts glued to cardboard, with a cardboard hinge. Pros: CD is held securely. The two plastic halves are able to lock. CD and booklet are secure. Cons: that cardboard hinge might tear if it is abused or gets wet. I keep my CD's very well so it still looks good.
Bottom: Booklet style, cardboard construction. Booklet integrated into cover, CD's (2 of them) held within cardboard sleeves. Pros: very compact for a case that holds 2 or more CD's. Everything is secure and nothing will fall out even if you turn it upside down and shake it. Cons: a bit difficult to remove the CD. Nothing to protect the cardboard from scuffs.
Middle: has the old jewel case centre, one of the worse parts of that design. What's more, because it is stuck on, you can't replace it when the teeth inevitably break. Usually there is no support behind that centre making it harder to push. Some of that type do support it. (Edit - you can remove it carefully, but the only way to replace it is to take one off another sleeve)
Bottom - more than "a bit" difficult to remove the CD. The bottom of the disc appears to be sticking out. Split by trying to get the disc out of that damn sleeve? You've listed the other faults. If that's your example of a good holder, spare me the bad ones.
I have a couple of discs from a box set where the cardboard sleeves damaged the backs of the discs enough to make them unplayable. The disc case remains an unsolved problem as far as I'm concerned, unless you are careful handling them.