iPad Accessories

In this post, I will discuss some of the essential iPad accessories. As days go by it is becoming more and more clear that Apple rivals are not yet successful in bringing any serious challenge to iPad ( apart from Samsung Tab ). Some of the challengers like HP quit the Tablet market seriously wounded even though their TouchPad was considered best among the rivals. Over a few months the competitors proved that better hardware specification does not translate to better user experience. As Steve Jobs likes to remind us, iPad “just works”. So when some of analysts talk about iPad dominance will continue till 2020 (started with 2015, 3 months back) we tend to agree. Now everybody’s eyes are on Amazon, keenly following its launch of Android Tablets (expected to be by Dec 2011) to forecast the share of iPad in the future Tablet market, whether it will be 60% or 80%. Certainly Apple is no way planning to push the life of iPad 2 for long, and we can expect the launch of iPad 3 with retina display and other improved features by early 2012.

I heard some people making comments about iPad as fashion accessory or a fad which will go away. I am sure they are mistaken, unless you use it for some time you may never understand its real worth and anybody will fall in love with it. You quickly realize it that most of the things you do in a Laptop you can do in much better way in iPad and you soon think of carrying it around with you, leaving behind the Laptop. You will certainly find it as an unmatched device for content consumption but you may take some time to get used to accept it as a decent content creation device with its softkeys and small screen which limits the usability of multitasking to an extent. It is time to invest in an iPad if you have not got one yet or you will be left behind in Tablet technology revolution which is defining the computing technology landscape now otherwise you will be outdated like desktop computers soon…

iPad 2 Casings

Apple designs its product as a combination of art and technology. Steve believes in using it bear leaving its beauty to be feasted upon. But most of us want to cover it hiding from the prying eyes and protect it from scratches and marks and enjoy its beauty privately. We get a sense of ownership by covering it and treat it as a costly personal possession. So for many, casing become a must for iPad and it has to do the following.

1. It has to protect the LCD screen from scratches, dust and spilling liquids.
2. It has to cover the smooth rear side and give it a firm grip
3. It should never hinder the access to any port or buttons in the iPad
4. It should be light enough to be acceptable as an add on.
5. It should look good too…

Magic Cover: iPad 2 comes with an optional magic cover which became a benchmark for others to follow. It is magical in the sense it can be attached and removed at will (easier than we imagined before). When bring them close to each other, the cover will be snap on to iPad 2 and aligned perfectly and is held in exact position by 21 magnets. It can double up as a stand for reading by folding along the groves. Another neat addition is that your iPad 2 will hibernate when you cover it and wakes up when you lift the cover. Evernote has come up with an interesting application using this feature called Everpeek (www.evernote.com) But the magic cover has a big drawback that it covers only the front display of iPad leaving the rear side open to all kinds of abuse and the smooth finish of its rear does not allow us to have a firm grip.

For more information visit http://www.apple.com/ipad/smart-cover/

Griffin IntelliCase for iPad 2 

Griffin Technology’s Intellicase may be the best case available today for iPad 2. It combines the functionality of magic cover and provides protection for the back of the iPad 2. The front portion of the cover has only 3 groves unlike 4 groves found in the magic cover. Griffin says it is better for using it as a stand for iPad 2.The IntelliCase is also covered with a micro-textured surface for an improved grip. It does not come in different colors like Apple’s magic cover, only black. It retails for $59.99.

More details are available from their website : http://store.griffintechnology.com/ipad/intellicase

Read the following link for a detailed review :http://www.tuaw.com/2011/08/13/griffin-intellicase-a-great-smart-cover-alternative-for-ipad-2/

Logitech Keyboard case for iPad2

If you are not very comfortable with the soft keys of iPad or if you are mainly into content creation consider getting a Logitech keyboard case which is a Bluetooth keyboard. It can also double up as a stand and a cover for iPad when not in use. It costs you $99/-

Camera connector

Camera connector is one of the essential accessories for iPad. The package consist of one camera iPad Accessoriesconnector and an SD card reader both of them can be connected to the 30 pin dock connector of any iOS devices. This will be handy when you want to transfer the photos from your camera to your iPAD. You can directly transfer the photos using SD card reader too. Once you connect the camera or SD card reader to your iPad , the built-in Photos apps pops up with the thumb nail images of the photos to import. It is so simple. There are a few storage devices available in the market which can be connected to the camera connected and expand the storage space of your iPad. This cost you around $29/-