Adding Style and Performance to 2010's Must-Have Device
The Apple iPad has been nothing short of a phenomenon in the consumer electronics world: a sleek, sexy, capable device that has been filling a void in people's live that many never even knew they had. Despite massive production runs, they were in short supply this past summer, but with more units finally showing up in more retail outlets, soon you'll likely be looking for the optional gear to make your iPad experience complete, or looking for gift ideas for the person who has everything (including an iPad). Hence, here are my Top 5 Apple iPad Accessories.
Perhaps more than any other Apple product I have ever reviewed, the iPad fairly begs for a little pimpin'-out. Its unique size and shape bring certain limitations, handicaps of varying severity that prevent it from being truly The Greatest Thing ever. Thankfully, third-party manufacturers have tendered a host of solutions which target the specific needs of Apple's iPad, accessories which help the mighty tablet better reach its awesome potential.
Hardware-wise, my biggest single complaint about the iPad has to be the audio performance, which stands in stark contrast to the head-turning video quality. A picture this big and clear demands sound to match, and Monster has answered the challenge by taking reproduction duties out of the iPad and shifting them wirelessly into their compact iClarity HD Precision Micro Bluetooth Speaker 100 ($119.95). It's true stereo sound via the Bluetooth 2.0 standard with twin full-range drivers, or we can patch in wired by way of the 3.5mm mini-jack. The built-in lithium-ion battery fuels "up to five hours" of playback. Also available in silver.
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Saddleback Leather Co. iPad Sleeve
The iPad is undoubtedly a status symbol, conspicuously so during those ebbs in availability when more people want them but there are seemingly none to be had. The proper carrying case can surely add to the enviable appeal, while also protecting it from the elements. Saddleback Leather's iPad Sleeve/Gadget Pouch ($60.00) is constructed of tough, heavy full-grain leather that picked up a few nicks during my time with it, making it only look more like Indiana Jones' jacket while shielding its valuable contents. It's held together by industrial marine-grade thread and lined with pigskin, available in red black or brown leather, but perhaps most impressive? Its got a 100-year warranty.
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Truth be told, the internal battery of the iPad is actually quite robust, good for several hours of video-watching and other juice-intensive applications. But eventually the tank will run dry, so how best to recharge it? The Powertraveller Solargorilla is the world's first fully portable iPad charger which, with the use of the newly developed iPad adapter (sold separately) is said to provide the iPad's mandated 2.1-amp power output. Solargorilla works via a pair of large photovoltaic solar panels that magically (okay, it's "science") generate electric current when exposed to sunlight, and the greater the UV intensity, the better its performance. At $250 it ain't cheap, but from here on in it's free power, baby, at least during daylight hours and assuming relatively light use. Plenty of adapter tips are bundled with the Solargorilla, to juice up smaller, less power-hungry devices, too.
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Belkin Grip Vue
The perfectly smooth, mirror-finished rear panel of the iPad is one of its most attractive features, but it can be a bit impractical in daily use. Not only is it prone to fingerprints (and scratches, conceivably), but the hard-yet-gentle curve gives it an almost sled-like propensity to slide off a person's lap. One quick and easy solution is the Belkin Grip Vue ($49.99) a colorful silicone skin that adds a touch of style and much-need grip-ability to the iPad. The material is stretchier than plastic and tougher than rubber, conforming snugly to the rear of the device while maintaining access to all of the edge-mounted controls, and putting nothing between us and the all-important screen.
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Even though the iPad is not to be confused with a full-on laptop in terms of form factor or what it can do, The Man can still hassle us at airport checkpoints as if it was a computer. Speck Prodcuts' CorePack Fly 10 ($49.95) is a perfectly sized bag for the iPad (or similar mid-sized electronics), opening quickly and easily to safely display its contents to security-minded, tazer-toting individuals. It also unfolds to create a lapdesk anywhere/anytime one is needed. Even if you aren't a member of the jet set, the comfy microfleece lining, multiple pockets and briefcase-style handle plus shoulder strap make this bag a terrific fit for you and your gear.
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Have your own favorite iPad accessory or comments on the above choices? Let us know on our forum:
