Tag Archives: iPad accessory reviews

Review: iPad mini Case Prodigy, Case + Magnetic Stand

April 11, 2013 Patrick Jordan 1 Comment

The iPad mini Case Prodigy is a case + magnetic stand combo for the iPad mini, made by ZooGue. It’s the new little brother of the iPad Case Prodigy. A couple months back I did a review of the iPad Case Prodigy, case and magnetic stand from Zoogue. I had very positive impressions of the case – here’s a little slice of my sum-up on it:

The iPad Case Prodigy is an impressive and versatile iPad case. It’s solid and professional looking, offers great protection, and works very well as a stand. It seems like a good fit for business users and especially for anyone who needs a pretty sturdy case + stand combo. Everything about it feels secure and well-made.

I was certainly impressed enough with it to immediately order the new iPad mini Case Prodigy when it was released. I’ve had the case for several weeks now and have given it a lot of use. Since I now use the iPad mini a lot more than my bigger iPad, I had high hopes that I would like this case as much as I did the big brother iPad Case Prodigy.

Notes

The iPad min Case Prodigy is a folio style case for the iPad mini, but one that offers some extra features not found on a typical folio case. For starters, it uses a magnetic kickstand that supports 5 different stand angles.

It’s made of relatively thin leather (or maybe faux leather) and has soft, microfiber cloth on its interior. It supports the iPad’s automatic sleep/wake feature and offers access to all the iPad mini’s ports and buttons.

The case comes in black only right now and is priced at $49.99.

Continue reading →

Review: iSlider iPad Stand

April 1, 2013 Patrick Jordan 1 Comment

I’m a big (big!) fan of iPad stands – and when I first saw the iSlider iPad Stand I thought it looked quite promising. Rain Design, the makers of the stand, were kind enough to provide me with a review unit, and I’ve been using it for several weeks now.

Notes

Here’s the brief initial description of the iSlider:

With a unique sliding design, iSlider stand is easy to carry, use and keep. Simply slide out its base, adjust to your preferred viewing or typing angle and put on your iPad. iSlider’s aluminum casing serves as a firm support and protection, while looking sleek with its streamlined profile.

The stand is quite light, weighing in at just 0.5 pounds. It’s compatible with the iPad (all generations) and the iPad mini, and supports both portrait and landscape orientations.

It’s priced at $49.90.

Continue reading →

iPad Accessory Reviews

Quick Look: Versastand Folding Desk Stand for iPad

March 27, 2013 Patrick Jordan 2 Comments

As often mentioned here, I’m a big fan of iPad stands. iPad stands that are versatile – even more so. The Versastand Folding Desking Stand for iPad (which will be referred to as just Versastand for the rest of this review) is touted as being amongst the most versatile you can find. Heck it’s even got a part of versatile in its name – that’s gotta be a good omen.

I’ve been trying one out for a few weeks now and have some thoughts to share.

Notes

As the name implies, this is a desktop stand for the iPad, that can be folded away for use on the go. The Versastand is compatible with the iPad 2, 3, and 4 (or iPad 3rd and 4th gen).

Some of its notable listed features include:

— Displays the iPad at optimal ergonomic, glare-free viewing angles

— 360 degree rotation for portrait and landscape viewing

— Folds to just over an inch thick

— Fully articulating arm

— Silver finish matches iPad

— Comes with a smart cover style case

You need to use the back cover case provided with the Versastand in order to use the stand – as there’s a connector piece that’s integrated in it.

It’s part of family of stands from Ergotech Group – others in the line include a kick stand, a surface mount, and a side monitor mount.

The Versastand is currently available for $79 at Amazon.

Continue reading →

iPad Accessory Reviews

Review: Moko Slim Fit Case for iPad mini

March 6, 2013 Patrick Jordan 10 Comments

As some of you may recall, last year I did a review of the Moko Slim Fit Case for the iPad 3 – and was quite impressed with the low-priced folio case.

Because of that good impression I ordered a Moko Slim Fit Case for iPad mini as soon as I noticed they were available – hoping it would be just as good as its big brother. I’ve had the case for several weeks now, used it a lot, and can now share some thoughts on it.

Notes

The Moko Slim Fit for the iPad mini is a folio style case, similar to the Marware C.E.O. Hybrid for iPad mini – but with a few notable differences which I’ll mention below.

The case is made of PU leather on its exterior, with a microfiber interior. Here are some of its notable features:

Automatically wake/put to sleep Your iPad Mini. Acess to all feature and control (speakers not blocked).
Premium PU leather exterior and microfiber interior. Built-in stand with multiple angles for typing and viewing.
Built-in hand strap improves one-handed reading/viewing. Rubber band to hold the front cover open.
Padded front cover and plastic hardback offer enhanced protection, at front, back, and all CORNERS.

It comes in a range of colors: black, blue, green, magenta, orange, purple, red, white, carbon fiber black, and genuine leather black. Oddly, the standard black case goes for $9.99 – while all the others colors are priced between $17.99 and $24.99. I didn’t actually notice that until I was writing this post – I ordered the standard black one just because I like that color choice best for this case.

Continue reading →

iPad Accessory Reviews

Review: iPad Case Prodigy – Case + Magnetic Stand

February 15, 2013 Patrick Jordan 16 Comments

ZooGue’s iPad Case Prodigy is a case and magnetic stand that’s billed as ‘insanely convenient’. I’ve been using one for several weeks now and finding that there’s a lot to recommend about this case. So I’ll dive straight into the review.

Notes

The iPad Case Prodigy features a magnetic kickstand that adjusts to 6 angles – from low for typing to straight up for viewing movies and several in between. Here are some of its other notable features:

– Microfiber Interior

– Automatic Sleep/Wake Function

– Secure Magnetic Closure & Cover

– Access to All Cameras, Ports & Buttons

The iPad slots into a frame inside the case and the front cover is closed with a magnetic clasp – which you can see in the photo above.

This case is compatible with the iPad 2, and the 3rd and 4th gen iPads.

The case comes in black and is priced at $59.99.

Continue reading →

iPad Accessory Reviews

Review: Marware C.E.O. Hybrid iPad mini Case

January 23, 2013 Patrick Jordan 14 Comments

The Marware C.E.O Hybrid iPad mini Case is an iPad mini version of this popular iPad case that has served previous generations of the iPad well. I have reviewed a couple of generations of this case for the bigger iPad as well as other Marware iPad cases.

I’ve always thought of the CEO Hybrid as a good, reliable and versatile iPad case. My daughter still uses one on the original iPad that was handed down to her. So how does the new CEO Hybrid iPad min Case stack up? Read on for some thoughts on that …

Notes

The CEO Hybrid is made of genuine leather, with a soft microfiber material used on the interior. It’s a folio style case that offers good coverage of front, back, and sides of the iPad – ‘97% of the device’ and durable, reinforced protection for corners according to Marware.

The case is priced at $42.99 and comes in four colors: Carbon Fiber, Black, Pink, and Purple. I have the Carbon Fiber model.

Continue reading →

iPad Accessory Reviews

Review: Portenzo Alano Leather Book Style iPad mini Case

January 10, 2013 Patrick Jordan 5 Comments

As some of you will recall, I’ve done a review of a Portenzo Composition Case for iPad 2 in the past, and was very impressed with it. So when I saw that Portenzo had a nice new lineup of cases for the iPad mini, I put my hand up right away to try out some review units.

The first one I received is the Alano for iPad mini. I’ve had it for several weeks now and have had a chance to use it a lot around my home / office and while out and about.

Notes

The Alano for iPad mini comes is made with a single piece of thick and very durable leather that should last a decade or more, at least according to the Portenzo promo video. Each case is handmade, hand distressed and hand softened by Portenzo in St. Louis, Missouri. Here are some of its notable features:

Fits all models of iPad Mini
Automatic Sleep/Wake feature – Just like the Apple Smart Cover!
Hand sanded American Maple frames with Smooth radius corners for a truly unique look.
Double-Glued elastic band won’t ever come undone!
The elastic band covers the camera when the cover is closed.
Optional Soft Seal Camera Access Port on the rear cover.
Optional IntelliStand adds the versatility of more viewing angles to your case.

This case comes in 7 styles including Midnight Black, Indiana Journal, and the Old Book style that I chose for my review unit; as well as a selection of 7 colors for the case’s elastic strap.

The base price for the Alano for iPad mini is $99.95. You can choose to add-on a camera opening for around $5, a stylus compartment for around $10, and the Intellistand feature (which offers more viewing angles) for around $20.

Continue reading →

iPad Accessory Reviews

Review: iOstand for iPad

January 3, 2013 Patrick Jordan

iOstand is a sturdy, magnetic stand for the iPad and other tablets. The promo for it claims it ‘allows for instant mounting of your device and rotation in practically any direction’. I’ve been testing one out for a few weeks and I’m impressed with it.

Notes

The iOstand comes in three colors – Black Powdercoat, White Powdercoat, and stainless steel. I received the black model as a review unit.

The stand is roughly the height of an iPad in portrait mode. You use an additional piece called an iOadapt to attach your iPad to the magnetic core of the stand. Here’s a little background on the piece:

The razor-thin (.025″) iOadapt™ adheres instantly to your device and snaps to the iOcore™ adaptor. The iOcore provides nearly limitless viewing angles by allowing your device to rotate in any direction around the precision machined iOsphere™. Detaching your device is just as easy as snapping it on. Simply grab and pull it off from the iOcore™.

The iOadapt piece has a high strength adhesive and is very difficult to remove, so the makers recommend installing it on a case rather than the iPad itself. I took their advice and applied it to my Padintosh back cover case for the iPad.

iOSstand is priced at $100.

Continue reading →

iPad Accessory Reviews

Review: Brydge+ iPad Keyboard Case

December 28, 2012 Patrick Jordan 3 Comments

The Brydge iPad Keyboard is one of many iPad related Kickstarter projects I backed this year. As some of you may have noted two recent ones were major disappointments: the Human Toolz Mobile Stand for iPad and the Facet iPad Stand. Brydge is touted as an effective and unique iPad keyboard that will give your iPad a MacBook Air like feel.

I’ve had my Brydge for a few weeks now and have recently had a chance to put it to some heavy use. I can tell you right off the bat that it is not a huge disappointment like the two products mentioned above. It hasn’t quite lived up to my, admittedly high, expectations for it though. Read on for some of the reasons why …

Notes

Brydge is a Bluetooth wireless keyboard for the iPad, made from ‘aerospace-grade aluminum that is machined and anodized to perfectly match the look and feel of an Apple iPad’. There’s also a black polycarbonate model available now. I got the standard aluminum model. Mine is a Brydge+ with the addition of a stereo speaker that’s placed at the top center of the keyboard.

It is compatible with the iPad 2 and iPad 3rd and 4th generations. My model came with friction clamps on its hinges that are made to fit the iPad 2, with additional friction clamps included to fit an iPad 3rd or 4th gen properly. I have the iPad 3 so I switched them out and it was a fairly easy process.

One of the Brydge’s big selling points is its hinges, described like so at the Brydge website:

Brydge’s patent-pending hinge holds the iPad secure and allows you to position your iPad at nearly any angle, even allowing you to close it up entirely for easy transportation. Once closed, both your iPad and Brydge go to sleep automatically.

Continue reading →

iPad Accessory Reviews

Quick Look: New Gelaskins for the iPad mini

December 20, 2012 Patrick Jordan 2 Comments

My iPad mini has a new best friend: a lovely new Gelaskin for the back of it – as you can see above. I’ve posted many times here about how much I enjoy using just an Apple Smart Cover and a Gelaskin as the ideal combination for my bigger iPads.

When I saw that Gelaskins had a range for the iPad mini, and a fresh new crop of designs, I was more than a little tempted and recently ordered ‘Life is Art’ for my iPad mini. It was delivered a couple days ago and was installed within minutes of arrival. During those few minutes I got a clear reminder of 3 things I love about Gelaskins for the iPad:

— Their designs are always creative, striking, and just a real pleasure to look at on the iPad.

Continue reading →

iPad Accessory Reviews

FACET iPad Stand: Not Safe for iPad Use

December 19, 2012 Patrick Jordan 2 Comments

The FACET iPad Stand started out as yet another iPad focused Kickstarter project. I backed the project and felt quite keen to see how this product turned out. It met its funding target and a couple days ago I received my Facet stand for the iPad.

iPad stands are not difficult or complex items to review, as they’re a very useful but quite basic sort of accessory most of the time. This one is even easier to review, for all the wrong reasons. In fact, for just one (very) wrong reason: it doesn’t work. It not only doesn’t work – it also puts your iPad at risk of getting damaged.

Facet is a pyramid shaped stand for the iPad that offers three slightly different viewing angles via its three sides – at 35°, 55° and 75°. The lowest angle that’s meant to be good for typing is not really low enough to be comfortable – but this is the least of your worries if you try this stand out.

Continue reading →