Some things are simply better when covered in rubber. Like an iPad.  We’re talking about an expensive piece of equipment here.  STD’s, that is – Scratches, Tarnishes, and Dents, are the ENEMY.  To be avoided.

*grin*

Seriously though, I felt two emotions when I got this brand new piece of technology:
1.  Excitement
2.  Terror that I would break, damage, or mar its beauty in any way

So, I got an overly expensive case from Best Buy.  And a less expensive stylus from Amazon.  And a not-expensive-at-all clear cover from somewhere in China, I think.

Turns out, my ipad protection was only about 66% effective.  Bummer.  As a public service, I have decided to share my experience here.

iPad STD Prevention Product Review:

The cover (official Apple iPad Case) .  Only minor complaints here.  It’s a snug fit, which means hard to put on but once it’s there, no worries about it coming off…  I like that the fold back cover doubles as a mini stand; my only beef here is that I wish there were another option to make it stand up at a higher angle if you wanted.  For the price, I think Apple could have included that.  Also, the pseudo suedey  finish feels awesome to the touch but is magnetically attracted to smudges.  So, while it accomplishes the main goal of protecting the iPad, it tends to look a little rough itself pretty quickly.
GRADE: B+ (negative marks for price, limited use, and smudge attraction)

The Stylus (Griffin Technology).  I FRICKIN LOVE THIS THING!!!  Not only did I find one on Amazon for about $7.50, it multiplied the usefulness and coolness factor of my iPad about ten times.  One of my biggest uses of the iPad is for notetaking (I use Noteshelf app the most, maybe I’ll review apps in a later post…) and having an effective stylus is SO key.  This one does the trick very nicely, and it clips on the cover so I haven’t lost it – yet.  It feels and writes just like a pen, with a much finer tip and more accuracy than I first expected.  True, the fine tip and accuracy partially depend on which writing app you are using, but, as I said, Noteshelf is a fabulous on and this stylus works perfectly for it.  The iPad responds to it as if it were an extension of your finger.  GRADE: A+ (would be double plus if I could get it in colors)

Clear Cover.  PROTECTION FAIL.  But only because I couldn’t get it to apply without a gazillion little air bubble (see picture above for an exaggerated example).  It was sold by United Integral Inc. on Amazon for about $2.  Since this was a much lower price than some of the other options I went for it.  In theory, the product was perfectly fine, so maybe the fault was in the less than expert application by yours truly.  But honestly,  I gave a damn good effort and about 15 minutes of my time to this thing for terrible results.  (It may have ended up crumpled up and thrown across the office in frustration.  Towards the wastebasket, of course.)  Anybody out there have success with iPad screen covers?  It seems like a great idea, reduce glare, add further protection to the touchscreen… I would LOVE some tips 🙂  GRADE:  F (failure to apply cleanly/un-usable)