For many people the thought of getting and external keyboard for the iPad is a bit of an annoyance. You see, the iPad has been designed to be a touch screen experience so the thought of needing to buy an additional keyboard doesn’t cross many iPad owners’ minds. The fact is, that although you can get an iPad case that will position your iPad at the best angle for typing on the touch screen, sometimes a physical keyboard is going to be a far better option.

Of course, this is why among the other iPad accessories that Apple announced along with the launch of the iPad there was a keyboard dock. This, as you know, allows you to not only charge and sync your iPad, but also use a full size keyboard with it. For many people this is a great option, but for others the change to go completely wireless with a Bluetooth iPad keyboard is the ideal.

Apple Bluetooth Keyboard
Starting with Apple’s own products, you can of course get the Apple Bluetooth keyboard to interact seamlessly with your iPad. This is a sleek option, and for people who already own another Apple computer you can use it on all Bluetooth enabled devices. It is rather pricey compared to other options.

Aside from the Apple Bluetooth keyboard, there are plenty of other third-party suppliers offerings iPad compatible Bluetooth keyboards. Let’s take a quick look at some of the top sellers.

Menotek Flexible Bluetooth Waterproof Mini Keyboard For Apple iPad
This is one of the top-selling iPad keyboards at the moment. It has a great feature of being waterproof and works with both iPad models and the iPhone 4. The keyboard is charged using a USB cable and also comes with a Bluetooth keyboards so you can use it with your mac. It folds up so you can carry it around easily with you.

Acase, makers of a great flipbook case, have come up with a flexible Bluetooth keyboard which looks useful, but people are reporting that it has rubber keys so typing on it is difficult, and it is quite a small keyboard.

For some people perhaps the ultimate will be a case that includes a keyboard and the Sena folio looks like a promising option.

If you want the best looking and functioning Bluetooth iPad keyboard then the Apple one is probably your best bet, but the Menotek flexible keyboard is a financially sound option, with extra features as well.

We’ve covered some great iPad cases so far, and this week’s review is of another fantastic case for your iPad. The Otterbox name is well know to many iPhone owners who swear by their defender series cases to keep their phone well protected on the go, and now the people at Otterbox have come up with an innovative and highly protective iPad case. Let’s take a look at what makes this a great choice to keep your iPad well protected with our own Otterbox iPad defender series case review.

This case offers the iPad a treble layer of protection while still allowing easy access to all the functionality that the iPad offers, though the ports are covered to prevent dust, you can still access them easily. This is also supplemented with silicone grips so when you are using the integrated stand you know it won’t just slip of the desk. A clever additional feature is the fact that it has a snap-off section so that you can easily use an iPad dock without completely removing the case.

Delving deeper in to the level of protection that the Otterbox iPad defender case offers you iPad, we see that there is a hard external cover made of thick rubber. This will not only protect your case from scratches when you drop it in to a bag, but also offers a level of protection for those accidental drops on the floor that everyone dreads. Although the case does cover the screen for protection it also comes with a peel and stick screen protector (it is not part of the physical case), although some users have ditched it for one that doesn’t show up fingerprints and reduces glare.

It should be noted that this case is not water resistant, but if you are using your iPad around water you should really be checking out waterproof cases for the iPad. Another thing to note is that few users of this case have reported that due to its treble layer of protection with thick rubber it does make the iPad and case rather heavy to carry.

The built in stand offers two different viewing positions for your device. While this is great for most of the things you will be doing on your iPad (viewing movies or typing emails), many other cases do feature more flexibility in the stand options. We think that 99% of users will find this case more than adequate for their needs as a stand and of course to keep their iPad well protected.

For people who want a good level of protection for their iPad, from a brand that is already know for good quality cases, then the Otterbox iPad defender series case is the perfect purchase. We think it makes a particularly great iPad case for people who are traveling or always carrying their iPad around with them.

Recently, we talked you through how to get a quality leather iPad case. We thought we would go one better and suggest one to you. The Tuff-Luv Bi-Axis Napa Leather iPad case ticks all the boxes when it comes to getting a high quality leather case for your iPad. Let’s take a look at some of the features of this great case.

Perhaps the most notable thing about this iPad case is that it is made of real high-grade genuine Napa leather. Not only does it look great, but it feels great too. If you want something that looks stylish to carry around your iPad, then this is the case for you and you can get it in several different colors so you are sure to find one that suits your style.

Not only is this case made of great leather, but it also offers five different position settings so that you can use your iPad to its full potential. So if you want to watch a movie, read a book or present a slideshow, this case allows you to position your iPad perfectly for each task. It does this using the patented two-axis design, hence the name Bi-Axis case.

The Tuff-Luv iPad case will also keep your iPad nice and secure with a special ‘Tuff-flap’ that keeps your iPad safe when it is in the case. No nasty unexpected spills of your precious iPad on to the floor. It is lined with a soft material so it keeps the screen protected from scratches as well.

This case has received a few notable awards, such as the no.1 case of Ebookreaderguide, noted as on of the best iPad accessories by the Times newspaper and also best iPad accessory award in the 2010 Macworld awards.

This is certainly a well-made case. Not only is the Napa leather gorgeous, but also it meets all the new EU guidelines for manufacturing. Users of this case report that it is very well made and the leather feels very high quality. As we highlighted in our leather iPad case buying guide, it has good quality stitching as well to keep everything together. It allows easy access to external functions of the iPad. Some users of other stand style cases report that they can be a bit unstable, but the Tuff-Luv case is nice and stable in all positions.

The majority of users absolutely love this case, but there are comments that an updated version maybe should be a little less bulky. It seems that the bulk is to enable the sturdy stand construction, and as this is a great feature of the case you can forgive this design requirement. Some people would like a wider range of leather colors, which are likely to come in the future.

Overall this case is one of the absolute best leather cases for the iPad.

The top selling case on Amazon at the moment is the Acase Leather Flip Book iPad Case. Not only does this score awesome customer reviews, but it has a whopping 68% off the RRP at the time of this post. Pretty cool, especially as it also qualifies for Amazon’s super saver shipping too.

We told you recently how to find the best leather iPad case, however you should note that the Acase is actually a faux-leather case. Made from high quality materials, this case is cushioned more than Apple’s own case, offering great protection for your prized iPad. You can position it easier than the Apple case for viewing movies, reading a book or typing. The strong elastic strap keeps everything nice and secure so your iPad won’t fall out.

Case Features:

• Book jacket style case for tactile reading feel.
• Made from faux-leather with a secure closing function (elasticized strap).
• Cutouts for the iPad to allow easy use of all iPad functions.
• Not only is it a case, but also a stand with lots of different position settings.
• Soft suede lining to prevent scratches.
• Several color choices.
• Weighs only 12 ounces, so it doesn’t add much weight to carry around.

A few people who own this case have said that they actually prefer it to Apple’s own iPad case, citing slightly better positioning for the various uses of the iPad as the main reason.

Aside from the features, great reviews and styling of this case, at such a low price it seems to be an all round winner. After dropping more than $500 on your iPad, an extra few bucks on a case that is going to protect it just makes sense doesn’t it.

Overall, this is a great first case for your iPad to keep it well protected. Don’t be fooled in to thinking that this is real leather, but at this price the Acase leather flip book iPad case is a real contender.

Leather iPad cases are perhaps one of the more popular of range of iPad accessories out there for the humble iPad owner to choose from. There is something elegant an sophisticated about this kind of case when you compare it to it’s funky, youthful and padded neoprene equivalents. For the discerning iPad user, there certainly is something to be said about cladding your iPad in a leather case, but with so many different cases out there, how do you choose the best one for you, and with any leather good, how do you ensure that the one that you are getting is good quality. If you are on the look out for a good quality leather iPad case, then this guide is for you.

There are three things that you want to look for when purchasing a leather case; form, function and quality. Let’s start with the functional aspects of the case. As you know there are a wide range of iPad cases that offer not only to protect your beloved device but also to help you to interact with it. When looking to choose between any numbers of iPad cases made from leather, you want to look at what features they offer. For example, do they allow you to charge or dock your iPad without removing it from the case? Does it have a flip cover that allows you to use a stylus with it as a notepad? Can you prop it up to watch movies when there is nothing on that you want to watch on the in-flight channel on the way to another boring conference? These are just some of the questions that you need to ask yourself when choosing the best leather iPad case for you. Find something that has the functional elements that you require.

The next thing that you want to look at is the form element of the case. How does it look? Does that case you are going for portray the kind of image you want when you are carrying your case. Do you look smooth and sophisticated with that slick black leather case, or casual yet refined with that worn brown case? The aesthetics of an iPad case are as important as the protection it offers your prized gadget.

When it comes to buying any type of leather product you need to make sure that you are getting quality. You can get iPad cases from suppliers all over the world, and the quality varies considerably between companies. This is true also for leather iPad covers, cases and bags. When you are buying these items you need to look for the following:

• Check the origin of the leather. Look for a leather mark and try and get the best quality leather you can afford. Italian leather is often regarded as the best. Leather should be soft and supple yet strong. It certainly shouldn’t contain any tears or cracking which can indicate a poorly treated leather.
• Check the stitching of your case. Ideally you want a case that is well stitched rather than glued. This will ensure that you case remains strong for a long time and that your iPad is well protected.
• Smell the leather. The best way to check that it is real and good quality leather is to smell and feel it. The quality will come through in the scent and feel of the case and you’ll know if you have got a dud or not.
• As it is case to protect your iPad, make sure that it has plenty of padding. It should not allow any of your iPad to be too exposed in the even of a drop on the floor or being squashed in to the bottom of a bag.

It is certainly worth taking in to consideration all of these things. If you follow the above advice you can be sure that you will be getting a high quality leather iPad case.

Whether you are a new iPad owner or a seasoned user, it’s always worth having a look at the top accessories and seeing if there is any that could add further benefit to your iPad experience.

iPad Case
The most essential item in our opinion, the iPad case is really the thing that stands between keeping your iPad working and looking great and a potential financial and emotional incident if you drop it. Look for a good quality case that not only looks great but offers a lot of padding and protection for your device.

iPad Keyboard Dock
We think that this has to be one of the best iPad accessories out there. This enables you to interact with your iPad on a whole new level, and for many low-level computer users it could well make a conventional laptop or PC almost obsolete. It’s also another great step to using your iPad as your sole work device.

iPad Insurance
Now many of your won’t necessarily think of insurance as an ‘accessory’, but if you drop, lose or have your iPad stolen then you will be very glad that you spent the money on this accessory. Get the piece of mind of iPad insurance today.

iBooks / Stanza
iBooks has faced a slightly muted response from users, and with good reason. It is pretty expensive and there are several formatting issues to get round. Stanza is a free app that offers a great and more established alternative. It also makes it very easy to get your hands on thousands of free books. The fact that the iPad is so suited to being an eBook is one of the main reasons a lot of people decided to take the plunge and buy one, so make sure you have a good app for reading on your iPhone.

Camera Connection Kit
Now this might not be the most popular of the accessories, but we kind of like it. You are far more likely to take your iPad on holiday or a trip than your laptop or desktop computer right? Having an easy way of viewing and uploading photos makes the camera connection kit one of the most useful and perhaps most understated of the iPad accessories.

This is our current thoughts on the essential iPad accessories for all users at the moment. What do you think? Although Apps and insurance my not be accessories in the traditional sense of the word, but there is no denying that they are pretty essential things for every iPad owner to have.

BoxWave iPad Stylus

Something that you might not have thought of for your iPad accessory collection is getting an iPad stylus. Why would you want a stylus you may ask, as one of the major selling points of the iPad is the fact that you can use your fingers to interact with the screen. However, there are some situations, such as note taking in a meeting, where the ability to write directly on to the screen is a major selling point of the iPad.

In order to write in one of the many note-taking applications on the iPad, you really need some kind of pointing device to do it. This is where a stylus comes in. An iPad stylus is specially designed to work with the Apple Multi-Touch screen. One such stylus is the BoxWave Capacitive Stylus, which allows you to write on your iPad without having to touch the screen with you hand.

It’s not just note taking that this is useful for. In some business situations, touching the screen directly is not possible, and using a stylus is a very good option. No matter what you want to use your stylus for, you want to make sure that you get a good quality one that will work well with the iPad’s screen.

The BoxWave Capacitive Stylus comes in a range of colors. Although it is a bit more money than other iPad styluses, you really do get what you pay for and users are reporting that the BoxWave stylus is far better than some of it’s cheaper alternatives.

This stylus is perfect for note-taking in meetings, drawing sketches or using the iPad in a situation where using the touch screen is not practical. It is well made, looks good and gets the job done when it comes to interacting with the iPad’s multi-touch screen the BoxWave Capacitive iPad stylus does a cracking job.

If there is one thing that we’ve already acknowledged here at iPad Accessories Review, it’s the fact that there is plenty of choice out there when it comes to choosing the perfect iPad case for your needs. The cold hard fact is however, that with the more choice you have the harder it is to make a decision. We decided to put together this quick guide to help you choose the perfect case.

How Much Do You Want To Spend?
There is no denying the fact that becoming an iPad owner is not a cheap activity. For many people, buying an iPad represents a fairly significant purchase. This means that the amount of money you have to spare for the purchase of a nice case is limited. Before you start to shop for your iPad case, you need to work out your budget. If you don’t do this you will end up finding a case that you want but can’t afford.

What Material Do I Want My Case Made Out Of
There are some gorgeous leather iPad cases out there, and similarly there are some great neoprene or synthetic ones too. The material you want will be based on a personal preference, but choosing what you want early on will help you to narrow down you search. There is no doubt that leather looks smart and professional in an office environment, but some people won’t want to own leather (vegetarians for examples), and some people will just want something with funky colours and designs.

How Do You Use Your iPad
Unlike just buying a case for a laptop or a mobile phone, where they all pretty much do the same thing, the iPad and how it interacts with a case is a whole different monster. Recognizing this, there is a wide range of different cases to cater for every need. For example you will probably want a case that allows you to charge the iPad without removing it from the case. Then it comes to cases that allow you to prop up your iPad for typing at an optimal position on a table with the onscreen keyboard. Or there are cases that allow you to keep the iPad protected at all times even while using it in a variety of positions such as in your hands for reading an iBook or propped up on a table for watching a movie. Think about how you use the iPad and how the case you will buy can help or hinder these activities.

Screen Protection
This kind of fits in with the above point, but some cases offer special see-through screen protection, while others don’t to allow you to interact fully with the multi-touch screen. Again, think about how you use your iPad and also how accident prone you are!

Security
It’s probably always worth looking for a case that offers security in the form of locks or enabling you to attach a lock. This may not be practical in all circumstances, but it’s another thing that’s well worth considering.

When it comes to trying to work out the best iPad case for you, then you really want to consider all the above points as part of your search. If you look around our site you’ll find links to some of the more popular iPad cases, but really you need to find a case that will keep your iPad well protected for your needs.

It’s been quite a few months since the iPad was launched. There is no denying that it has been phenomenally successful. It seems that, although a lot of the initial purchases were made by some of the millions of people dubbed as ‘Apple Fan Boys’, there are also an increasing amount of so called normal people who enjoy the benefits an easy to use and simple device can offer them.

Aside from the huge success of the iPad device itself, there have been a lot of success stories for those people who manufacture Apple iPad accessories. It seems the lions share of the successes are for the case makers. Let’s take the example of the DODOcase, a new business, which has sold over 10,000 cases at $60 per unit. You can see that that soon adds up to some interesting figures for a company only created in the last six months. While there is a lot of competition in the iPad case market, this is good for customers as it gives them plenty of choice when trying to decide which case to get their hands on.

Outside of the competitive third-party case market, there are other great peripherals available for the iPad that increase the usability of this great device. It seems that with such devices as the iPad dock and keyboard dock, people are enjoying having the official Apple product for these uses. There are some alternatives available, and one of the popular things to do for conventional typing on the iPad is to use the gorgeous Apple Bluetooth keyboard with your device.

What does the future hold for the iPad and the iPad accessories manufacturers? While all the focus seems to be in the iPhone 4.0 at the moment, you can be sure that Apple execs are monitoring the success of the iPad closely and monitoring it’s customer feedback to ensure that the next update of the iPad will bring some, if not all of the missing features that people are looking for. It seems that from a software point of view at least the iPad is running in conjunction with updates for the iPhone at least in part so it will be very interesting to see how these items develop in parallel over the coming months. Traditionally January and June are major times for Apple announcements so I guess we will just have to sit tight for until early next year for any idea of what the future holds from a hardware point of view.

Regardless of the future hardware updates, we can be sure that some great new innovations in the iPad accessories market will continue to be made. We’re looking forward to seeing more uses of this fantastic device in the fields on business and medicine, while understanding better ways we can use it at home to make our lives easier. It’s easy to speculate that we could soon be seeing our iPads interact with other gadgets in our house such as our ovens, baths and fridges so we can live in a truly automated home. The iPad and an even growing range of accessories are well poised to be the de-facto devices for such technological advances.

OK, for all of our readers who have been waiting for the global iPad launch date it is finally here. Apple have announced that it will go on sale in nine countries on the 28th May 2010.

Now, as you know the US market first got hold of the iPad on the 3rd of April 2010 and since then it is reported that over a million iPads have been purchased. People were also snapping up iPad accessories along with their puchase, and since the launch more and more accessories have exploed on to the market. Well it looks like both Apple and the third-party suppliers will be targeting these new terretories along with this release date.

The countries that the iPad will be released in on 28th May 2010 are:

• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• Spain
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

If you are one of the lucky people living in one of these countries you will be able to pre-order your iPad from the 10th May 2010. Check your local Apple store for prices, but as a guide we can tell you that they range in price from £429 for the 16GB wifi only version to £699 for the 64GB wifi/3G version. Of course the 3G versions will also need a data contract which will put the overall price up.

Don’t forget to get your hands on the essential iPad accessories to get the most out of your new toy.