Accessories for iPad

[hybrid]

I finally broke down and bought an iPad Air over the weekend. I work in IT and am amazed I held out this long, but I have reached the point where I need to know more about these tablets than my clients (both for work and the side gig), and that was what finally pushed me over the top. I opted for the 32GB, Wi-Fi only model.

Knowing full well that accessories are available online and much cheaper than what the local Best Buy was touting, I figured I'd ask the MMM community where they got the best deals for their accessories. Specifically I need a good cover for the iPad out of the gate. I am also looking for an inexpensive 30-pin to HDMI adapter for my wife's iPad 3 so we can stream apps like CBS to the iPad and port that to our TV. The lightning connector to HDMI from Apple for the iPad Air is $50, and I haven't seen a good knockoff for that one yet, and I am not willing to plunk that kind of change down yet for an adapter. Thanks in advance for the tips.

[Rural]

Check Dollar Tree for screen protector film. I have mine in a plastic clamshell from there, too, and a simple foam padded sleeve. I did have to prowl a couple of stores to find everything, so patience will help. But it means I have screen protector, clamshell, and sleeve for $3 plus tax. They don't look fancy, but they do work.


For the adaptor, I don't know of a good cheap option.

[HairyUpperLip]

I've never used it personally, but good reviews from friends....
sw-box.com for accessories.


I would recommend a case for sure though. Mine is cracked. :(

[hybrid]

I've never used it personally, but good reviews from friends....
sw-box.com for accessories.


I would recommend a case for sure though. Mine is cracked. :(

Holy cow, that looks like a great site at first blush. Huge selection and great prices. Thanks!

[Rural]

I've never used it personally, but good reviews from friends....
sw-box.com for accessories.


I would recommend a case for sure though. Mine is cracked. :(

Holy cow, that looks like a great site at first blush. Huge selection and great prices. Thanks!

Wow, thanks from me, too! I need have been wanting a fancier-looking portfolio for a fancy business trip this summer; at those prices, I may just do it guilt-free.

[arebelspy]

dealextreme.com is where I get a lot of my cheap chinese knockoff crap.

(and by a lot, I mean maybe $20 of stuff per year)

Good for cables, cases, etc.  Their shipping takes awhile though, don't use it for anything you need right away.

If you want good quality stuff, I prefer thewirecutter.com's reviews.  Their favorite iPad Air keyboard case is on sale right now for $54 (normally 70) at Amazon: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-ipad-keyboard-case/

Of course knockoffs are cheaper on dealextreme, but if you want quality, that's where I'd look first

[Thegoblinchief]

I hate cases on electronics. Cleaning a dirty iPad is easy. Cleaning a case isn't.

Our iPad 2 has made it through daily use in the kitchen and kids for years. Sure, it's a bit scratched, but it works great.

Monoprice.com is also a good source for cables.

+1 to The Wirecutter.

[hybrid]

dealextreme.com is where I get a lot of my cheap chinese knockoff crap.

(and by a lot, I mean maybe $20 of stuff per year)

Good for cables, cases, etc.  Their shipping takes awhile though, don't use it for anything you need right away.

If you want good quality stuff, I prefer thewirecutter.com's reviews.  Their favorite iPad Air keyboard case is on sale right now for $54 (normally 70) at Amazon: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-ipad-keyboard-case/

Of course knockoffs are cheaper on dealextreme, but if you want quality, that's where I'd look first

For the second time arebelspy has steered me in a good direction (the first was the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas when I was there last year for business. Wow was that fun....). I ultimately got the CaseCrown Omni model with free shipping from Amazon for $30 after reading the review at wirecutter. I have a Bluetooth keyboard at home collecting dust I can pull out if I opt for that functionality, but to be honest if I really need to type all that much I'll probably just use my trusty 17" Win 7 laptop.

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-ipad-air-case/

[arebelspy]

[CommonCents]

I didn't know I could get a cable to port the ipad cbs onto the tv.  Went cable-free abour 4 months ago and I'm still learning.  (And DH is still dithering about how he feels about it.)  What do I need to get for it?

[arebelspy]

I didn't know I could get a cable to port the ipad cbs onto the tv.  Went cable-free abour 4 months ago and I'm still learning.  (And DH is still dithering about how he feels about it.)  What do I need to get for it?

If your TV has an HDMI input and you have a wifi network at home, I'd recommend just getting a Chromecast and going wireless (double check that the cbs app works with it, but I think it does).

[Nords]

This is going to sound silly, but I really enjoy my Padlette.  (http://www.padlette.com/)  My old iPad2 is getting heavier every day, and the band helps me hold it at a comfortable one-handed reading distance without grip fatigue.  Of course the proper Mustachian approach would start with a heavy-duty rubber band or an old bicycle innertube, and it also makes a great geek gift.

Another vote for the WireCutter-- the blog was started by a Silicon Valley expat who's financially independent from a startup and enjoys surfing in Hawaii but who inevitably started another project.

They're perpetually hiring staff reviewers and updating their info on products & prices.  It's the first site I browse to understand the tech specs before I start shopping.  I also enjoy reading their posts just to see what's out there.  Usually I laugh heartily and click the "delete" button, but I enjoy the read.

[hybrid]

I am also looking for an inexpensive 30-pin to HDMI adapter for my wife's iPad 3 so we can stream apps like CBS to the iPad and port that to our TV. The lightning connector to HDMI from Apple for the iPad Air is $50, and I haven't seen a good knockoff for that one yet, and I am not willing to plunk that kind of change down yet for an adapter.

I discovered that if you have an Apple TV (which we use for Netflix and Hulu Plus) an HDMI connector is unnecessary, you can use AirPlay to port your screen to the TV. This worked great with the PBS app yesterday.

[hybrid]

The case I ordered came in today. It really takes the light-as-air out of the iPad Air, but it seems like a really good case out of the gate. Nice case that will provide good protection.

[CommonCents]

I didn't know I could get a cable to port the ipad cbs onto the tv.  Went cable-free abour 4 months ago and I'm still learning.  (And DH is still dithering about how he feels about it.)  What do I need to get for it?

If your TV has an HDMI input and you have a wifi network at home, I'd recommend just getting a Chromecast and going wireless (double check that the cbs app works with it, but I think it does).

We have chromecast already, but (doh! didn't realize it before buying, foolish us) it doesn't let you project CBS shows or internet from an iPad, only YouTube.  We are going to get a new laptop...sometime... (i've been saying this for 3 years now, and 1 year ago took possession of my dad's hand me down, just in time as mine kicked the bucket two weeks later, but it's too old to project a show on it)...  Maybe I'll see about placating DH about until the fall, when shows start back up again and we might be able to get a "back to school" deal on a laptop.