Best iPad accessories for a newbie owner?

I'd say most people get a case. Personally I'd stay away from the Apple Case, it's really poor for the $ you pay for it. I bought my iPad last week and haven't even found a case yet for mine that I really like.

Adapters....for?

Docks: 99% of cases won't work in any sort of dock so I've never bought a dock before

Stylus: Don't get one, use your finger, it's just so much better to use that way.

Camera Kit: Do you actively have a need to put photos from your digital camera on your iPad? It always seemed to me like if you needed the camera kit you would have already bought it.

Personally I just stick with a case

I highly recommend getting a screen protector, just for peace of mind. If it ever gets scratched, you can just peel off and put on another one. Makes me feel so much less nervous about using the screen. Some kind of case is also good, but the exact kind of case to get varies a lot based on personal preference. The rest, just go along using your iPad, and if you find yourself wishing for a particular function, then go buy the accessory for that.

A few suggestions . . .

Hi! I tend to buy too much and then use just a few. First suggestion is a case.

Case: Wow, lots of choices. I wanted screen protection so chose an agenda style. I would really suggest a case that incorporates a stand in horizontal mode. I use mine all the time when traveling. For me the choice was narrowed down a lot by the simple question--do I want to cover the edge of the bezel or not? I did not, so a couple choices I like (among others) are the Noreve and a couple from Vaja. The Apple case is not bad in this regard--kind of a minimal covering. However, it still has the chance of trapping grit under it and scratching the bezel.

Screen cover: Up to you. I tried one for a few days and then took it off, preferring to keep my hands and cover clean to ward of scratches. The screen is just so pretty!

Keyboard: If you plan on a lot of typing, the Apple BT is super. Nice feel, etc. I would suggest this keyboard and a case like described above instead of a dock.

Finally, if you use it every day like I do, you might need a purse (or a man-purse, in my case)

I am a fairly new iPad owner and would reccomend an SGP anti-fingerprint screen protector.... I was getting a little bored of finger prints so finally got one and wow what a god send, if you do get one patience is the key to putting the shield on as you will need to make sure no dust gets underneath.

EVOUNI said:

try this website http://www.evouni.com and click on ipad series on the left column.

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Uh, they are selling iPad/iPhone products, and the website uses flash???? Talk about snubbing your customers...

I can highly recommend the M-Edge Trip Jacket (http://www.medgestore.com/products/ipad-trip.psp). I don't read much about this case, but I am very pleased with it. It is easy to remove the iPad, it is lightweight and sturdy and looks good. This is not a good case if you intend to stand your iPad to watch movies etc, but if you will be holding it, it is a great choice as it makes it very easy to grip the iPad.

I am looking to get a stylus, but I haven't yet decided on which to get. I got the Pogo sketch, but that was a piece of garbage and I threw it away after using it for a few minutes.

ThE.MeSsEnGeR said:

thanks a lot for your replies! it helped me making my mind in some ways.

first. I meant adapters for connecting to TV to watch movies and series on the big screen,

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I am looking at adapters to connect my iPad to my TV to watch Netflix and videos. I also was wondering if it would show Safari.

Thanks!

Apple's iPad case is still the best one out there. It's thin and made from quality materials. Third party cases are more expensive, look ugly and are thick. Most if not all of them ruin the aesthetics of the iPad and offer zero benefits for doing so.

I think a keyboard is largely unnecessary. The virtual keyboard is sufficient unless you really type a lot. Typing URLs, usernames/passwords and the occasional email reply won't strain the abilities of the virtual keyboard.

A dock might be useful, but I rarely use mine. This is partly because I keep my iPad in Apple's iPad case and there's only one case on the market that can work with the dock. Incipio's Feather case.

The Camera Connection Kit should be very useful if you take a lot of pictures and do more with them than just upload to Facebook or Flickr. Otherwise, you can just use a computer which should make that much easier.

Screen protectors are really stupid. They degrade your screen. It's like paying money to downgrade. That's like paying money to downgrade your brand new Mac Pro to a MacBook Air when you really need the extra performance of the Mac Pro. No thanks.

Apple TV, I suggest you get this. Very useful and can be used by itself for other stuff than just transferring video and audio content from iPad to your HDTV.

NateEssex said:

I am looking at adapters to connect my iPad to my TV to watch Netflix and videos. I also was wondering if it would show Safari.

Thanks!

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Apple offers component and composite cables for $50 I believe. Scosche also offers similar cables, but of a lesser quality for a tiny bit less.

I'm pretty sure Netflix and other apps with video output supported works with the $29 iPad VGA adapter. Component/Composite cables (see above paragraph) gives you both video and audio. VGA only gives you video, which means you need an audio cable (3.5mm standard) that goes from iPad to your TV. I know not all TVs have 3.5mm audio in, but all HDTVs do. It's more complicated than a simple component/composite connection though.

SnowLeopard2008 said:

Apple offers component and composite cables for $50 I believe. Scosche also offers similar cables, but of a lesser quality for a tiny bit less.

I'm pretty sure Netflix and other apps with video output supported works with the $29 iPad VGA adapter. Component/Composite cables (see above paragraph) gives you both video and audio. VGA only gives you video, which means you need an audio cable (3.5mm standard) that goes from iPad to your TV. I know not all TVs have 3.5mm audio in, but all HDTVs do. It's more complicated than a simple component/composite connection though.

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Thanks! I bought the Apple component video/audio cable and it works like a charm

Another vote for the Apple case here. I bought it as a stop-gap until I got something nicer - and I have been waiting for another case to arrive - but in the meantime I've learned that the Apple case is pretty decent. I can't imagine any other case to be slimmer - and that has become the major appeal of the ipad for me - it is so slim that I can throw it in any bag and hardly notice it. The cover also covers the screen adequately for me to feel comfortable tossing it in my backpack - and folds back out of the way unobtrusively when I'm using it.

If you have any desire to write or take hand-written notes, do re-consider a stylus. Many note taking apps have palm detection that works remarkably well - and with the best of them it is approaching pen on paper. All of them have a bit of a learning curve - but there are some good ones (unfortunately a lot more bad ones). I like my Targus stylus which appears to be a common design - I believe the Boxwave uses the same tip, among others.