Apple's iPad Case: The Forever Wait. Alternate sought.

[tlv.in10]

Tooled around iLounge and other places and settled on 2 options:

Apple's iPad Case + Power Support Crystal Film; or,
Incipio Feather + Power Support Crystal Film.

Ordered the Apple case, together with the iPad itself. The iPad's here a week; the case is on back-order and three weeks away.

Ready to kill the Apple order and get the Feather instead. I travel and write about it, so I'm looking for anti-scratch protection for those many cafe-table-top sessions of pounding out pages in Pages. The Feather's got great reviews.

(It's the sleekness I'm looking most to retain. Otherwise I'd go to Best Buy and pick up some big, padded and zippered thing.)

But a colleague is talking me into waiting for the Apple Case and laying on some kind of shield instead. (On the iPad's sleek metallic back, that is.) This is her plan while she waits for her Apple case. She's recommending some kind of 'skin', (http://www.sgpstore.com/product_info.php/products_id/1321), but the reviews look awful.

I'm grateful for your view.

 

[Type X]

I'd wait for the case.
Luckily my friend hooked up the case because he works at Apple, but i didnt even know it was hard to get lol
He pulled it out of the back and my gf loves it

I'd wait.

 

[sracer]

The Macally Bookstand is a comparable (functionally/physically speaking) alternative to the Apple case. They are easier to find in stock, just do not buy it directly from Macally's website.

I have both and after spending extensive time with each, I prefer the Macally.

 

[$MacUser$]

If typing is your goal, you may want to consider a folio case that gives you a good angle like the Apple case. Indeed, I'd say that angle is almost mandatory if you want to be banging out pages.

The YooBao ones are great, and serve the same function as the Apple case. It's $40 for leather, and $28 for synthetic "veggie" leather.

Here's a link to the veggie leather one: Folio Case

The pictures in the above link are actually of the leather version (with a courser grain), except the image of him holding the flap with the finger-printed screen...that would be the veggie (and smoother grain). The veggie can be had with the pictured white stitching, or black on black...whereas the leather is black/white or tan/white only.

The preferred seller of the leather version is out of stock until next week, but I can get you his contact info if you'd like it.

One thing to bear in mind about the Apple case is it's impossible to keep clean. It gathers dust and nastiness as if it were designed to do so...even if you baby it. It looks disgusting after a week or so of regular use.

 

[tlv.in10]

Thanks all-

Thanks for the terrific feedback.

TypeX, I'd like to wait, but travel and job say otherwise. I'm kind of loathe to buy some interim thing that will sit in a drawer until I throw it out. Glad, tho, that you're liking yours (you + your gf.) This case prob aside, I noticed the d300 mentioned in your profile. Any thoughts about quick image-editing (raw) on the iPad? So many of the photo editing apps fall short. It'd be great to shoot, upload, quick-edit and send to my editor while traveling. If you've found something out there, I'm grateful for your view-

sracer + $MacUser$, thanks for these refs. Macally does make decent stuff. Also the Veg Folio case is a decent option.

Thanks again. Much appreciated.

Best to each of you for the weekend.

 

[gigaguy]

I personally love my sgp carbon skin, so sleek. it protects the alum back when you don't want a case on, say at home. I also put a Power Support antiglare on the glass. I have the Apple Case and I had the Macally Bookstand.
All excellent choices IMO.

2-minor cosmetic issues-
the original Macally Bookstand was light gray and would get too dirty- sold it, and just ordered the new BLACK Macally Bookstand - yes.
I really like the Apple branded case too, only problem is it gets dirty too and starts getting shabby, but you can clean it. it's a felted rubber kinda like those higher quality canvas rubber air mattresses..
Overall the Apple is more protective and secure.
The Macally is more rich looking, esp in black. the gray one felt like a fluffy suede with a real leather strap that holds it secure in stand mode.
but I love the THIN factor on both the most, apple's is thinnest.
good luck.

 

[peapody]

Is the apple case that good? Seems just like any other case, and there are plenty of options out there.