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MacAlly Bookstand for iPad: Short Review and *PICS*

Z3roG33k said:
The night of 4/22, I was reading this thread and finally made my iPad case decision. As most of us know, finding one proved harder than expected. Late that night (0022 the next morning), I found that the MacAlly site was claiming to have stock. I am not fond of the extra $$ usually charged when dealing directly with the manufacturer, but decided that the reviews were amazing and I really wanted the product.
That night, I got another email from MacAlly, actually from iUnitek store (assume that is the name of their retail portion?) informing me that they were out of stock and didn't expect my item to ship until mid May. As everyone else also appeared to be out of stock, I just bit my lip and hoped for the best.

Reading this thread last night, I saw that people were getting shipping units from J&R (whom I have done much business with in the past). They were MUCH less expensive than what I had paid, so I placed the order :)

This morning (MacAlly/iUnitek doesn't take calls outside normal business hours), I called to try canceling my order (they also don't seem to make this available to do via the web). After 58minutes listening to alternating ringing phones and the prompt tree recording, and talking to 1 person for ~2minutes (who couldn't help me and placed me back into the ringing hold line), I was hung up on!

I have sent an email to the addresses I could find for both MacAlly and iUnitek requesting that my order be cancelled and an email confirmation be sent no later than the end of business today.

I just hope that my experience with the product is not the same as my experience dealing - or trying to - directly with the company.....
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A quick follow up to this...
I got email from iUnitek @ 1241 PDT apologizing for my trouble and another at 1248 PDT indicating that my order has, indeed, been cancelled.

An interesting side note...
I got another email at 1317 from J&R indicating that the SAME CASE ordered from them has shipped!

J&R - FTW!
 
Z3roG33k said:
A quick follow up to this...
I got email from iUnitek @ 1241 PDT apologizing for my trouble and another at 1248 PDT indicating that my order has, indeed, been cancelled.

An interesting side note...
I got another email at 1317 from J&R indicating that the SAME CASE ordered from them has shipped!

J&R - FTW!
Click to expand...

Yeah, J&R shipped my order too. I cheaped out and chose ground shipping so it probably will not make it here (CA) by Friday.
 
Just got mine from Provantage today. My review is that it is ok. Not great, not bad, just ok. The microfiber sheds on the screen when closed but that will probably diminish. I like that I can see the whole iPad frame unlike with the apple case. It prevents dirt buildup that the apple case suffers from. The leather flap concept is ok but I prefer apples rear mounted clip method. I am a bit worried about dropping this in a bag as the bezel is pretty exposed and will probably get scratched. All in all though it is decent enough to keep using until something better comes along.
 
Got mine yesterday. Pretty nice. Although I'm very disappointed in the quality of the fake iPad that comes installed. Its hardly convincing. Most people will probably want to buy a real iPad as a result.
 
TNSF said:
Got mine yesterday. Pretty nice. Although I'm very disappointed in the quality of the fake iPad that comes installed. Its hardly convincing. Most people will probably want to buy a real iPad as a result.
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Maybe its just me, but pretty sure people who buy it already have the iPad, or at least have it on preorder... :D
 
Got mine yesterday too. I'm waiting for my iPad to arrive on Friday, and have avoided playing with an iPad until I get one.

First thing that struck me when I looked at the case: Geez, this thing is smaller than I expected!
 
chriswitt said:
Got mine yesterday too. I'm waiting for my iPad to arrive on Friday, and have avoided playing with an iPad until I get one.

First thing that struck me when I looked at the case: Geez, this thing is smaller than I expected!
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Same here. Even knowing the dimensions ahead of time it looked small. Still does.

Can't wait until there's something in it. Is it Friday yet? :D
 
Got mine yesterday. Love it, feel it's a brilliantly designed/engineered case, and the materials are certainly fine for this price point. Not really seeing the negatives others have pointed out, at least not seeing them as negatives. Love the microfiber material, don't feel the cover is too flimsy, no fitment/alignment issues. I have a BSE on the back and the corners do not snap all the way, but the thing is in pretty securely regardless.

The only issue I have is the latch part gets in the way of allowing the case to lie perfectly flat - it seems like they could have moved this piece up another half inch or so to alleviate. Minor annoyance, most of the time I want to use the iPad lying flat I'll be popping it out of the case, which only takes about 5 seconds...
 
TNSF said:
Got mine yesterday. Pretty nice. Although I'm very disappointed in the quality of the fake iPad that comes installed. Its hardly convincing. Most people will probably want to buy a real iPad as a result.
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Haha... I thought it was a nice addition to have that fake ipad come with it. It's a nice gag gift to give someone.
 
I just got mine from jr.com today. Even though it is not perfect, this is a great case for people that do not want to be using cases. It is very thin and can be taken in and out of the case easily. It is also very easy to type on it.

It's all personal preference, but i am going to be keeping this one over the apple case.
 
Ordered mine through amazon reseller last thurs and received it sat with normal shipping. i love amazon free shipping and fast.

i like the feel of the case, very soft and durable. haven't seen the apple one in person yet so couldn't compare but this one feels great.
 
Beau10 said:
Got mine yesterday. Love it, feel it's a brilliantly designed/engineered case, and the materials are certainly fine for this price point. Not really seeing the negatives others have pointed out, at least not seeing them as negatives. Love the microfiber material, don't feel the cover is too flimsy, no fitment/alignment issues. I have a BSE on the back and the corners do not snap all the way, but the thing is in pretty securely regardless.
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I agree 100%. It's smart, it works, and I have confidence that it will stay in good shape with daily usage. I think Macally hit a close to perfect balance with this case.

My only complaint would be the latch which doesn't secure the case snugly when on the move. However, as it was designed to be used for the stand position as well, it's a good tradeoff.
 
I ordered one a few days ago and looks to ship within a day or two.

I have a question for current owners... how easy is it to remove and reinsert the iPad into the case? I'll need to do that occasionally to use the keyboard dock.
 
sracer said:
I ordered one a few days ago and looks to ship within a day or two.

I have a question for current owners... how easy is it to remove and reinsert the iPad into the case? I'll need to do that occasionally to use the keyboard dock.
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It's a piece of cake.
 
Got mine yesterday. I've never been a big fan of cases, but this one is pretty nice. I don't even mind the little leather latch so much. And it definitely makes it much easier to carry the ipad around.
 
sorry I posted this elsewhere, but meant to put it here-

After having this case for almost a week, my synopsis -

PLUS - The suede feel is very, very nice, the back cover is done well too. does not add much bulk. case works well as a landscape stand, works well for carrying around....(when off and closed). Overall very nice looking, and low profile.

MINUS - The front flap structure and hinge material feels a little flimsy,
it is cumbersome when using it in handheld mode, the front cover moves around when folded over and the leather tab sticks out. Front cover does not fully cover iPad, there is a 1/8-1/4" gap.
The light grey cover is gonna get dirty. I'd like the black one better, (not avail in US).

To me, not worth retail price, but for my $29, it's okay, but I'm looking for a case that's better in handheld mode. I may have to go with a standless, frontless case.
 
Dont Order From Macmall

Don't order from MacMall - their site will say it's in-stock when it is not.

You've been warned.
 
To each his own i guess i ordered both my ipad and macally stand from them when they said in stock on the site and got them both 4 days later with standard shipping. That's a bummer I have never had a problem with them.
 
gmoney80 said:
To each his own i guess i ordered both my ipad and macally stand from them when they said in stock on the site and got them both 4 days later with standard shipping. That's a bummer I have never had a problem with them.
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It was a bummer. The thing that ticks me off is MacMall let me figure it out for myself. "In stock" when I placed the order. Then, no shipping notification. After two days, I go to their site and my order status is sitting there "backordered". WTF?
 
Lumpydog said:
It was a bummer. The thing that ticks me off is MacMall let me figure it out for myself. "In stock" when I placed the order. Then, no shipping notification. After two days, I go to their site and my order status is sitting there "backordered". WTF?
Click to expand...
MacMall isn't the only one. Macally site itself will allow you to merrily place an order (implying that it is in stock) only to leave you hanging wondering. I contacted them asking about the status of my order... they didn't have any in stock but would be having some available within a few days.
 
Wow!!
JR.com rocks. My order arrived today. That's 2 days from NY to WA for <$3!!

So far, i think the case is nice. Like others, i am a bit disappointed by the thinness of the cover, but the overall size of the case m ales the iPad look really nice. The angle that it sits at is great for all activities. It is sturdy if you tuck the "riser" under a bit like mentioned above.

My only complaint at this time is the leather tab. I guess i should have noticed it in the original pictures, and from a functionality POV, i get it... The tab tucks into the strap on the BACK of the closed case. This not only looks like you are holding it backwards, but makes for an akward placement when you set it down on a table.

For the record, the only other case i have been considering is the Marware Eco-Flip. I may still order that to compare and then sell the one i decide against here on the forum.
 
Finally caved... I ordered from J&R even though they are out of stock so mine should be shipping whenever they are back in.

One question and it might be obvious, does the front cover fold all the way over so that it is flat with the back piece? I'm thinking of the times when you want to play a game or lay the ipad flat against the table. I've read through the thread and either missed it or no one really said.
 
yes it lies flat, but shifts around cause the hinge is microfiber material. the leather tab also sticks out.
 
Received my case today (along with a Kensington sleeve!), just in time for my iPad 3G tomorrow :D

Its really nice. I like the soft material...less fuzzy than i expected, which is good. Haven't had a full test run but seems perfect for my needs- a horizontal and vertical stand that is easy to remove. I don't mind the grey color as much as I'd thought. Makes it different from all the black cases for everything.

Yes, the leather flap does stick out, put you can tuck it in if you want to. I prefer not to tuck it in, since that makes the back uneven, which bothers me more than the aesthetics of a stick-out tab. (and as i said earlier, this is basically just going to be for stand purposes/travel purposes.)
 
Soulcrux said:
Received my case today (along with a Kensington sleeve!), just in time for my iPad 3G tomorrow :D

Its really nice. I like the soft material...less fuzzy than i expected, which is good. Haven't had a full test run but seems perfect for my needs- a horizontal and vertical stand that is easy to remove. I don't mind the grey color as much as I'd thought. Makes it different from all the black cases for everything.

Yes, the leather flap does stick out, put you can tuck it in if you want to. I prefer not to tuck it in, since that makes the back uneven, which bothers me more than the aesthetics of a stick-out tab. (and as i said earlier, this is basically just going to be for stand purposes/travel purposes.)
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Can you tell us if the kensington sleeve will not fit if the macally cover is on. My hunch is it will never fit over the cover.
 
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