Look at Apple’s iPad ads and you’ll see a device that is always being used in a casual manner; sitting on someone’s lap with their feet up, curled up on a couch, or hiding in a stairwell. No one’s typing away at a desk or using it to give a presentation, or with a camera. If you’re looking to extend the iPad to do some of the basic things a personal computer can do, if you’re hoping to include a little bit of work, then you’ll need to invest in a few accessories, something Apple has quite a few of.

 

iPad Dock

$35 

The idea here is to offer an iPad-friendly replacement for the iPhone or iPod dock you may have purchased previously. This is merely a wider version of the original dock, with the same 30-pin connector for use with all the current i-Products. It has an audio-out port that you can use to run a cable to a pair of speakers or sound system so you can use your iPad as a music station.

As a stand it fails to really support the iPad’s “magic”. It can only hold the iPad up in portrait mode, fine if you’re just listening to your music, but it misses out on all the enhancements that most iPads apps have in landscape mode. Photos, videos, and apps that present visual information well such as Weather HD and Bloomberg are at their best in landscape mode, same with Mail and Calendar which switch to a better view when the iPad is on its side. That’s the kind of use you’d expect Apple to promote, but here they’ve missed it. Verdict - Not very useful.

Apple iPad Case

$45 

One of the best cases on the market, Apple’s iPad case may not seem like much a first, a wonky piece of black microfiber adorned with flaps, but once you work out how to slide the iPad into its pocket and tuck in the right flaps, it makes for a very light, durable, and attractive case.

Holes are perfectly positioned for access to all the right buttons, including the Home Button which many cases have a hard time with. Once the material is worked in the cover rests nicely over the iPad like a book, but still retains its rigidity and folds when you need to bend it back and tuck it into a hidden pocket to create a stand, both for landscape and portrait mode.

As a stand it works well for displaying photos and videos, but as a typing riser I find it doesn’t offer a steep enough of an incline to make a dramatic difference. Apple’s iPad case is a very comfortable jacket, protector, and multimedia support, but typists look for help would do better to look for another solution. Verdict - Grab it.

Apple Wireless Keyboard

$69 ($79 with Dock) 

Here Apple has taken the wireless keyboard they’ve offered previously for their Macs and have tweaked and improved it for use with the iPad. It now runs off of just two AA batteries and includes key commands that launch specific features when used with an iPad.

There are two models now, the basic wireless one and a second that combines the iPad Dock into the design. While this removes the need for a wireless signal, it limits your typing to portrait mode only. Better to use the wireless model and explore other stand types.

Apple’s keyboard offer a comfortable layout with clearly defined keys and typing action that will deliver for those who prefer using raised keys or who like to really feel the action of their presses. Like many portable keyboards it lack a numeric keypad, but includes power-saving features that guides it to power down when not in use and quickly wake up the moment you start typing, something it does better than most products with a sleep mode.

As with other Apple peripherals, the Bluetooth is simple to set-up and the aluminum keeps it both lightweight and durable for travel. The back stand, which gives it its typing incline, includes a power button to better conserve on power.

Note: There are a number of companies offering Bluetooth keyboards, many that are compatible with the iPad, but make sure to watch for models that require USB receivers, something the iPad can’t connect with. Verdict - Grab it.

iPad Camera Connection Kit

$35 

One of the iPad’s weaknesses is its lack of a USB port. Apparently its simplistic design and esthetic doesn’t allow for even one and so if you’re looking to use your iPad on vacation to review the day’s photos on a better screen, you’ll need to buy this kit.

There are two adaptors included. One to accept SD memory cards another to allow transfers from a camera through a USB cable.

That the first one can only accept SD memory cards is surprising. Most computers and accessories with memory card slots include 5-in-1 versions that support a variety of formats. Yes, SD memory cards are the most common format for digital cameras and that might fit with Apple’s philosophy of economical use, but they’re not used by cellphones and so Apple has ignored the most common travel camera, the cameraphone.

The second adaptor adds a USB port, but only for a very limited range of camera products. You can connect a standard digital camera or a pocket camcorder like the Flip, but anything outside of that range will result in either a message declaring it incompatible or using too much power.

In both cases, when you connect your devices to the iPad it will create a virtual contact sheet filled with thumbnails of all the included photos and from there you can simply touch the ones you want to transfer over. Verdict - Not very useful

iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter

$35 

Despite the name you don’t need a dock to use this accessory. The idea here is to connect your iPad to a projector or external monitor for use in delivering presentations. It won’t display the iPad’s menu or any aspect of its operating system, instead it’s limited to use to only the very few apps that support it – Video, Photo, and Keynote. You can use it to run presentations, photos, and even videos (no sound) and that’s it. The cable will output the signal to the display as best as it can, if it doesn’t quite match up to the resolution of the projector or monitor, there’s no iPad controls to make any adjustment to the output signal, instead all of the tweaks you’ll need to do will be from the display.

Verdict - Not very useful 

Apple iPad 10W USB Power Adapter

$35 

Is the iPad a laptop or an iPhone? Well, in power it’s a bit of both. Like an iPhone it can be charged using a USB connection with your computer or with a USB wall charger, but, like a laptop its power needs are greater and so if you use a 10W power cable instead, the charge time is greatly reduced.

Basically this kit it two products in one. It’s the USB wall charger familiar to iPod Touch and iPhone users packaged with the power cable familiar to MacBook users. You simply remove the outlet prongs from the wall charger and connect the power cable in its place. The power cable itself is six feet, the USB cable can then be added to extend that even farther. Basically, if you arrive somewhere to give a presentation and you’re iPad’s battery is low, you need this. Verdict - Grab it.

Apple Component And Composite AV Cable Kits

$55 

While designed with the iPod Touch and iPhone in mind, these cable kits will also connect and play content from your iPad onto your television in the exact same manner. Use it to watch video content, play music, or even run a photo slideshow. The composite kit is for older-style televisions (red, yellow, white connections) while the component is for HDTVs (red, green, blue, red, white connections). Both make it easy to fill your iPad with movies and TV show and take it over to a friend’s house to watch them on their big screen there. Verdict - Grab it.

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