iPad accessories should be on the top of your shopping list if you’re in line to snap up one of the very first iPads in the world this weekend. Apple’s got a line up of own brand add ons, from memory card readers to QWERTY keyboard docks, but there’s plenty more besides from iPad accessory cobblers the world over.
Whether you plan on watching movies, reading books or using the iPad as a virtual easel, there are heaps of must have peripherals to snap up, and we’ve got the very best iPad accessories rounded up right here.
Pogo Stylus
Apple’s love for finger friendly capacitive touchscreens continues with the iPad, and it means that most straight up plastic stylus sticks won’t work for tapping around online with your gloves on. Not quite all though: the Pogo Stylus is a specialised doohicky that works with the iPhone and iPod touch, and is even endorsed by Apple as an accessibility tool. It’ll work fine with the iPad, and will make drawing on the 9.7-inch screen simpler than a meerkat in a smoking jacket, making it the most essential of iPad accessories for budding digital artists. It’s out now, and a steal for £6.95 on Amazon.co.uk.
Scosche kickBACK stand
It’s not quite out yet (We’re told it’s due in the Spring) but the Scosche kickBACK stand could be worth holding out a few more weeks for. Its genius lies in the hinge design, which can be used in two ways, to angle your iPad perfectly for typing, or flipped round and elevated much higher for watching movies. It’s made of a polycarbonate and rubber mix which should stand plenty of knocks too, though we can’t vouch for the iPad itself in clashes with the concrete.
iPad UK price leaked by Play.com?
Fame Gaga Decal for iPadWant to customise your iPad without scarring that beautiful metal back permanently? Try a decal sticker instead. Gadget and game obsessed popstar Lady Gaga is seen adorning this here iPad: slap it on your tablet, and you’ll actually have something you’ll be able to take your eyes off her Telephone video for. It’s yours now for $15.99 (£10.50).
Griffin Elan Passport and Sleeve
While Apple’s own fold out case looks like a useful and cheap way to prop your iPad up for typing without the clutter of a keyboard dock, we love the design of Griffin‘s iPad sleeves much better. The fold out Elan Passport will give you much more kudos when you pull your iPad out in the boardroom to read out the latest figures, while the Elan Sleeve comes with a lid that folds over the top, which should give your iPad more safety when stashed in your backpack. Both are coming soon, but since the official case isn’t out just yet either, it might be worth hanging on.
iPhone and iPod touch
They may not seem like the most obvious of iPad accessories (You can’t plug them in for 3G tethering) but game developers will soon be using them in a whole new way. The Scrabble iPad app, for instance, will work with a complementary iPhone app called Tile Rack, which lets you view your letters on your handset’s screen, then flick them onto the iPad and into play. The possibilities here are limitless: we can’t wait for a poker iPad and iPhone combo.
