Marianne Schultz

the musings of a geeky girl

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Review of the DODOcase for iPad

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On the day before the iPad was released in the U.S., I placed an order for a DODOcase for my soon-to-arrive iPad. I was attracted to these cases because they look just like Moleskine notebooks and I wanted a case that would both protect and “camouflage” my iPad for use in public and the DODOcase looked like it would be perfect. I received the case just over a week ago and have been using it regularly and I love it, though I do have a couple of minor issues with it. Read my full review of the DODOcase to find out the details and see up-close-and-personal pictures of it in action.

First Look: DODOcase for iPad

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If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw that I talked about ordering a DODOcase case for my iPad on the day before the iPad was released. I love the look of Moleskine notebooks and wanted at least one case for my iPad that provided a bit of camouflage while using it in public. The DODOcase fit the bill and I placed my order right away. It arrived today (well within the 4-6 week delivery window) and I’m just starting to use it and wanted to post a quick video of it to start off. I will write a full review of it after I spend some time using it regularly.

My first impressions:
  • The case is well-made and doesn’t feel flimsy at all.
  • It fits the iPad very well and the pictures and description of it at Dodocase.com are accurate.
  • It makes my iPad look like a large Moleskine notebook from afar (or even up close if someone doesn’t look closely at the edges to see the cut-outs and the sides of the iPad), which is exactly what I was hoping for.
  • My only durability concern revolves around the four foam pieces in each corner. These serve to hold the iPad in place and they could compress over time and fail to hold the iPad in securely enough. I won’t hazard a guess at how long they’ll hold up, but I’m not extremely worried about them now.
Here’s my first impressions video of the DODOcase for iPad:
The DODOcase costs $49.95 and can be found at the company’s site here.
Questions? Anything specific you want me to cover in my review? Comment on this blog post or send me an email at marianne at macgirl dot net.
DISCLOSURE: I purchased this case with my own money – it was not sent to me as a review unit.

iPad: The Final Countdown

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WOO HOO! Only a 47 hours, 43 minutes, and 10 seconds until the iPad is released! I will be at my local Apple Store bright and early on April 3 to pick up my pre-ordered iPad. I think I’m going to shoot for being in line at 7:00 am or so to ensure I’m somewhere close to the front of the line and can get in and out quickly to get home and play with it as quickly as possible.

Of course, reviews by the big tech journalists are out now and I find it odd that they really didn’t seem to tell me anything I didn’t already know about the iPad from the initial announcement or the new guided tour videos Apple put up. None of them have changed my mind about getting one – not that any were overly negative anyway and I doubt that even terrible reviews could have changed my mind.

I’m still keeping an eye out for promising iPad cases and have found a few more that are intriguing. Among them is a case by TwelveSouth that should look like this case they make for the MacBook Pro – I’m hoping it will be a play-through case for the iPad. I also like the Wallet and Clutch cases planned by Happy Owl, though I would prefer just a simple notepad slot on the other side instead of an accordion pocket. There is a fantastic thread over at MacRumors.com that lists all case and iPad accessories on the horizon, which is where I found out about these two.
Also, Vaja is coming out with iPad cases as well, god bless their little hearts. I have always been a sucker for their cases (see my reviews of a couple of their iPhone cases here and here). Vaja has indulged me by putting out some of their iVolution cases for the iPad, but I’m waiting for one that opens like a book. Well, I’ll hold off for as long as I can, anyway.
The New York Times mentioned that Amazon is working on a Kindle app for the iPad (here’s the article I wrote about it on MacRumors.com). I think this is great news. As an avid reader who absolutely loves ebooks, I’m anxious to see Apple’s own iBooks app plus any other iPad app that makes it easy to browse and buy ebooks. While it still remains to be seen, I don’t think that Amazon will be able to include the ability to directly purchase ebooks in their app since this would allow it to compete directly with Apple’s own upcoming ebook store. Apple hasn’t allowed any app that allows you to purchase and download media directly to your iPhone (though streaming doesn’t seem to be an issue, as found in Pandora, Sirius XM, eyeTV, and others) and I don’t see any change to their general rule to prevent “duplication of functionality.”
iPad apps are already showing up in the App Store database – you can see some of them at AppShopper.com here.
Crap. That reminds me. I think I need to stock up on some iTunes gift cards (ideally purchased at a discount somehow) to help defray the costs I will inevitably incur this weekend downloading iPad-specific apps. Costco, here I come!

iPad accessories: Cloak case by Quirky

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Yesterday I mentioned that I could envision having 2 cases for my iPad – one silicone skin-type case without a cover for reading and other casual use around home and another one with a cover to protect it while I’m traveling with it. For the latter, I’ve come across one contender so far – the Cloak by Quirky.

Quirky is unique company that accepts product ideas from anyone and provides a process and method for the Quirky community to refine the ideas and bring them to production. Those who influence the product as it’s being developed earn credit to be applied to purchasing Quirky products. I’m not extremely active with Quirky in influencing product ideas but I have purchased two of their products so far: the PowerCurl, which is a power cord manager for Mac portables, and the Beamer, which is an iPhone case with a built-in flash/light (this case is still in production and I haven’t received it yet). The PowerCurl has made the short list as permanent staple in my gear bag to complement my MacBook Air and I’m working on a full review of it.
For full disclosure, if you buy these any of these products through these links I’ve given in this post, I earn credit with Quirky.
The Cloak is a hard rubberized folio-type case for the iPad. When closed, it will encase the iPad while still leaving the ports accessible. The front cover can be flipped around the back and has a pop-out stand so that the iPad can be propped up vertically on a table. The front cover also acts as a stand for the iPad in landscape orientation, using a neat locking mechanism to secure it at the desired angle. The Cloak will come in different colors – so far it looks like it will come in black, blue, olive, and pink.
If you commit to buying the Cloak now during the pre-sale period (you won’t be charged until it ships), it costs $36, and the price goes up to $42 once enough purchase commitments have been made to make it out of the pre-sale period. If you’re looking for a unique case for your iPad that offers good protection and flexibility, check out the Cloak. I’m thinking a black one is now on my shopping list…
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