Not much to add here – many argue that the Kindle program is struggling and this TV ad just reinforces the thesis. The video features a relaxed attractive female sunbathing next to a pool and reading on her device while a frustrated male sits next to her, holds an iPad and is unable to read due to sun glare.
The dialog goes like this:
Guy: Excause me, how are you reading that in this light.
Girl: It’s a kindle, $139. I actualy paid more for these sunglasses.
Not sure if this will help Bezos and his crew, but hey they gotta do something… One thing is for certain, the video got almost one million hits on youtube (while four previous ads got less than 300k views in ~4 months) – yet another proof that the iPad is popular and attracts attention.
It has been less than six months since the release of the iPad and the marketplace is already saturated with probably hundreds of different accessories for the device. Needless to say, aside from several Apple designed products the rest of the offering is a hit/miss adventure.
Now moving onto the case issue – I have (just like most of you) purchased the genuine case (Apple Store Link) – I liked it in the beginning, yet after several weeks of use the wear/tear because noticeable and my love with the product started to vain (see the user comments at the Apple site – most complaints are directed towards quick material wear and noticeable degradation of the visual appeal after moderate and short use).
Enter the ACASE (link below)…
(Click to Enlarge)
I’ve got the product via Amazon (around $25 shipped via Amazon Prime) – and I have been super happy with the product (this ain’t Orbino Padova though).
Here is my take on Pros/Cons:
PROs:
- The ability to snap the case close (very helpful to avoid it accidently opening while in transit).
- The stand functionality
- The overall protection provided to the iPad is very good with good padding.
- Solid and strong physical build (see a Con on the material)
- Four different angles to open up the case
- Easy to take the iPad out (and to put it in)
- Horizontal/Vertical Stand Position
Cons:
- Misleading advertising (Touted as a “Leather” product – yet, it’s a synthetic leather product – or as the advertiser notes a “Real leather-like” product)
- Thicker than the Apple case (~1/8 in thicker)
Amazon, the leading online books merchant is trailing behind Barnes&Noble on this one. Amazon will be releasing a Kindle app for iPad that will let you read your precious digital books and keep progress and notes in sync. Here is Amazon’s tag line:
Tablet computers, including the iPad, are coming and with our free app you’ll be able to read more than 450,000* Kindle books. Like all Kindle apps, Kindle for tablet computers will include Whispersync technology, which automatically synchronizes y9our last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights across your Kindle and Kindle compatible devices including PC, Mac, iPhone and BlackBerry. *If you are a non-U.S. customer, book availability may vary.
See the announcement on Amazon’s Kindle page here!
Some of the iPad accessories initialy announced by Apple will not be imediately avaliable on 4/3 when the first unit ship. The iPad USB Power adapter, keyboard dock and camera connection kit are not currently available for purchase via apple.com – I can hardly see this becoming a decision factor for any potential buyer – yet, some folks may be disapointed for a month or two… On the other hand check out Amazon store as it currently offers a inexpensive (yet generic) iPad USB charger for less than ten bucks… Click on the similar products link and you’ll be able to see a slew of relating products, some of the accessories are even already refurbished…
This kind of brings me to another point here – it’s amazing how many Amazon sellers are already offering iPad related accessories and jockeying for a slice of a huge Amazon iPad accessories pie that is to be sliced pretty soon… Folks are already selling bags, screen protectors, sleeves, cables, chargers, and god knows what – even though not a single iPad unit has been shipped (what’s even more interesting is that most of the items are on sale with discounts of over 30% – I certainly did not expect such an early discounted and even refurbished product offering). Yet – such a quick accessory offering growth (even though discounted) is, in my eyes, an early indication that the markeplace has awarded it’s approval and acceptance to the upcoming device.
It’s a late night post – gotta appreciate the displayed boundless creativity here. Anyhow, Amazon has this lovely waterproof iPad bag on sale (25% discount) – so if you plan going snorkeling with your new shiny iPad hit the Amazon store here.
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