My Three Favorite iPad Accessories

I am a huge Apple fanboy. I shamelessly love all things Apple. This holds true for my iPad, which is possibly the greatest device of all time for consuming media. Before the iPad, there was print, there was TV, there was film...each medium had it's own niche. Not any more. Steve invented the iPad and it became  the great equalizer. Now the Wall Street Journal competes with Netflix and HBO Go and Zite and the NewYork Times and Lady Gaga and electronic books...all on one device. It's simply amazing.

The iPad really shines when you travel. All of your favorite books, newspapers, films, TV shows and music are contained in a single piece of hardware. It sure makes traveling easy. The first thing I reach for when I travel is my iPad carrying case.

My case of choice is a Belkin Grip Sleeve. It's padded, made of neoprene and has a reinforced panel that protects the screen. It has a large pocket on the side which I use to hold my portable easel and charger. The case sells for $14.95 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F8N278tt091-Grip-Sleeve-iPad2/dp/B003CFB19Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326045268&sr=8-1

My portable easel of choice is the Compass stand from Twelve South. This is a piece of art that is also a marvel of engineering. It folds down into a small little package: 7" long by 1" wide and 3/8" deep. When used as an easel, like the photo above, it makes it easy to read books and watch movies in either landscape or portrait mode. The Compass also has a small fold-away secondary leg (visible on the middle leg in the above photo) which transforms the product from easel to portable workstation. It elevates the rear of the iPad by 1 1/2 inches and makes it incredibly comfortable for typing. The Compass retails for $39.99 and you can check it out here: http://twelvesouth.com/products/compass/

My very favorite iPad accessory are the Bower & Wilkins P5 headphones. For anyone who has tried to watch a movie on a plane with earbuds, they simply don't work. They let in way too much outside noise. The P5's fit over the ears and isolate the listener from the environment. The padded headband and ear cups are made from New Zealand sheep leather...quite possibly the softest leather I have ever felt. The sound is absolutely astounding. When I listen to my music with these headphones, I hear instruments and sounds that I never knew existed on the recordings. These are amazing headphones...the most amazing I have ever used. But you don't have to take my word for it....go to an Apple store and try them out. You'll be blown away. The Bowers & Wilkins P5 headphones retail for $299:  http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Headphones/Headphones/P5/Overview.html