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Apple iPad accessories hands-on / micro-review
We've taken an in-depth and thorough look at the iPad, but we wanted to spend a little time with some of Apple's official accessories the company handed out with review units. There's nothing crazy here, but we did make some interesting observations about add-ons for the iPad, so join us for a phantasmagorical peek inside the world of fantabulous tablet accessamifyin'. %Gallery-89690%
iPad Camera Connection Kit available for order, shipping in late April
Many people making pre-orders or reservations for iPads were concerned when the iPad Camera Connection Kit didn't show up on the Apple site as available for order. Never fear, for the the US$29 kit is now listed on Apple's website as shipping in late April. No explanation was given for the absence of the Camera Connection Kit in the original list of iPad accessories, although the company may have held back the SD and USB connectors that make up the kit for component quality testing. Among the other accessories for the iPad, the VGA Adapter and Standard Dock will be available on April 3rd and the iPad case is scheduled for mid-April. The Keyboard Dock is showing late April availability, while the iPad 10W USB Power Adapters won't make it to your home or office until sometime in May. [via MacRumors]
NPR and WSJ building 'Flash-free' pages for iPad, Apple quietly delays select iPad accessories
For awhile, we couldn't decide what we were more angry at: the fact that select devices wouldn't support Flash, or that Flash was simply too demanding on select devices. We still can't say with any degree of certainty which side of the fence we're on, but there's no question that Apple's refusal to play nice with Adobe on the iPhone, iPod touch and forthcoming iPad limits the abilities of those devices significantly. Curiously enough, it seems that Apple's importance in the mobile (and media delivery) realm is coercing select portals to develop Flash-free websites for those who drop by on an iDevice. Both the National Public Radio and the Wall Street Journal are furiously working on iPad-friendly websites, which will be devoid of Flash for at least the first few pages down. What's interesting is that we get the impression that this will soon become the rule rather than the exception, and it could be exactly what's needed to launch HTML5 into stardom and put these Flash or no Flash debates behind us. In related news, we're also seeing that a couple of iPad accessories won't actually be ready to ship when the device itself cuts loose on April 3rd. Yesterday, the iPad Keyboard Dock was listed with a "May" ship date, though today it has moved up to a marginally more palatable "Late April." The iPad 10W USB Power Adapter also carries a "May" date, while the iPad Case is slated for "Mid April" and that elusive camera connection kit is still nowhere to be found. But hey, at least you'll get your (overpriced) iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter and iPad dock by the first weekend of next month, right?
Apple's iPad keyboard dock, case and other accessories get the hands-on treatment
Apple didn't give us a great amount of time with its newly unveiled iPad today, and as you've likely seen, we spent the bulk of our allotment touching the unit itself. Lost in the proverbial shuffle were a number of the unit's launch accessories, including the admittedly intriguing keyboard dock ($69), case ($39), iPad Dock Connector to VGA adapter ($29) and camera connection kit ($29). Each of these doodads seem to look and feel exactly as you'd expect 'em to, though we're still baffled by Apple's decision to make you pay extra for access to the world's most widely accepted connector. We're also somewhat appalled (but not surprised) by the $39 price tag purportedly attached to the stripped-down case, and while the $69 MSRP on the keyboard dock is apt to cause some grumbling, at least there are a few iPad-specific keys on there to make it (marginally) worth your while. Dig in below for more on each. Read - iPad keyboard dock hands-on Read - iPad case hands-on Read - iPad Dock Connector to VGA adapter hands-on Read - iPad camera connection kit hands-on
