We’re on the home run now and all the rumours will soon be exposed. The shiny one pound coin I bet on the new device being called iPad HD has been under threat all weekend. First boxes marked “iPad 3” were uncovered at Best Buy; but today everyone seems to have the idea that HD is the obvious name.
So I’m feeling a bit more confidence in my wager. I really hope the new tablet is called iPad HD because it is so logical and will sell the concept of the “retina display” to the general public. Outside the tech world, retina display doesn’t mean a great deal. But HD does and I think the buying public will respond. It will place a clear marker between the (continuing) iPad 2 and the new device.
Covering the bets
For me, though, one of the most exciting rumours, though, centres on a new smart cover combining a rear clip-on protector. This is something I will definitely buy. I love the Smart Cover, but do not like the way it leaves the back and edges of the iPad unprotected. I have always used a plastic rear cover and find it essential.
Latterly I have been using an excellent and cheap product, the iFrogz iPad 2 Backbone. It cost me only £15 and is far superior to the shoddy Belkin Snapshield which I reviewed last June. I had two main gripes with the Belkin: there was no opening for the SIM card slot which meant removing the case frequently when travelling. Worse, the opaque non-slip covering chipped off after a few weeks and looked unsightly.
The iFrogz, in contrast, does have a SIM hole and there have been no problems with the quality of the plastic. Interestingly, I have dropped the iPad several times when in clumsy mode, and one corner if the iFrogz case has chipped off. Another is slightly damaged. But the important thing is that the iPad itself is unblemished, so the case has done its job and has more than paid for itself. Since it is unobtrusive it complements the Smart Cover to provide a very thin and convenient protector.
If Apple come up with a combination of back protector and Smart Cover, perhaps with the back having a matching leather finish, I shall be first in the queue. It sounds like a brilliant idea.