New to iPad ???

[mlktwins]

Well...the birthday fairy brought me my first iPad yesterday (I sure wish I could use the smilie function). What accessories do I want/need? I know I need a cover of some kind. Anything in particular I should be looking for?

[Jann in TX]

Welcome to the club!

 

I love my car usb charger. I suggest purchasing a second charging cord-- so you can leave one at your computer or home charging area and have one for the car.

 

I think a case is a personal choice. I had a leather case (red) with my first Ipad. I loved it. I have the Ipad4 now and I have 2 cases-- the I-case (red) it is thin and I don't like the way the cover 'flaps' when you hold the Ipad flat... DH got me a 'Clam Case' ($$$ white) for my birthday last week. It has a built in keyboard but is HEAVY-- It does make the Ipad look like a mini-laptop though. I'll be blogging while on my trip (Uganda for a whole month!) so the Clam Case will be very nice to have.

 

If you will be doing a lot of typing then invest in a keyboard case. If not then I just like the feel of the leather ones... I suggest going to several stores (Apple Store, Best Buy...) and holding the cases to get an idea of what you want.

 

Have fun!

[Mom in High Heels]

Get a cover that has a back on it! Is yours an iPad or an iPad mini? I have this one, and yes, I have it in lime green. My Kindle is in a dark cover and I'm constantly losing it! I think they make a version for the regular iPad if that's what you have. You definitely want to get a screen protector! I got an awesome one from Armor Suit. It was more expensive than a lot of the others, but worth it IMO. I don't have a car charger, but if I used it for my GPS (I have GPS in my car), I can see getting one. If you will type a lot, you may want to get a keyboard, but if not, I'd skip it. You might consider getting a stylus. It will help keep fingerprints off the screen. The fingerprints make me nuts!

 

Enjoy your iPad and make sure you download Sudoku (if you play) and 4 pics 1 word. Both fun and good for your brain!

[mlktwins]

Welcome to the club!

 

I love my car usb charger. I suggest purchasing a second charging cord-- so you can leave one at your computer or home charging area and have one for the car.

 

I think a case is a personal choice. I had a leather case (red) with my first Ipad. I loved it. I have the Ipad4 now and I have 2 cases-- the I-case (red) it is thin and I don't like the way the cover 'flaps' when you hold the Ipad flat... DH got me a 'Clam Case' ($$$ white) for my birthday last week. It has a built in keyboard but is HEAVY-- It does make the Ipad look like a mini-laptop though. I'll be blogging while on my trip (Uganda for a whole month!) so the Clam Case will be very nice to have.

 

If you will be doing a lot of typing then invest in a keyboard case. If not then I just like the feel of the leather ones... I suggest going to several stores (Apple Store, Best Buy...) and holding the cases to get an idea of what you want.

 

Have fun!

 

Thanks so much! I have the Ipad4. I still love my laptop for heavy typing, but wanted to be more mobile for checking email, etc. and get educational apps for the boys. I don't have an Iphone yet -- I'm still using my dumb phone. An Iphone is next on my list :-).

 

I think I'll looking the leather cases. I want to easily be able to stick it in my purse or backpack.

 

Have a wonderful time on your trip. Sounds wonderful!!!

[mlktwins]

Get a cover that has a back on it! Is yours an iPad or an iPad mini? I have this one, and yes, I have it in lime green. My Kindle is in a dark cover and I'm constantly losing it! I think they make a version for the regular iPad if that's what you have. You definitely want to get a screen protector! I got an awesome one from Armor Suit. It was more expensive than a lot of the others, but worth it IMO. I don't have a car charger, but if I used it for my GPS (I have GPS in my car), I can see getting one. If you will type a lot, you may want to get a keyboard, but if not, I'd skip it. You might consider getting a stylus. It will help keep fingerprints off the screen. The fingerprints make me nuts!

 

Enjoy your iPad and make sure you download Sudoku (if you play) and 4 pics 1 word. Both fun and good for your brain!

 

I had the Ipad. I was looking at screen protectors today, but I really like the one you linked. Will have to show hubby! I have GPS in my van and don't travel a lot. When I do travel with the family, I'm the driver. Will put the car charger on the maybe list for later on.

 

Thanks so much!

[Alte Veste Academy]

OK, this cover costs a small fortune, but I LOVE it! It is so pretty. I got the distressed leather and it's been very durable so far, as it gets thrown into my purse, bags, etc. You can leave the keyboard in or out (heavier with but laptop functionality, lighter without for portability). The keyboard is magnetic and adjustable and has been a breeze to use.

 

http://www.brookstone.com/bluetooth-keyboard-pro-case-for-ipad?catId=L3_iPadCase%7CL2_AppleAccess%7CL1_Electronics

 

You will also need to bookmark this thread so you can use smileys. :D

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/471104-emoticons-smileys-on-mobile/page__hl__+ipad%20+emoticons#entry4937086

[happypamama]

Congrats and happy birthday! I love my iPad so very much; I forget how I functioned without it.

 

I have a long charging cord (6 feet), which is really nice for charging it while sitting in my rocking chair. I also have a screen protector that is immensely helpful, especially with children. I've had no problems with the protector interfering with sensitivity or anything; mostly I forget it's even there. I also like having a stylus for it, and the super cheap ones have worked fine for me. I do have a card reader that plugs into the iPad so I can download my camera card; I don't use that very often, because I only have a 16G iPad and don't want to use up its space with pictures, but it is occasionally useful.

 

If you can swing it, I would get the cover that has a keyboard. This is what really takes the iPad from "nice toy" to "super, super useful" for me, because it functions either as a tablet or as a small laptop. Even with the keyboard cover, I don't really find it cumbersome to lug around.

 

Have fun exploring apps! There are lots of threads on here with suggestions, but I seriously love Notability and am also looking forward to using HomeschoolHelper next school year.