Everyone has a different use for their iPad, and often times accessorize accordingly. There are those that use their iPad outside and protect it with an Otterbox Defender case or the new Griffin Survivor case (coming soon). Music fans grab IK Multimedia’s iMic for recording vocals, iRig for guitar and combine with apps like GarageBand for a portable recording studio. For me, iPad is all about media. Apps like Hulu+, Netflix, Pandora and Plex Media Server allow me to watch and listen to my favorite movies, TV shows and music. So what accessories does an iPad media fan need?
While watching movies, I prefer to keep my iPad in landscape mode to maximize screen space. This means that most dock-able speaker systems won’t work as nearly all of them only allow for portrait mode. To get around this issue, I picked up a set of Bluetooth speakers. I went with the T12 from Creative which is a 2.0 speaker system that allows me to keep my iPad in landscape mode with an Apple Smart Cover. I place the speakers on either side and have a great sounding TV, cinema, and boom box experience.
The T12 speakers couldn’t be easier to setup—simply hold the pairing button and they will begin to blink, then find and pair them with the iPad under Bluetooth in Settings. Once connected, either the speakers or the iPad can control the Volume. Creative Labs also has two other Bluetooth systems that are worth checking out. One is portable for summer fun, and the other boasts higher quality audio, and looks great under an iMac.
When shopping for headphones, I ran into a similar issue. I use my iPad in the kitchen a lot, watching the Daily Show and Colbert Report at breakfast or Netflix during dinner. I found it was very hard—not to mention risky—to be at the stove while I was plugged into my iPad. To solve this problem, I purchased the Sony Bluetooth DR-BT101 headphones which allow for free movement around the kitchen while the iPad sits safely on the counter behind me. I also found these work well for when your roommate or spouse is asleep. These headphones allow me to pause, skip and adjust the volume from the headphones themselves. Sound quality is great, and the design doesn’t look like something out of a cheesy sci-fi movie. Now I’m free to rock around the kitchen while I cook—sorry, no pictures of that.
Sticking with the trend of Bluetooth, I do—on rare occasions—use my iPad for work. In fact, I wrote this entire post using the Pages app. I love the touch screen, but am rendered useless when trying to type on the touch keyboard. The solution to this problem was—you guessed it—a Bluetooth keyboard, although the one I purchased bares a name that makes many cringe: Microsoft Bluetooth Keyboard 6000.
My reasoning behind such a purchase is a running joke we have here at Small Dog Electronics: “Microsoft may be unable to create a working OS, but they make one hell of a peripheral.” This keyboard is no exception. It has a slight ergonomic curve that allows for faster and more comfortable typing. When combined with a Smart Cover equipped iPad 2, it’s the perfect set-up for responding to a quick email or working on a document.
As a media enthusiast, these Bluetooth accessories have enabled me to enjoy my content in a wider variety of ways. iPad 2 is already an amazing device, but when matched up with the wireless freedom of Bluetooth, it gets even better.
Feel free to email me any questions you may have on iPad accessories.