I was on the fence about the iPad when it first came out. Then I tried one and…there was no stopping me. I think more than any other single technology, with the exception of my first Mac, the iPad has completely changed how I do things. Needless to say, I love my iPad and if you know another iPad lover, here are some gift ideas for you.
And in case you’re wondering, yes, there are duplicates from the iPhone gift guide. I’m pretty sure that a lot of iPad owners will appreciate any of these mobile-themed gifts.
iTunes or Apple Store card
Price: up to you.
Site: Apple store online or near you.
Like I said in my iPhone gift guide, these aren’t cop out gifts. Getting iTunes or Apple Store gift cards show you know there are things a person wants, and you’d like to help him or her get them. Maybe it’s a Beatles album to round out her collection or a new adapter for the iPad 4. Sometimes a simple gift card is a great way to show you care.
Pogo Connect Pressure-sensitive stylus
Price $80
Site: TenOneDesign
In spite of its occasional quirks, I love the Pogo Connect. I have, oh, a half dozen stylii (enough so there is one almost always on hand) and I use this one now pretty much all the time. With support now for the iPad mini as well as third and fourth generation iPads, you’re all set to draw, doodle, or sketch on your device. Here is my review of the Pogo Connect.
Camera Connector Kit
Price $30
Apple store
I have the original Camera Connector Kit for 30-pin iPads, and since it works just fine with the lightning adapters I have, I don’t need another one, but if you don’t have one…go get one now. I’m not sure if splitting up the kit into a SD and an USB version is great (the original gave you both adapters for $30, whereas now it’s $30 each), but if you only need the SD portion I guess it makes sense. The USB adapter is, however very handy for connecting USB devices like mics to your iPad. Regardless, since editing photos on the iPad is so easy, fast and awesome (check out my previous post on this), hooking up your camera to your iPad is a no brainer I think. Also, a stylus comes in very handy for photo editing, btw.
Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard
Price: $100
Site: Logitech
This is the first of two keyboard recommendations I’m going to make for you. Everything I’ve heard about this keyboard has been nothing short of glowing. People love it and think it’s probably one of their most used accessories. I have an older ZAGG folio based on a similar keyboard, but different design and I wish I had held out for this one. You might wonder why I’m going to suggest another keyboard as well, here’s way: This keyboard, while awesome doubles as a case. Which, while, handy can be cumbersome. I keep my ZAGG folio stashed for the times when I need a compact typing solution. Essentially the grab and go when I need to spend all day live blogging or working in cramped conditions. However, when I have the space…
Apple Wireless Keyboard and incase Origami Workstation
Price: Origami Workstation: $30, Keyboard: $70
Sites: Apple store or incase
This is a combo, and you’ll see from the prices it’s about the same as getting the Logitech solution. The Origami Workstation is a cover/case for the Apple Wireless Keyboard that folds to become a very stable stand. It works best on table tops, but if you’re careful you can get it to work on your lap. Why this combo? First, the Apple Wireless Keyboard is one of the best keyboards I’ve used. Day to day I use a wired keyboard at my desk, but when I go an write on my iPad (which is often) this is the keyboard I want. Full-sized keys, amazing key feel, great battery life. You need those things in a solid keyboard. So if you are a budding iPad scrivener, this is a combination that is well, well worth looking at. Also, unlike the Logitech keyboard, this setup works just fine with the iPad mini.
TwelveSouth BookBook for the iPad mini
Price: $70
Site: TwelveSouth
I’m a big fan of TwelveSouth and their stuff. I’ve been looking for an iPad mini case like this. Yes, I really would like one that has a pad on it too, but I still haven’t found one I like. This BookBook, however, caught my eye and I immediately said “yes, yes, that will do nicely.
EarPods
Price $35
Site: Apple store
I’ve always found it odd that iPads don’t come with headphones of some kind. My EarPods are either on my desk or in my bag so I can use them with my iPhone or iPad whenever I need to. No, they aren’t super-awesome-fantastic headphones, but they are pretty-darn-good-comfortable headphones. And once you figure out how to wind them back into the case, you’re golden.
Sonos Play:3
Price: $330
Site: Sonos
I really love the Sonos speakers that are still on loan to me and honestly, I think you will too. I didn’t include these in the iPhone gift guide because I was focused on portability with that guide, however here I wanted to include them. Make sure when you get the Play:3 speakers you get the free Bridge because that makes putting the speakers where you want a heck of a lot easier.
Apple TV
Price: $100
Site: Apple Store
I didn’t think I’d like or use my Apple TV as much as I have in the month it’s been in my living room. It’s almost like Apple should just bundle the iPad with an Apple TV they work so well together. Games and music are great, but what has really impressed me the most is that when streaming an HD video from my iPad to my TV with no loss of quality. The picture and sound are amazing. Plus with iTunes Match and Home Sharing you can watch/listen to your iTunes library as well. This is a tech combo that works.
Grid-It
Price: $10-30
Site: Cocoon
Like the iPhone guide, this is for everything else you carry in your bag. The Grid-It is covered in little elastic bands that hold your gear in place. I have one that stays in my bag all the time that has all my critical adapters, connectors, etc on it. If I need to switch bags, I just grab that one thing and put it in my bag. That takes care of moving almost all my critical stuff. My wife has one in her purse for make up and all that other stuff. She didn’t think she’d like it at first, but now it’s the first thing into her go bag (not her purse, that’s different).
Grid-Its come in lots of sizes, colors, and features. I can’t recommend them enough. Yeah they look strange, but once you start using one, you get it.
iKlear cleaning kits
Price: $10-30
Site: iKlear
Oleophobic my tush. iDevice screens start getting pretty smudged pretty fast. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to stop and reshot video or stills after I realize how icky the screen looks. I like the iKlear stuff. Spray on the cloth (not the device), buff off. Done. I like the little travel wipes as well for use on the go. Even if you don’t use the cleaning solution all the time, the cloths are great alone for getting smudges off your screens.
Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine
Price: $25-30
Site: Evernote
As a bridge between the physical and digital, I give you the Evernote Smart Notebook. Unlike other physical-to-digital notebooks, this doesn’t require a special pen or really anything fancy at all. Just write, doodle, note, draw as you usually would, then use Evernote on to take a picture of the page in page capture mode. The paper has cool dotted lines that help with the capture process plus stickers that let you automatically add tags to the note as well. Personally I’v carried Moleskine notebooks for years and love the feel of them to write on, these Smart Notebooks are a great extension of something that I love to do already.
What’s on your gift list?
