Reviews by The Church of Apple

Tag: iPad 2

  • Forward LifeJacket iPad Case Review

    The Forward Lifejacket iPad Case is a Tank case for the iPad designed to protect it from any submersion of water, so now the problem of dropping your iPad in the toilet is solved. Kidding aside, the case protects your iPad when you know you will be in water environments such as on a boat, near a body of water, or even under water. It is available for $94.99. Let’s see if this is the waterproof iPad case for you.

    Form

    Don’t expect this case to be the nicest looking case you have used. It is a tank. It makes the iPad turn from one of the thinnest “books” you can use to one of the thickest. Similarly, it turns from light to heavy with the addition of this case. One could simply say, bulky is the word for the dimensions of the case. It is made up of a black, hard plastic that would take a tank to dent it. The case is awkward to use because there are several hatches on the case that keep it closed. The back looks like the backing of a bland looking stereo receiver backing, except without all the ports of course. Protecting the iPad’s screen is a sheet of a see-through screen protector. The only color on the case is the white and blue logo of the company, all of the rest is a bland black color. Inside the case, there is no clear way of putting the iPad in the case. The only way I see is to just lay it on top and close the lid. The inside of the case also looks bland and cheap. Of course, don’t get me wrong, the case is not cheaply made, it just has the appearance of it, particularly on the inside. The case does not fare well in the form category, but how can a tank be nice looking anyways?

    Function

    If it’s one thing this case does well it is to protect. This case will protect your iPad from drops and from water. In fact, it does it so well, it’s military grade. I tested it myself and it indeed passed the submersion test. Of course, I’m not one to want to submerge my device if I don’t have to, so I took it out before testing. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay to get this protection. First of all, we’ll start at putting the iPad in. There are four hatches that you need to open to get the case open. I wouldn’t normally complain about this but you have to have strong hands to open this case. People with weak hands will not be able to open this case. The hatches just hatch it closed too tight to even be able to open it. Next, after you pry it open, there is, once again, no clear way to put the iPad in. There are no corner things that you attach to the corners of the iPad or anything of that sort. You just put the iPad in and hope it is even, because if it’s not, you’ll have to reopen and adjust and try again. After you close the case, you will discover that a few key features have been stripped of their use. The camera, volume buttons, sleep/wake buttons, charging port, headphone jack and the rotation lock switch are all inaccessible. That’s right, you can’t listen to music in your headphones nor the speakers since they are almost entirely blocked, you can’t turn the rotation, you can’t change the volume of the music you can’t hear, you can’t charge the iPad while in the case, and you can’t even turn the iPad off. What is the point of using a device if all of it’s primary functions are blocked even if it does provide military grade protection from drops and water. If the case protects your device but the device isn’t usable, what’s the point? Unfortunately, this case did not do well in it’s function either.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Military-grade protection

    Cons

    -Too thick and heavy
    -Weak aesthetics
    -Hard to open
    -Questionable placement of the iPad
    -Limited functionality, too limited for most to sacrifice for the protection

    Ways to Improve

    To be honest, Forward should consider a complete overhaul of it’s case. As a matter of fact, I believe much time and resources should be put into R&D to fix the many problems of this case while still keeping protective abilities, even if one has to sacrifice the thinness of the iPad for it. If that was all one sacrificed, I would use the case. However, so much is stripped away that it renders the iPad useless.

    The case very much reminds me of communism. We’ll take away your rights in exchange for protection. Your right to audio, turning your iPad off, switching the rotation and even charging the iPad are stripped away. Of course, you can get these rights back if you open the case (remember, difficult to open) and take the iPad out. Then, after you take it out, you won’t ever put it in again. The case receives a 1 star from me, for at least providing protection for the iPad. Unfortunately, the costs are too high to keep that protection. Besides, who’ll drop it in the toilet anyways?

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe

  • Snugg iPad 2 Executive Case and Stand in Black PU Leather

    The Snugg iPad 2 Executive Case and Stand in PU Leather is exactly what it’s long title suggests. It is an iPad case! It is generally known that iPad cases for iPad 2, iPad 3, or iPad 4 will fit with iPad 2, iPad 3 or iPad 4 interchangeably but if you are still worried that the iPad 2 Executive case won’t fit your iPad 4, don’t worry, Snugg sells the iPad 4 executive case. It’s the same case but if you’re ODD about it, Snugg has got you covered (which is okay, I get that way too sometimes). Anyways, the Executive case is available from Snugg for $39.99 direct. Let’s see if it can match it’s five star brother.

    Form

    The form of the case is very similar to it’s sibling that I reviewed earlier, the Snugg iPad 4 case. It has the same nice stitching, the same out of the way features such as the stylus holder and the strap. The front has the same out of the way branding and bifold. The inside is even nicer in this case than the other Snugg case. There are a few differences in the two cases, however. First, the feel of this case isn’t as soft as the other Snugg case I reviewed. Despite that, the case is very comfortable and it feels like it is still very sturdy, just as the other case is. Another difference is that this case has another cool feature that the other regular case did not have. This case has four really nice pockets built in. One is for bigger things such as paper, money, paper pad, pencils, pens etc. The other three pockets are for pens, slips of paper such as business cards, pencils and any other little object that fits. The pockets again are out of your way and are really useful when you use them. Once again, the form of a Snugg case aces.

    Function

    The case, like it’s sibling that I reviewed, is very good at protecting the iPad. It keeps the iPad snug inside while preventing it from breaking when dropped. It does a great job keeping it from getting scratches, big or small. The case, again like it’s equivalent, has a sturdy stand and puts the iPad at both a comfortable ergonomically correct typing angle and a comfortable widescreen, landscape view. The strap, again, is very handy and I really like the ability to carry the iPad around with one hand comfortably. The additional feature of the case, the added pockets really do come in handy and I’m sure that businessmen and women really appreciate this added feature, as well as doctors, lawyers and other professionals. The pockets do go a long way especially when you use them a lot. It adds a business side to the iPad case while still keeping it practical and light.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Great aesthetics
    -Great design
    -Great protection
    -Great stand
    -Great strap
    -Great pockets

    Cons

    -For the third time, there is nothing that fits this category.

    Snugg has really delivered. They sent me three cases to review, two of the last case I reviewed and this one and all three are excellent cases. I mentioned in my last Snugg case review that I had used a Snugg case for a year or so. I will continue to use Snugg cases for as long as the ones I have received last and once they fall apart, if I don’t find an even better case than this, I will buy another. As with my last case, it is still at work, providing the same protection it provided me for my iPad now for my friend’s iPad and I expect it to last awhile longer. Great job Snugg on all the cases you sent me, keep doing what you’re doing, it’s working well.

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe

  • Hammerhead Capo iPad Case

    The Hammerhead Capo Case is a case for the iPad 2,3 and 4. The case is available for $39.99 direct from Hammerhead. Personally, this is the case I use everyday. Allow me to explain why.

    Form

    The case does not excel in the form section of this review. The case is available in 5 two-toned colors. All cases feature black trim. The available colors are as follows: White, orange, blue, red and black. The black case is all black with no color, including the trimming. The case is a one-fold that flips around the back and the clip attached goes into one of the holes on the back to form a very functional case. The case is also comfortable on the hands. In terms of colors, I think the two-toned color scheme is nice. It gives the case a uniqueness, unlike many uni-colored cases on the market. The case provides a lot of protection for your iPad but it still is light and thin. However, there are a few issues cosmetically with it also. The case sent to me (this may not apply to all cases) was not completed, in my opinion. The white part on the case was not pressed in all the way, forming raised parts where the white part was not pressed in all the way. After a short time of using this case, I was already getting loose string hanging on the case, something that happened to my last case a year or more after I received it. Also, while I appreciate the black part of the case, I do not appreciate the fact that it is painstakingly clear that it is metal. The bi-fold on the case that folds back is metal (it’s the black bar that goes across about 1/3 the case). It’s not the bar itself that bothers me, but it’s the fact that you can see the metal of it (little bolts that hold it together, the line that separates the two pieces). To me, it is a little tacky. Despite these tacky issues the case still does what it is meant to do, protect.

    Function

    This case does what it is meant to do, protect. Despite it’s light and thin profile, this case provides the most protection I have seen out of any case this form factor. The case is made out of polyurethane material which always does a great job in protection. The case is a hard-shell case that will protect against falls. The case holds onto the iPad extremely well, probably one of the best grasps I have see on an iPad case thus far. The case also protects the ports better than any case I have reviewed thus far. There is only an opening to put the ports into and thats it, and even the case that surrounds the port is raised. It is very port protective. The case also has the best stand out of the cases I have reviewed so far. The case has a stand with five different options. Three, tall landscape stand options (more choices than most cases, allowing you to choose your perfect viewing angle), one for typing (which has been placed at the perfect angle), and one for a upright portrait stand. The case of course has the standard auto lock/unlock feature that would be a bad thing not to have. There is one thing that I like and dislike about the case. The case has a clasp that holds it closed. While the clasp ensures that the case will not accidentally open, there are some people who won’t be able to open the case. The clasp is the reason why people who have arthritis in their hands will not be able to use the case. It is a great case, but it’s a great case for people who can open it. For me and anyone else without weak hands, it’s great but I would not recommend it for a person with weak hands only because of the difficulty of opening the case. Despite this flaw, the case is still probably one of the best I have reviewed thus far.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Very durable
    -Thin and light
    -Best stand on a case I have reviewed
    -Clasp keeps case closed
    -Colored nicely
    -Comfortable to the hands to hold

    Cons

    -Case would be difficult to open for anyone with weak hands, especially senior citizens
    -Some tacky aesthetics

    The reason people buy a case is not for it to be the nicest case ever, but to be durable, light, thin and functional. This case passes all those and more. It delivers on it’s protective abilities and stand. The case I mentioned earlier was the case that I have been using for a long time and it is the case that was replaced by this one. I use this case on a daily basis; it is my primary case. Considering the pros and the cons, this case receives a 4 and a half star rating from me. Great job Hammerhead!

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe