ipad3

The new iPad -- or the iPad 3, as I incorrectly like to call it -- has been out for a while, but the new cases keep on coming.

If you've already seen an older version of this list, I apologize, but the good news is that it's been updated.

As most people know, Apple barely changed the design of the third-generation iPad and a lot of existing iPad 2 cases fit the iPad 3. While a few of those iPad 2 models are represented in this round of top cases and covers, I did my best to include plenty of new models, as many accessory makers have refreshed their lines in the last few months. … Read more

Asia-based sources won't quit with speculation about a "revised" model that will fix some of the shortcomings of the third-generation iPad.

Here's the problem: the third-generation iPad's 2,048x1,536 Retina display requires twice as many backlights as the iPad 2, which potentially makes it run hotter and necessitates a bigger battery to achieve roughly the same battery life as the iPad 2.

That bulked up backlight assembly also contributes to a slightly thicker, heavier design than the iPad 2.

Raymond Soneira, the founder, president, and CEO of DisplayMate Technologies, explained the challenges that Apple … Read more

The Kindle Fire 2 will see the Google's Nexus 7 tablet and then raise it, according to an analyst.

Amazon will bring out at least three new Kindle Fire models, according to Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch.

Shim gets his information from sources in the "supply chain" -- a collection of companies that manufacture components and assemble products. … Read more

Moshi's Concerti case for Apple's new iPad and iPad 2 is a popular item in CNET's San Francisco office, where it was passed around, lived with, and fought over at least once.

The $55 fold-over case has many charms, including a soft microfiber material and the ability to trigger the iPad's sleep/wake mode. The case keeps a strong grip on the iPad with a silicone sleeve, and has an elastic band to keep it more tightly bundled still.

The Concerti also has a couple of quirks that you can read all about in my full Moshi Concerti review.… Read more

As great as the third-generation -- aka "new" -- iPad is, I've always wondered whether the design was compromised.

Of course that statement alone is enough to incur the everlasting wrath of the Apple crowd. So let me say that I use the gen 3 iPad pretty much every day and have relegated my older iPad 2 to backup duty. In other words, I like the new iPad and love the 2048x1536-pixel, 264-pixels-per-inch (ppi) Retina display. (Not to mention the 4G LTE.)

Still, the fact that the newer version is thicker and heavier than the older one … Read more

Logitech's been on a roll with its well-made keyboard accessories for the iPad (the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is one of my favorites), but there's one big problem with all these accessories: they need their own USB charging cables.

Logitech's just-announced Solar Keyboard Folio adds a clever twist to the crowded iPad keyboard case market by introducing a solar charger. Better yet, the case doesn't look clunky.… Read more

(Updated April 26, 2012, with two new keyboard cases.)

The one differentiating feature separating the iPad from portable computers such as Netbooks for many people, other than the operating system, is a keyboard. Yes, the iPad has its own onscreen virtual keyboard, but some will be tempted to explore alternatives to get "serious" writing done.

Keyboards for iPads have drawbacks: they add bulk to your bag, and the Bluetooth connection will add some drain to an iPad's battery life. You'll also have to consider whether you prefer a standalone keyboard, or a case that has a keyboard built in. Some cases have compressed keyboards, and others manage to fit a full-size one. You'll also have to learn to live without a trackpad.

For your comparison-shopping help, here are the keyboard cases I've reviewed. … Read more

Updated April 18, 2013 with two new accessories.

Whether you have the larger iPad or the iPad Mini, Apple's tablets -- while versatile -- can't do everything. That's where peripherals come in. Connecting a camera, streaming audio or video to a TV or stereo, or writing with a real keyboard are just a few extremely useful things that accessories enable. Or, maybe you just want to keep it standing neatly on your desk.

Here are some of the most useful iPad accessories I've found. Some work for both the iPad Mini and the larger iPad; some work with just one. You probably won't need all of them, but you're almost guaranteed to get serious use out of more than one.

Any I left out? Share below.… Read more

Think the new $399 iPad 2 is just a cheaper knockoff of the original? Think again. There's some premium silicon inside.

The $399 Wi-Fi iPad 2 -- the only new iPad 2 that Apple now sells -- uses a more advanced version of the dual-core Apple A5 series chip, according to chip review site Anandtech.

That more advanced A5 chip is built on a cutting-edge Samsung manufacturing process, Anandtech says. Hardly a trivial difference.

As a chip's geometries shrink -- going from 45-nanometer to 32-nanometer, for example -- a lot of things can happen. All of them good. … Read more