The plan of action for this weekend didn’t include writing about the smartcover, but then as I read Lex Friedman post on computerworld that the smart cover is flawed, I couldn’t resist expressing how it works for me.
I was handed an Apple iPad 2 along with a smart cover last week and ever since I have put my original (bulky) iPad aside and moving around with the iPad 2. I wasn’t expecting a smart cover and give the extra amount of care I give to review units, I had a plastic back cover waiting at home. It took me exactly 5 seconds to remove the plastic cover after trying the smart cover. My original iPad is protected with a Bracketron case which perhaps makes it a kilo in weight and you can guess how light and portable I feel with the iPad 2 + smart cover.
Now if we read what Lex says:
My biggest grievance is that there’s just no perfect way to fold back the Smart Cover when you actually want to use your iPad in hand… And because there are no magnets to keep the Smart Cover latched on when you swing it around to the back of the iPad, it doesn’t stick there–it just flops down at various annoying angles.
Now, I can totally imagine his pain. I probably went through it for the first half of the day and then got it right. While I could totally work with the back cover half folded on the back (pictures below).
But how about a setup that works better? Well at any given time, I am either using the iPad 2 in hand or on the desk. All other times I have the smart cover covering the screen. As soon as I have the smart cover (along with the iPad 2) coming out of my bag / being put to use, all I do is fold it into the triangle and thats how it stays all the time. while its on the desk giving me an ergonomic position to type or in my hand while i am tweeting or playing a game. Both my hands are totally independent of the smart cover and it works, it just works. Here are a few pictures showing you how the smart cover holds on to the iPad 2 (I have tried to explain better in the video below).
Using the smart cover does come with the sacrifice of letting the aluminum back open to scratches if the surface it is resting on rough or if your bag has some keys, coins, metal rubbing against it. But since its the 3rd gadget in my hand after the smartphone and the laptop, I want it to be as light as possible. The smart cover does that for me!
cool… tks