iHome iA100 docking station gives you plenty of versatility for under $200.
Forget Barbie dolls and Transformers, the iPad is the apple of everyone's holiday eye.
How much? A Nielsen study in November revealed that 31% of children between the ages of six and 12 wanted Apple's big-screen gizmo for Christmas.
That mass appeal has generated another option for gifts, too: The iPad accessory. The iPad is great by itself, but a plethora of additions improve its functionality, protect its LED screen and make it even more fun.
Here's a look at a few things you can pick up for the iPad-phile on your Christmas list this year:
iHome iA100 docking station - $199.99
The market is flooded with iPod and iTouch clock/radio docks, but finding an option that accommodates the iPad's large size isn't as easy. Enter the iA100, which is perhaps the most versatile of the handful of tabletop clock/radio docks that do play nicely with the iPad.
iHome packs this top-tier offering with a solid Bluetooth calling feature that works with everything from Blackberries to Android phones to iPhones. The iA100 also belts out solid sound for such a tiny unit (it weighs less than four pounds). The bass won't exactly set your walls thumping, but sound fills a room without ever sounding tinny. An FM radio is included as well, and the iHome+iSleep app allows you to program the device wirelessly from your iPad.
We'd have liked to see a slightly better remote that could handle music better (you can't switch albums) during playback), but that's a minor quibble in one of the top docks available for the iPad.
Apple Bluetooth wireless keyboard - $69.99
The iPad's touch screen works well for typing short emails, web surfing and typing notes, but for truly intense data entry, a keyboard is a must. Apple makes a first-party keyboard dock, and a bevy of other companies have also attempted to address this shortcoming.
But the best, most versatile option is Apple's Bluetooth wireless keyboard. While Apple's keyboard dock forces you to operate in portrait mode, the wireless keyboard allows you to work in portrait or landscape, nearly making the iPad a viable alternative to a laptop. It sacrifices a few iPad-specific hotkeys, but the tradeoff of working in landscape is worthwhile.
Best part: It feels comfortable and easy to type on.
Pick up a Speck sleeve or skin to protect your beloved iPad.
iPad cases - prices vary
After shelling the $499 or so to get an iPad, the last thing anyone wants is to see it get scratched or dinged. Good thing a plethora of cases are available, all of which protect the iPad to varying degrees. Speck products (www.speckproducts.com) makes a variety of sleeves and skins. The best of these is the Pixelskin, a $39.95 skin that makes the iPad feel less cold and metal and more warm and fuzzy.
For the professional, check out the wide array of folios. Speck's Dustjacket ($49.95) is one of the top options, although the best is Apple's own iPad case, a $43.99 offering that's so skinny it makes the iPad look like a classy notebook.
Games - prices vary
What fun is an iPad without games and apps? So stash an iTunes gift card in somebody's stocking so they can check out the growing library of iPad games in the apps store.
Last month's iPad gaming roundup introduced a handful of top options: Trucks & Skulls, an Angry Birds-inspired monster truck game; Rage HD, a fine, albeit shallow first-person shooter; and Defender Chronicles HD. And a few other games have drawn attention this month.
EA Games followed up its "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit" console offering with a solid HD iPad version for $9.99, and "Star Battalion HD" is a graphically ambitious space shooter game, although the controls take some getting used to. Another interesting release: "Neo Defender 2 HD," which seems like a take on "Geometry Wars," using both fingers to fire at glowing neon enemies.
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