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Bagging It

November 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This was the year I bought an iPad and my wife bought a Kindle. Then, we went shopping, each of us in search of a slim, durable, protective case. Function matters more than fashion. Each device would require a snug fit. I needed something weather-resistant because I planned to carry the iPad to meetings, with or without an outer bag or case. To save on shipping, we tried to find one company to serve our needs.

After visiting a handful of retail stores, we visited a dozen websites. We found a great little company called SF Bags. We were impressed by Gary, the owner, who appeared in videos to explain each of his products. There were eight entirely unique iPad solutions, and the same number of Kindle solutions. Mostly, they were the same designs, each customized for the iPad, Kindle, the 11-inch Mac Air, the 13-inch Mac Air, and a lot of other portable devices, including videogames and digital cameras.

For her Kindle, my wife decided upon the red Slip Case for Kindle; there were five other color options. It cost $27.

I chose the Ultimate Sleeve Case for iPad2 in the vertical format (horizontal is pictured) with checkered “lead iridium” ($55) instead of brown leather trim ($60). I was smart enough to order it with small d-rungs, but not smart enough to order the Suspension Strap Mini ($22) or the Vertical Mini-Pouch ($25) first time around. now, use the three items together, in place of a backpack or shoulder bag, as a slim kit for iPad2, wallet, iPhone, earpiece, keys and a small pad and pen.

I also picked up a protective case for my wireless Bluetooth keyboard.

SF Bags offers a remarkable selection of well-designed, well-made solutions for lots of portable products. Their designs include well-thought-out features like slash pockets in just the right places, small inside pockets that snuggly protect iPhones and other devices, and other features that speak to the intelligence of their planning and product development. SF Bags seems to be meticulous In its manufacturing and quality control. (Isn’t it great when a small company exceeds expectations?)

My wife is happy with her Kindle slip case. I bought my iPad kit for function, but often find myself answering questions about where I found my bag. Now, you know.

Here's the horizontal bag with the mini-pouch attached. The inside of the pouch is lined with soft neoprene.

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Relaxing with a (legal?) cocktail

April 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It’s taken more than a week to set up the iPad. Some unexpected issues:

1. Poking around the App Store absorbed most of my free time. I didn’t think much about the iPad as a kind of ultimate seductive shopping device, but that’s what it turns out to be.

2. I found myself learning more about video files and video file formats than I want to know. Audio and music files were easy; video files required study, questions to friends, a visit to the Apple Store to talk to a Genius, and a few hours of research. I believe I am using HandBrake in a legal way, but I’m unsure why there is no similar commercial product (for legal use).

3. From a work perspective, moving files back-and-forth between the apps and the cloud is cumbersome (and proved difficult to figure out–until I visited the Apple Store’s Genius).

4. Even with Apple’s Smart Cover, you need a case to protect the whole iPad. There are a lot of cases available–and a lot of articles about cases, sleeves, and all sorts of stuff. Almost none of it exists at any local Best Buy, Staples, Apple Store, etc. I found my case here: http://sfbags.com/products/ipad-cases/ipad-cases.php

Apparently, the devices are still difficult to find–supposedly because demand is exceeding supply by about 500% (again, my source is my Genius). Imagine that–and try to come up with ANY other product where this kind of shortage exists. (Comments welcome.)

Now that this little obsession is settling down, I’m back to issues.

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iPad for Me! (1 of 18 available!)

March 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment


I was hoping I would get lucky at one of my two local, independently-owned Apple dealers–until I learned of their situation. There are now EIGHTEEN iPad SKUS available in the U.S., and only four of them met my needs (AT&T, 32 or 64GB, in white or black). Most small retailers receive relatively small quantities–so my local stores told me, quite honestly, that I could be waiting a very long time for any of the models I wanted to show up at their particular store. (I can’t imagine why they chose this particular product launch to double the SKU count by adding white–adding even more confusion for smaller retailers and for consumers.)

Without driving myself crazy, I stopped by every Apple Store, Target and Best Buy within reasonable walking or driving distance– usually on the way home from appointments.

And, sure enough, I found TEN iPads today, locked in a cage at my nearby Best Buy store. At first, the salesperson told me that they were all Verizon models, but he actually found me in the store to tell me that he had made a mistake, that they were, in fact, all AT&T models, all 64GB models, all black. If I had wanted any of the 17 other available options, I would have left the store unhappy.

Very strange. Perhaps we’ll all learn more about the strategy soon. Right now, it seems just plain goofy.

Filed Under: Mobile, Products, Trends Tagged With: ,

No iPad for You! – Day 6

March 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Day 6 of the stupidest product launch in American consumer products history.

So far, here’s what I’ve done to not buy an iPad:

1. Supported my local Apple dealer (not an Apple store, just a local store specializing in Apple products). I visited, tried out a display unit, and offered to buy one. During the cash register transaction, I realized it wasn’t a 3G model. End of transaction. Beginning of wait.

2. Tried to go to an Apple Store in a New Jersey mall. The mall was closed due to flooding.

3. Visited an Apple Store in Manhattan. No iPads for sale. Just a sign saying, more or less, come back tomorrow (when we may or may not sell you one).

4. Checked in at the local AT&T store. The staff laughed at me.

I’ll keep you posted.

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