Especially if you are buying your very first iPad, you might
be very excited to complete your new gadget with some “must-have” iPad
accessories that are touted all around the web. But lets stop and breathe a
little bit: do you really need to spend almost half of the price of your iPad
again on accessories? You can if you like, but please don’t spend your
money on these four “must-have” iPad accessories that are absolute bogus! Read
on to learn how you can save almost $200…
With Apple’s next generation iPad 3 looming on the horizon,
many people will buy their very first iPad and wonder whether they will need a
screen protector, a cover or case, extra warranty, and other stuff. There must
be something on the web to help you decide!
If you google for “iPad accessories”, you are pretty likely
to find the following quote very soon:
“So you just dropped a bunch of cash on a shiny new iPad 2.
All you want to do now is spend a little quality time getting to know your new
device. But no, you’ve got more shopping to do. You need to accessorize!”
I am not saying that all iPad accessories are bad. In fact,
I am a big fan of improving my workflow through accessories. But so many
items that float around online on countless “must-have” lists are so
ridiculously useless that it makes me wanna scream!
The following four items make it to the top of my “must-have
iPad accessories you should never buy” list:
Bogus “must-have iPad accessories” #1: Screen protectors
Screen protectors are the biggest scam! There are plenty of
companies and bloggers out there who will tell you that you must permanently
cover the screen (and the back) of your iPad in order to prevent scratches.
ZAGG is one of the biggest player in this game, and they lure you with
impressive attributes such as “military grade” and “self-healing properties”.
Wrapping your iPad in its invisibleSHIELD will set you back $40, or even more
if you let somebody else do the wrapping.
I call no way! You don’t need to worry about
scratching your screen for the following reasons:
You don’t carry around your iPad in your pocket, therefore
there is little risk that its screen will be scratched by keys or coins.
The iPad’s screen is made out of very durable glass. While
no-one except Apple and their contract partner knows what exact glass is used for the iPad,
you can assume that the glass is very strong. I am using my first generation
iPad since the day it came out in Canada, and there is not a single scratch on
my screen that you could detect under normal use. UPDATE: Apple has just (March
2, 2012) acknowledged that it uses the famous Gorilla Glass for the iPhone. Its quite
likely that Gorilla Glass will be also used for the iPad 3.)
Apple sells many iPad accessories in its stores, but it
stopped selling screen protector before the original iPad came out in 2010.
Hint, hint, hint…
Another reason why screen protectors are a lame idea is that
they are damn hard to apply without ending up with a bunch of bubbles and
trapped-in dust. I admit, I once bought a screen protector (for a different
reason than scratches – see below) in 2010, and I ended up with a lot of dust
in between the screen and the film (obviously, I am not the most talented guy).
It impaired my using experience so much that I ripped off the film after 30
minutes. Learn from my mistakes and save your money for iPad accessories that
are actually useful.
Don’t trust the propaganda!
But why are so many bloggers telling you that screen
protectors are a “must-have” iPad accessory? It is because if I told you today
that, for example, ZAGG’s screen protectors are the best thing in the world and
that you are a fool for not protecting your iPad with it, I would right away
make 20% commissions on whatever you are spending on ZAGG’s stuff. I
believe that the affiliate programs of ZAGG and other
vendors are among the main reasons why so many people out there recommend
screen protectors. It is a clever marketing campaign. As somebody who is doing
a PhD in Marketing, I find this approach by ZAGG and others quite interesting.
But as a consumer and as your fellow academic comrade, I say stay away!
In the interest of full disclosure: I do use affiliate
links, but I only recommend stuff I really believe in. See academiPad’s policies on affiliate links
here.
So please, don’t spend your money on a screen
protector, at least if your only worries are scratches. If you worry that your
iPad screen and back might get scratched while carrying it around in your bag
(I am), get a case or a sleeve (but see item number 2 on this list).
There is only one reason why you can buy a screen protector
and still be my friend: The iPad’s glossy screen makes it very prone to
reflections, especially when light is shining right onto the screen. A matte
screen protector might be a good investment for you if you are struggling with
reflections (this was the reason why I tried out a screen protector once).
Check out this video to see the matte effect yourself and to learn how to install a screen
protector.
But again, in most cases you will be fine without a screen
protector. Except for the 30 minutes back in 2010, my iPad’s screen has
been all-natural all the time, and I never had any issues with that.
Money saved: $40
Check out the other three items on my list of “must-have”
iPad accessories you should never buy (more details coming soon):
#2: Apple’s Smart Cover:
Save up to $57 with a more stylish alternative that will protect your iPad way
better. Or don’t save at all but get a better deal.
#3: Magical
cleaning potions: Save up to $18 and come to terms with reality again.
#4: Apple Care Protection Plan: Save $79 by reading the fine
print. UPDATE: It seems like somebody at Apple is reading my blog (ahem…), as
the warranty program was updated on March 7 to include warranty from accidental
damages. That makes the new Apple Care+ Protection Plan more consumer
friendly. However, I am still not convinced that it is a “must-have”.
Altogether, this list of four iPad accessories you should not buy
will save you $194.
source: http://www.joachim-scholz.com/academipad/2012/03/02/ipad-accessories-not-buy-screen-protectors/
by: Jo
http://www.buyetail.com
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