Pimp my iPad

For the average consumer of mobile technology, the iPad seems like something of an extravagance, a souped-up version of the iTouch or iPod that they already own.  Of course, when it comes to functionality, speed, design, and flat-out fun, the iPad beats its smaller siblings hands-down, but if you’re considering taking the plunge and buying one, here are a few tips for jazzing up your iPad even more.

First, the iPad is notoriously fragile.  Apple’s own protective covers are nothing to write home about, but other companies have filled the gap with a host of carrying cases and protective shells with unique and innovative designs.  If you really want to show off, you might consider the Factron High Defender, the sleek and rugged cover that actually costs more than the iPad itself.  If you’re working with a more modest budget, the folks at CIO posted a slide-show of protective shells for iPads, including the colorful and colorfully named iBallz, which ring in at a much more reasonable $19.95.

There are a variety of other knick-knacks and gadgets that can help you trick out your iPad and get more out of it than you might have imagined when you purchased it.  For the gamers, for example, there’s the Fling, a tactile joystick that attaches to the iPad and turns it into a full-on gaming platform.  If stargazing is more your thing, hooking your iPad up to the Orion Starseeker telescope will let you punch in whatever you’re looking for, after which the telescope does the rest of the work.  And lastly, if you had the misfortune of being stuck in New England without power for a week after the season’s first premature snow storm, you might want to consider investing in one of QuickerTek’s collapsible solar recharging stations.

Other devices are conforming to the iPad as well.  Steve Jobs famously spent many of his last hours sketching devices that would attach an iPad to a hospital bed, and there are hosts of others, like the iPad friendly home theater and the i-Con bed.  There’s even a car that’s been designed with the iPad in mind.

The grand prize for iPad accessories, however, has to go to Mohan’s Custom Tailors in New York.  They’ll make you a suit tailored to carry an iPad in an inside pocket; so if you’re concerned that you might not be as sleek and sexy as your new technological toy, fear no more.