What are you top iPad accessories?

Community General
1

What accessories, to you recommend for use with an iPad and which one is your favorite?

I ordered one of the new 12.9 iPads and I’m wondering what accessories I should consider picking up.

Notes:
This is my first tabled in 10 years.
I’ve ordered an Apple Pencil Gen2 and a ESR matte paper like screen protector.
Use case, will be portable drawing, web browsing, and content consumption.
I’ll be using the iPad in conjunction with my Windows PC, that I currently have a pen display for and I draw using the program Clip Studio Paint.

1 Like
2

For my use-case;

  • A comfy lap-desk
  • A bluetooth mechanical keyboard!

Seriously though; bluetooth keebs work so well with iOS devices - reliable, fast, just works every time. Coaxing the same keebs to work with my PC over bluetooth is a cantankerous process in comparison.

Between a neurological LD and physical nerve damage, my handwriting not only looks like a train wreck, it’s slow - so something like an iPad and a small keeb makes for the perfect journal or note-taking setup.

3 Likes
3

I’m hoping to use my incoming mercutio 40 (https://mechwild.com/product/mercutio/ ) with my iPad on a lap desk. Not Bluetooth but this is the only long term use case that I can see for that 40%.

2 Likes
4

Now, I only pair a Pencil and AirPods and keep it as light as possible.

1 Like
5

i keep one on my desk for listening to music and watching videos (to distract me from my work) and I have found that a little articulated stand like the one below to be really nice. Keeps the ipad up and off of the desk and it’s pretty useful if you want to shift it in front of you to use it like a laptop.

It’s possible it could be used as a stand for drawing as well but I tend to like doing that when it’s flat on the desk.

2 Likes
6

Tell me more about lap desks! Which type is preferable? The carpenter’s arch, bean bag tray or the baby accessory ones? :smirk:

1 Like
7

The one I have is essentially a bean bag with a flat surface and a tablet notch.

1 Like
8

So how’s that ventilation-wise? I just saw there also are some models where the bean bag is split in two with some room in between.

9

Not much in the way of ventilation; the one I have might be alright for a netbook or small laptop; I usually just have my phone in the notch and a bluetooth 60% on the flat part. I tend not to use it long enough for my legs to be needing ventilation; it’s one of the cheap ones.

1 Like
10

@APC-7, I have a memory foam one from Costco that’s pretty nice. It might have been like $30 or something.

Edit: Pulled a couple pictures from Google Images:

imageService
imageService680×680 29 KB
imageService-1
imageService-1680×680 59.1 KB

4 Likes
11

I use an iPad mini for school (medical charting) daily and find it fairly comfortable for single application work. The trouble is switching between programs or having two pulled up side-by-side; the small screen doesn’t pull that off too well. Also, I’ve been meaning to buy a small Bluetooth mouse because it’s a little straining to use touch controls all day. Definitely recommend that.

For keyboard necessities, I’d recommend browsing around the 40s discord to find something pro micro compatible with a layout you like then installing a nice!nano instead. I’m using a 10u ortho board wired right now, via the ‘Apple camera adaptor’, but Bluetooth is on my horizon :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like
12

I’ve been asked to find for someone a speaker setup for their iPad.

It’s the old iPad Air 2, and they use it to watch videos. Better sound is needed.

Can someone recommend some speaker accessories compatible with it that are commonly-available?

13

Would a Sonos work?

14

Sonos is overkill, any Bluetooth speaker would be fine

1 Like
15

The SMSL SA300 has Bluetooth 5.0. It works with my iPhone 6s+. It should work with an iPad and you can pair a good set of speakers with it.

image
image779×713 69.8 KB

16

Thanks, guys. I think you’re right that bluetooth is the way forward for these.

I think the SA300 is a bit overkill for what it’s going to be used for [to play videos around the kitchen], but some smaller, extremely portable bluetooth speakers would do.

I’m going to check around big box stores in the area to see if there is something I can pick up without waiting for it to ship.

1 Like