Originally named “MetroLink” on Macally’s web site, the Metrolpad Protective Case with Silicon Grip ($30) combines a frosted clear hardshell back panel with a hard rubber edge for added shock protection and grip. This particular model is the nicest of the Macally cases we’ve seen, with button covers that are too flush with the rubber edge but otherwise nice, and holes for the headphone port, microphone, speakers, Dock Connector, and screen orientation switch.
Four nubs on the back enable the iPad to stay on a flat surface without tipping to and fro.
On May 13, 2010, iLounge published The Complete Guide to iPad Cases and Protection, a multi-page comparison of over 70 different iPad cases and film protectors, sorted by genre. The following details were added to this piece by that comparison article; please click on the link above for additional comparative discussion of similar protective options.
“Really?,” people ask when we tell them that our favorite overall iPad case is from Macally, which has never been known for its past iPod or iPhone designs, but the answer’s “yes;” the unfortunately-named Metrolpad—formerly MetroLink—is as close to “just right” as play-through cases come.
The back of the case is a frosted clear hard plastic with the same dimples found on Macally’s iPad shell designs, while a stiff black rubber forms a frame that runs from the front bezel through the top, bottom, sides, and back edge. Top and side button protectors are built in and too flush with the case, and the headphone port hole is Apple-sized small, but the speaker and mic ports are fine, and the Dock Connector hole is perfectly sized for cables and larger accessories—including the iPad Camera Connector—without being excessively open.
