Almost like clockwork, shortly after the release of a new Apple portable product, a relatively young company appears on the scene with a modular case system designed to be paired with a variety of different attachments. Mophie did it with the first video-ready iPod and iPod nano back in 2006, companies such as Gizmac and Barefoot Innovations have done it with various iPhones, and now a company called ModulR is trying it with the iPad. The core of this company’s “accessory system” is the ModulR Case + Cover ($59), a box with a stiff rubber frame and a hard plastic cover inside. Alone, the frame doesn’t provide a lot of iPad protection, exposing the Apple logo (ugh), the face, and patches of the top and bottom, but slap the Cover on and all that’s exposed is the Apple logo (ugh, again). Four pegs in the back of the case are designed to attach to a variety of different accessories, including Slim Mount ($29), a metal wall mounting bracket with included wall screws, and Quick Stand ($19), a metal stand designed primarily for landscape mode mounting. Both of the accessories are available in four colors; the case is sold only in “graphite.” Other accessories not shown here include a “universal swing mount, a stylish shoulder strap, and simple headrest strap,” all to be released later in 2010. We’ll say this much: if the case-plus-stuff concept is going to fly on any Apple device, the iPad’s the one, but the ModulR case is sorta iffy and the price tag is, too. With a cooler case at the center of this accessory system, we could see this concept really taking off.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: ModulR
Website: www.Modulrcase.com
Model: Case + Cover, Slim Mount
Price: $59 + $19-$29
Compatible: iPad (2010)