The book is dead. Long live the look.
UPDATE: DodoCase for iPad 2 now available with 30% discount. Pay US$49 instead of US$79. SCORE!
The DODOcase disguises your iPad as an old school notebook resembling those with the copyrighted name of a blind subterranean garden mammals’ skin. Your precious device clips snugly into this stylish protective cover that’s handmade from Moroccan cloth and bamboo using traditional book binding techniques. But it’s not all style and show because this beautifully crafted iPad case bends over backwards to become a stand for typing and watching videos.
The good guys at Wild Twig sent me one to try out and I have to say right out of the box, I love it for the classic hard cover leather-bound book feel. The iPad clips into the bamboo frame snugly and the carved recesses allow uninhibited access to the buttons and charger/accessory port.
In use, the front cover folds back neatly to either prop it up on the table or your lap to watch videos or read or you can fold it back and lay it all flat with a slight typing-friendly angle. I haven’t dropped this iPad yet but the DodoCase would definitely provide a sufficient buffer should the worst happen and it looks like a book so there’s another level of al fresco reading security ‘built in’.
It’a especially cool that it’s handmade by an industrious bookbinder who was obviously concerned about the future of their trade. Judging by the build quality he wasn’t in any immediate danger of going out of business – the work is flawless. Watch the ‘Making-of’ video below.
It’s not much more pricey than some of the plastic offerings out there but for the craftsmanship and given that the device is not exactly a steal itself, I’d say the DodoCase is worth it if not for the security benefits then for the undeniable cool factor.
There’s a old fashioned bookplate stuck on the inside front cover and this one now says, ‘Ex Libris: Evan Haussmann’. Thank you Wildtwig, you can send me an invoice.
Available for iPad and iPad 2 and costs US$72.95 (about R600). Buy it online from www.wildtwig.com
