GadgetFreeway's iPad "Case Bag" Review
by Tim Chaten
October 4, 2010
The iPad "Case Bag" is a very unique product for the iPad. It is the only bag that literally every time I visit an Apple store the employees ask me, "where did you get that bag?" It is a unique and interesting product that makes your iPad as accessible to you as your iPhone. The reason I call it a "case bag" is that it functions both as a case and a bag. The majority of bags require you to remove the iPad to access it. For most people this means buying a case and a bag. The bag from GadgetFreeway is different.
The bag has two modes of operation. The first is your traditional satchel bag where your iPad is not as easily accessible, but disguises it as a satchel bag. In this mode you also have access to a back pocket for small little accessories or pieces of paper.
The second mode of operation is the cool part of this bag. To switch modes, simply un-velcro the top, flip the cover over onto the back, buckle in the straps and velcro the cover. This mode of operation gives you access to your iPad while it's still in the bag, so you can be walking around the mall with your iPad at your side and a second later be using the iPad for the mall map or some other application. The realization that with this bag you have quick access to your tablet at all times has changed the way I use my iPad on the go. It is a remarkable bag designed especially for the iPad.
The bag itself is made of very high quality leather and made by hand in the United States. GadgetFreeway was started by people that love iPads, and their product is a representation of what a bag should be like for those that use iPads. I have now been using this bag for over two months and it still is the best I've seen. The bag gives you access to everything except the dock connector which is not a big problem for me as I tend to use this on the go.
The only downside I've found so far with the case bag is that it holds your iPad 'upside down'. The only time this becomes a problem is when I launch an iPhone app that doesn't rotate. This has not been a big downside for me personally as I tend to use little to no iPhone apps and with the orientation lock, the iPad functions beautifully in this mode.
To recap, if you are the type of iPad user that wants instant access to your iPad, just as you do with your iPhone, this is the bag for you. One cool way I'm using my iPad now is for geocaching. This is something that I really could not have done without a bag like this. This has been my go-to bag for two months now and I'm still blown away that no one else is doing innovative things like GadgetFreeway in this bag/case market.
The bag was made by iPad users for iPad users and it shows. You can find it at GadgetFreeway.com where it's called the Leather iPad Shoulder Bag. It's available in three different finishes and is at the moment on sale for $69, which is a bargain because it is both a case and a bag.
