Originally Posted by kschles

I've been on the Oberon Facebook page, where a number of folks inquired about when they can expect an Ipad 2 case. The Oberon responses seem to indicate they are not in a particular hurry, since they are working on other things. One Oberon response even said they have not decided if they will offer an Ipad 2 case. Maybe the Ipad 1 case was not that popular.

I don't know about the popularity, but I would have thought that the issue was more of the effort and investment for Oberon to tool up and create a whole new set of plates for a specific iPad 2 case.

If the iPad 2 didn't have the rear camera and given that both generations are almost the same size in terms of width and height, the same template for iPad 1 could have been used for iPad 2 (with straightforward adjustments to the corner straps to account for thickness of either device.)

However, the placement of the rear camera could mean that the template for iPad 1 cannot be reused for iPad 2, and thus all the designs will have to be templated from scratch to include the camera portal. As you have seen, many Oberon designs are fully wraparound, so it's not just a case of "punching a hole" but also ensuring that the portal doesn't destroy the design while at the same time aligns correctly with the device's lens.

I'm just conjecturing here based on what I know of Oberon's design and production methods, but if it had been that easy to adapt existing templates, I'm sure they would have already announced their iPad 2 cases.

Originally Posted by kschles

I agree with you about Oberon products. I was wondering about their Ipad cases, since this will be my first Ipad (if it ever gets here!!!!). I was worried that the Oberon cover might add too much bulk and weight to the Ipad.

I think you can't get away from the weight issue if you get a leather compendium like Oberon's products: this is double-layered genuine hide, which itself is a major portion of giving device protection.

An Oberon case for iPad weighs about 400g. Add to that the 600g weight of the iPad, the entire outfit comes in at an even 1 kg, give or take. Oberon cases are known for their eyecatching designs and the tactile pleasure of their intricate leather toolworking, not for their weight-saving.

Last spring I started with the Apple case because that's all that was available on launch day. Then I went through the corporate elite phase and bought the Sena Leather folio case which was gorgeous. But it might as well been any other day runner or business portfolio. It covered almost everything but the display. Here I had one of the sexiest looking devices of the times, and it could have been any old Dell tablet in the case. (yes, I'm shallow.)

Then I bought the Marware hybrid case because it actually showed the entire face of the iPad, and was a little more edgy and less corporate boring.

Now I've been using iPad 2 for over a week with only the black leather Smart Cover. The elegant, thin design of the new iPad is just too gorgeous to bury in bulky cases. So Im getting the Marware MicroShell that is thin, black, and protects just the back and the corners without adding bulk. I'll keep one of several Smart Covers on top, depending on my mood that day.

Hey Tarkio, let us know how the Marware microshell works out! I also have a smart cover and love it!

I'd also recommend colcasac ipad sleeves. They fit perfectly with or without smart cover.