iPad Mini Retina

kah22

It is not really a tech - tech poblem but I'd appreciate you input nevetheless.

|My girlfriend has just given me a late Christmas present, an iPad mini retina display and I'm really happy :j

Anyway accessories: I'm after three things:

the iPad video adopter which Apple sell at £40, are there independant makes available and if so is it really worth paying £40 if you can get something less expensive.

a potective case fo the iPad: I see Amazon sell an assortment from about £5 up. Appple sell them at £35. Again I'd appreciate a bit of advice on what to watch out for: is it worth paying the £35? And again suggestions welcomed

Finally a screen protector. I think this is most important so any recommondations as to what to buy.

This is my first Apple product and from what I've read their accessories are considered to be on the expensive side. Nice present though; suppose I'll have to do something special - but not drastic - for Valentine's Day

As I said any advice welcomed.

Kevin

penrhyn

Spa day at Aqua Sana.

InsideInsurance

As long as the video adapter is licensed then there is no reason to get Apple own brand ones. Arguably if its unlicensed then it can still be fine but those companies willing to risk IP issues dont tend to have the highest quality. I have a "fake" recharging cable which worked for a few months and now will only work if the cable is held at a certain angle.

What do you actually want to do with the cable though, esp considering the lengths? May be worth looking at streaming options etc depending on your objective.

A case is a case, just make sure it fits and ideally has the magnets in the front to activate the sleep when you close it.

Screen protector is up to you, apple dont make any which to me tells you something. I have had a couple of iPhones and an iPad without protectors and all the screens are still perfect. The wife has had a couple of iPhones, an iPod and 2 iPads all with screen protectors and after a few months the protector starts looking terrible. My screen remains perfectly clear though.

searchlight123

agree with above. can't see the point of the screen protector. i have a year old iphone 5 and my partner has my old iphone 4, both have no screen protector and both are scratch free and perfect. my ipad 4 is also in perfect condition and i have a 'smart' cover on it with an ultra thin backcover that i got off ebay for around £7 and it works perfectly.
friends of mine have the official apple 'smart cases' with no back cover, they cost around £35 and have worn terribly by comparison.

Kingsd316

You will struggle to find a non apple lightning to HDMI adaptor that works in fact i dont think ive ever come across one. Have a read of this regarding the cost

http://blog.gsmarena.com/heres-why-these-apple-lightning-av-adapters-are-expensive/

bluenose1

I got a belkin iPad mini case from ebay which really protects the iPad.
TK Maxx sell them cheap. Worth looking around for.
Also Targus are a good make.

Never bothered with screen protectors on iphone or iPad, and no scratches etc

kah22

InsideInsurance wrote: »

What do you actually want to do with the cable though, esp considering the lengths? May be worth looking at streaming options etc depending on your objective..

Thanks for the replies guys.

What do I want with the cable? Really all I want it for is to connect it to my TV so I might watch movies from my Netflix account, the odd YouTube video and of course my marvellous still and video shots

Tell me more about streaming options. My setup is a Sony bravio TV, a humax hd recorder and a pretty standard dvd player. Can you make a few suggestions eg the Apple TV box?

wildwestfan

Lente Designs sell lovely covers with the magnet things in. In fact they sell protections for lots of tablets and phones.

Anne_Marie_2

My friend had the same dilemma as you OP re adaptor or Apple TV. Decided to go for the latter to avoid cables lying about. I've decided to go down the same route, and just waiting for family to bring me one over to Cyprus in a couple of months....can't come soon enough! Wish I had thought about it when I was back in the UK over Christmas.