By: Hillel Fuld

Yes, I know that is a bold statement but after owning an iPad for a half a year now and having gone through at least 10 cases and countless other accessories, the Zaggmate by Zagg is to me, the ultimate accessory.

First, a little story. When I first got my iPad 3g, my initial reaction could be summed up in one work: awkward. I had no idea how to define the device and more importantly, I had no idea how to hold it. Was this a laptop and to be used to replace my Macbook or was it a large mobile device to replace my iPod Touch or iPhone? Was it to be held in one hand and typed on with the other or held in two hands and typed on with my thumbs? I did not see how I was going to use the iPad.

After months of use, I have gotten used to this new concept of a device and understand now that it is in a different category than any other previous device I have owned. Having said that, text input is still somewhat of a sore topic. After all, the iPad is so much more than a really slick gaming device and in theory (if the WordPress app did not suck so bad), I would want to write blog posts on it, edit documents on it, and even do most of my day to day computing using the iPad.

However, as great as the on screen keyboard is, and it is great compared to any other virtual keyboard I have tried, nothing replaces hardware keys, and that is one of the major advantages BlackBerrys still have over iPhones. When I first ordered the iPad, I ordered the Apple keyboard along with it. It was not long, maybe two weeks after I got the iPad, that I sold the Apple keyboard. I did not sell it because it did not work or because it did not solve all my text input needs perfectly, it did.

I sold it because, how am I supposed to carry it around? One of the main advantages of the iPad is how portable it is and if I have to carry around a laptop bag so I can have a keyboard with me at all times, I might as well buy a Macbook Air or any other small laptop/netbook. So I sold the keyboard and learned how to type on the iPad keyboard, but the situation was far from ideal.

I also went through cases trying to find the best one that keeps the size of the iPad relatively thin, looks somewhat sexy (call me shallow but you don’t want your case ruining the elegance of what Apple has created), and most importantly, enables me to type on the iPad by placing it at an angle. I found a few options and they were all good, but none of them were great.

Enter the Zaggmate, which is made by one of my favorite accessory companies, Zagg, and  my search for a perfect case and text input method is over. The Zaggmate is a case into which the iPad fits perfectly and does not gain any weight or extra fat in the process and when you take the iPad out of the Zaggmate, a surprise is waiting for you, a full size keyboard that connects to the iPad via Bluetooth.

The Zaggmate keyboard is the same size as any netbook’s and after a short five minutes, enabled me to type full speed. There are custom buttons on the keyboard for the iPad such as play/pause music, home (and if pressed twice brings up the multitasking bar), search, power, and many more. It all works flawlessly.

The Zaggmate has a built in stand that enables you to stand your iPad up in landscape or portrait orientation and transform your iPad into a netbook looking device. In fact, when I was using it in public, I was asked if it was the new Macbook Air. All in all, the Zaggmate is extremely useful and practical, and it solves a few common issues iPad owners experience with their devices. It is a case for the iPad that is both slim and protective, it is a perfect solution for text input, and it is a true conversation starter (well actually, it got me more looks and attention than actual conversations.)

Of course, no product is perfect and I would improve on a few aspects of the Zaggmate but even given my complaints, the Zaggmate is one of the coolest accessories I have ever seen and it is now my default iPad case. In terms of the issues, the stand is a little too flimsy and plasticy for my liking, it feels like if handled the wrong way, could snap off easily, which would render the Zaggmate almost completely useless.

To pair the device, you need to activate Bluetooth and the button that does so on the Zaggmate is not a button at all, but a flat touch surface, which confused me at first. Other complaints  I have is that the back of the iPad is completely exposed when in the Zaggmate, but if you have the Zagg Invisible Shield, which I do (I told you, I am a fan of this company), you have no problem there.

The bottom line is, and this is easy for me to say since Zagg sent it to me for free (there is your disclosure), every iPad owner should have a Zaggmate. It is a little on the pricey side at $99.99, but if you think of it as a case that protects the iPad, plus a Bluetooth keyboard, it really is a reasonable price to pay.

Have you tried the Zaggmate? If so, please let me know what you thought of it in the comments. Did you share my enthusiasm? You can also find me tweeting away over here. I would love to hear your thoughts.