Grandma Invents iPad Holder, Makes Website, Opens Business

If you’re thinking you’re too old to open up a business, especially in the crowded iAccessory market today, don’t! A grandma on vacation in Florida decided she’d give it a go with a simple iPad sleeve and, what do you know - she made it! Here’s her story.

Cate Vincent was reading on her iPad in bed when the tablet slipped out of her grasp and fell on her face.

Instead of just waiting for the next opportunity to hurt herself with the Apple tablet, Mrs. Vincent decided she’d create a holder, so she could have a good grip with the least amount of effort.

Looking at the photo above (click to enlarge), you'd be inclined to say it was a no brainer. Yet some ideas apparently need to hit you in the head, literally, to materialize.

Mrs. Vincent made the first version of her iPad holder using a yellow plastic file folder and a pair of pinking shears.

"The next morning I took my yellow plastic holder to my neighbor three blocks away,” she said. “He's a leather worker and before lunch I was actually holding a beautiful, soft, leather iPad handle! That was 17 days ago. We've sent them all over the country, the word spread so fast."

"It makes my fantastic iPad even better," she said.

According to the granny, the leather actually benefits new iPads, which are prone to getting a tad warm under certain conditions: "My daughter even tested it with a thermometer and found a 12 degree difference!" she said.

Mrs. Vincent is now referred to as Granny Techie among neighbors since she and Tim, the leather crafter, started a production line for the handmade Original Leather Handle For iPad.

She wants the accessory into the hands of numerous students and teachers in schools and universities. She said she's simply in love with her iPad, and that she uses it on a regular basis to do FaceTime, read books, surf the web, and even take photos.

"And just think," she said, "of all the folks sitting on trains and planes for hours and being able to read books on their iPads without fumbling, or dropping them, as I did."  

To better promote her invention, Mrs. took her grandchildren’s advice and spent a whole afternoon learning how to publish a website, which she did.

"I have my own website," she said with a grin, "grandesign.co That's .co not .com. Dot com cost $3000. Mine only cost $12."

And that is what love for an Apple product does to people.