14 DAY TRIAL // A guy going by the name of Derek Michael has conceived a protective system for the unreleased Apple iPad and he’s calling it iBallz. It’s comprised of an elastic band and four rubber balls that would go around the edges of Apple’s iPad, keeping it elevated a centimeter or two above any surface, at all times. The product is strange, to say the least.
While we don’t see this so-called accessory as an upcoming runaway hit, it does catch the eye. Even if just for fun, iBallz deserves some coverage on Softpedia. So here’s what this product is all about: “iBallz helps protect your new iPad and other tablet devices from spills, sticky surfaces and the inevitable drop (gasp!) without adding weight, blocking buttons & adapters, or sacrificing style,” iBallz Co. says. You can pre-order your own right now (for an introductory price of $14.99), and expect it to ship at the same time Apple starts shipping its iPad.
It does provide a safer environment for the device, we’ll give it that, but the part with not sacrificing style doesn’t seem to fit in there. If iBallz Co. is referring to the look and feel of the iPad, or the way a customer is supposed to use the device, iBallz will almost surely pose some impediments. But hey, we said we’d just spread the word for now. We’ll leave the analysis for later, when both products come together.
A one-page PDF fact-sheet can be downloaded from the iBallz website (link). There, we had a closer look at the features. Of the seven strong points listed there, around two of them can really be considered benefits, and that’s only if you don’t care about the looks. Sorry, we said we wouldn’t go into this again, but Apple products are 50% functionality and 50% show-off material. You simply can’t strap four balls around the iPad and expect people not to laugh. We truly hope it does well for its makers, although we seriously doubt iBallz will see wide adoption.
Update: this article has been slightly modified to correct an account regarding the creator of iBallz.