The billion dollar Smart Cover

This is really a great step forward from Apple. I like the idea of them not just creating a product, but creating the accessories, and building some of the functionality into the product. Keeping both in mind whilst developing each other for best functionality.<p>Will be cool to see how Apple does this on future products.

Being able to say that you made more from your tablet cover than your competitors did from tablets (combined?) is just ridiculous. But there it is.

Am I the only one that's not into the Smart Cover? It seems like a neat concept, but I don't think I'll be getting one. Marco's suggestion on Build and Analyze of using a media mail envelope makes much more sense because it protects both sides of the iPad in transit and can easily be replaced for pennies if lost or damaged.<p>Also, at my local Apple Store the Smart Covers aren't even available for customers to try - they're enclosed in a plastic box at the end of the iPad table. If people don't have an opportunity to try it out, it'll just be seen as another case/cover. And with a $40 price tag, I'm sure a good number of people will opt for something different or less expensive.

Good video of the Smart Cover if you haven't seen it yet -<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbl_6DmzO4g" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbl_6DmzO4g</a>

I went in the my local apple store to try the iPad 2 out when I saw something I'd never imagined I'd see. There was a guy in a blue shirt, hanging out, playing with a smart cover. That's it. Apple thinks this thing will generate enough revenue for them that they will deticate someones entire day to shilling it for potential customers. They sure didn't do that for my iPad 1 case. Or my iPhone 4 bumper.

The Smart Cover is far more damaging to the revenue potential of accessory vendors than the in-app subscription policy is to content publishers.

Seeing from what happened to the ipad case business last year, i would say that this will not impact sales of third-party cases. The market will be there for all.<p>Some will buy the smart cover and some will buy the traditional folio case...