Hermes iPad 2 cases cost way more than the iPad

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It’s no surprise that you’d like to drape and protect your new iPad 2 baby in only the best of the best. After all, the cheapest of the second-gen tablet will cost you $500, and we all know you’re going to go with the $829 64GB with Wi-Fi and 3G option. So, what’s a couple hundred more bucks spent on accessorizing your iPad? Hermes, a French high-fashion house with an online store, is selling its own version of the iPad 2 cover, but it’s not cheap.
Hermes has two iPad cases that will be available for sale. The first, the Hermes Swift sleeve (pictured below), will be available in 10 colors. And here’s the kicker, it’ll cost 580 euros, or about $820. The second item is the Hermes Station (pictured above), which opens up to use as a real stand. This will comes in four colors. If you thought the price of the Swift was a little too much for this week’s paycheck, then you’ll probably want to start saving for the Station, which has a 990-euro price tag. That’s about $1,400.
The pricing comes as no surprise from Hermes who’s known for selling such high-end products. Akeychain there can cost you $240.
Both cases are made from fine calf-skin leather. The pictures show the cases in the classic Hermes orange.
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If you thought the price of Apple’s new iPad 2 covers were high, then this is not the product for you. Apple’s own Smart Cover will do more than the above-mentioned products, and for a fraction of the price. It automatically wakes and puts the iPad 2 to sleep, and it also works as a stand for viewing and typing. It comes in 10 colors, and prices range from $39 for the polyurethane cover to $69 for the leather one.
The Smart Cover is actually smart, as we discovered after iFixIt did one of their autopsies on it. In the teardown, they found the iPad 2’s right side had magnets and sleep sensors, which keep the Smart Cover closed. These magnets alternate between polarities, and so do the ones in the Smart Cover, which makes sure the Smart Cover fits as snuggly as possible with your iPad 2.
Is it really worth paying more than the product it’s covering for a case that doesn’t actually do anything besides look nice? How much would you be willing to pay for an iPad cover?
 
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