Our past experiences with Acme Made’s products have been OK at best. After a five year gap, we saw it jump back in the Apple accessory game with cases for the original iPad, followed by the middling Orikata and slightly better Infinite Angle for iPad 2. Now, close to three years later, the company is back with Ergo Book for iPad Air ($80); a less expensive iPad mini version is also planned for near-term availability. At first glance, it’s just another nondescript folio, but there’s slightly more under the surface.
Ergo Book’s cover is made out of smooth, matte polyurethane, a common material.
Ergo tech describes it as “satin fabric.” The front lid is divided into three columns, which can be folded into a stand just like a Smart Cover. There are magnets, but instead of holding the triangular shape directly, they attract the stand to the edge of the case, which accomplishes the same effect. Magnets also lock and unlock the iPad’s screen with no issue. Additionally, there’s an elastic handstrap inside the front lid that can be used to provide a better grip.
The tablet snaps into a hard plastic shell, one that we’ve seen the likes of dozens of times before. It leaves the chamfered edges along the top and bottom exposed, as well as all the ports and buttons.
What makes this one different from most others is its ability to rotate. It clicks into place every 90 degrees, allowing the iPad to be positioned into any of its usable angles. When in portrait orientation, the entire shell can actually slide upwards so that the bottom edge lines up with that of the folded lid, allowing both to rest flat on a desk or table.
Ergo Book is a fine enough product, but it’s certainly not worth the $80 MSRP. It looks like any number of other cases, and competing companies have come up with similar concepts. Most recently, Logitech had Turnaround, which matches a good portion of the functionality, but costs $20 less.
