Showing the size of the iPad compared to the case

I was down my my local MicroCenter last night and figured I'd stop-in and see what they have. Those of you with Fry's stores nearby don't know how lucky you are. MicroCenter comes close, but still...

Anyway, I wanted a carrying case for my new iPad and I had read that you could use the netbook carrying cases and save quite a bit of money. So, once in MicroCenter, I went to their Apple section and grabbed an "iPad case" and proceeded to the massive shelf piled with dozens and dozens of netbook/laptop cases.

After a bit of digging and thinking about what I wanted, I avoided one of the fully featured "mini laptop" bags as that defeats the purpose of the iPad. Plus, there aren't any ports/etc. on the iPad to speak of, so I figured there'd be little reason to haul a bunch of crap around in the bag.

Thus, I opted for a more slimline type sleeve/case. There were several to choose from in the 7-10 inch "netbook" range which would work for the iPad. However on my way to the checkout, I noticed one last case that made me dump the neoprene sleeve - and it was $5 cheaper!

I found a black nylon Case Logic 7-10.2" netbook case with bonus hard drive case. The actual case the iPad goes into is made from a tasteful black nylon cloth (like a suitcase) with a couple "leather" accents which actually look decent. The case is lightly padded (probably 1/8" or so foam) and almost fits as though it were made for the iPad. It's a bit taller than the iPad (maybe 0.75 inches) but nothing really noticeable. And, even with the InCase rubber protector I've got on my iPad, you can easily slide it into the case because the zipper goes almost all the way around the top and one side.

The bonus hard drive case I figured would be handy to hold the iPad power adapter and USB cord.

Best of all this case was $14.99 retail at MicroCenter and it's even cheaper at Amazon ($12.99 as of writing this)! For comparison, the cheap neoprene iPad sleeve I was using for sizing in the store was $29.99!!!

I'm very happy with this case, it's fit, and just how it feels. With the solid, weighty iPad inside, it fits in your hand like a small text book. Oh, and it's about as thick as the iPad AC adapter when zipped shut with the iPad inside.

Going to Disney World tomorrow

But anyway, I'm leaving for a week in Walt Disney World and also week in Bonita Springs, FL tomorrow. I jumped on the WDW "buy 4 get 3 free" special and am staying at a "deluxe resort" because the nearly half-price special is the only way I'm gonna be able to stay in a $300+/night resort! Naturally, my first choices were the Contemporary and then the Polynesian, since both are on the monorail, but both were full. So, I did the best I could and grabbed the Yacht Club since it's walking distance to Epcot.

Follow me on Twitter (micsaund naturally) if you want to see periodic updates and photos.

Well, I made it back from my trip to Las Vegas, Disneyland, and Laguna Beach. I'll have a more detailed trip report of Disneyland and DCA later, along with many, many photos (I need to figure-out how to present everything).

Anyway, the first night away from home on my trip, I stayed in Las Vegas at the classic Tropicana hotel. For those who don't know, the Trop (as it's called by the hip crowd apparently) has been in Vegas for at least 20 years. I remember going to Vegas as a child on family vacations and the Trop was always there. It's been such a landmark in Vegas that the major street it sits on is even called Tropicana Avenue. Being 20+ years old, it's getting a bit dated looking compared to the flashy new neighbors like the MGM Grand, the NYNY, and Excalibur. They cleverly spin this aging with a tagline "The way Vegas was meant to be." And, yes, it does actually feel like "old Vegas".

It feels old when I had to circle the building two times looking for somewhere to park so I could check-in. There is a sign for hotel registration but when I got to the part of the building I presume was for temporarily parking to get your room number (remember, these hotels are gargantuan and you really do want to park near your room to avoid walking many extra miles) all I found were "Bus only" and "Taxi only" parking. Where are the GUESTS supposed to park to check-in? To be fair, I had the exact same problem at Luxor on the way home. Maybe you're supposed to just ignore the signs and park anyway?

I finally said "screw it" and parked at the closest huge lot and walked inside to face the age issue again. The Trop is designed to "old" Vegas standards where the casino is as confusing as possible with no real navigational aids like SIGNS to tell wandering wanna-be-guests where to go. I finally cornered a casino employee and inquired as to the whereabouts of the check-in desk. He says, "Uh, it's right over there" and points across the room. I vaguely see an area all the way across the casino that's slightly darker than everything else, as though it's got a lower than 100% slot machine density with all of their blinking lights and neon. Sure enough, after a couple minutes of dodging games and people, I'm at the front desk.

I won't get into the sub-standard desk employees who had the friendliness of salt-mine workers or the $1 (yes, one dollar) charge they don't bother to openly tell you about for "unlimited phone use" (just include the lousy buck in the damned bill!) I eventually got my room assigned and managed to escape the un-signed casino to find my car, although out a different door than I came-in somehow.

Pulling the car around by entrance #4, which according to the map is the closest to my room, I am greeted by an ocean of ugly cracking pavement and a gigantic air conditioning unit for the conference rooms right next to the staircase. Several hundred feet down the hallway, I found the elevators up to the rooms and boarded. My room was on the second floor, but there was no way I was going to try to find the stairs in this place!

Way down a dark, again "old school" Vegas hotel hallway, I find my room. It's OK - not the fanciest, but with a reasonable amount of space and in fairly good condition. Except one thing - the in-room safe. I found this to be somewhat ironic that the safe was completely broken. How do the maids or other guests not report this? I guess probably much like myself -- not wanting to navigate to the dreaded front-desk and speak to the downtrodden employees, I skipped reporting it also.

Anyway, I figured some of you might find this a bit funny and for those who are planning a trip to Vegas, this might provide a bit of information on whether they want to stay at the famous Tropicana or not. It's not a bad place and it's bound to be one of the cheaper deals during high-price periods (that's why I stayed there - the other rooms in the area were triple in price for some event that was happening in Vegas that week). Of course, if you want that "old Vegas" feel and still want to be on the south Strip where all of the newer stuff is, this is probably a good hotel to consider.

Here's a couple of pics to show you why

Unfortunately, as expected, I won nothing in Las Vegas on the first pass-through, but will be giving it another try when I go back through on my way home.

I attended a friend's wedding in Laguna Beach on Saturday and figured I'd take a few extra days to catch-up on some personal interest stuff, which includes Las Vegas and Disneyland.

So, I'm in Anaheim, CA right now preparing for a long-overdue visit to Disneyland and the newer Disney California Adventure. I spent about 6 hours pre-cruising DL this afternoon to see what's changed in the 15 years since I was last here. Some of the attractions are as I remembered and others are horribly disappointing (the People Movers for one). The Pirates of the Carribean is closed right now also, so I'll be missing the superior California version of that classic ride.

I'll be posting lots more pics and write-ups when I get back, but for now, it's bed time.