First there was the Smart Cover for the iPad. Apple saw that it was good (and profitable) so gave us the Smart Case. It’s a nifty case for our favorite tablet, but a bit pricey.

Whereas the Smart Cover only protected the front of the iPad (opening the doors for lots of third-party iPad butt protectors), the Smart Case covers the whole tablet, while remaining impressively svelte, adding little bulk to the tablet.

The Smart Cover can also multitask. It folds into a stand for reading, typing, and watching video. Like the Smart Cover, it automatically wakes and sleeps the iPad on opening and closing. Made from polyurethane, it provides solid protection despite its skinniness.

The Smart Cover is available in six colors: black, grey, pink, red, green and blue. What’s more, you can personalize it with free laser engraving on the Apple Online Store.

Though it looks and performs great, the Smart Cover’s pricing is a bit steep at US$49. It actually costs more than the $39 Smart Cover, which is a bit radical with aluminum hinge that magnetically aligns the Smart Cover with iPad for a perfect fit. The Smart Case is attractive and protective enough, but, well it’s still a case. And there are cases on the market that offer more protection for less.

The question is: how much is a case bearing the Apple logo worth to you?

— Dennis Sellers