Hub Innovations founder Jaime Smith didn’t set out to become a consumer product designer, but found himself hosting a booth at 2012 International CES. At CES 2012 he showed the REV360 rotating iPad case, Prizm tablet and phone stand, and iPhone back-plate case.

The Orikata is a black portfolio that opens book-style, and cradles the iPad in an open-faced compartment that holds the computer securely but allows unimpeded access to the touchscreen, controls, cameras and ports, making the case “dockable,” so the iPad never needs to leave the case for functional reasons.

Your options for portfolio style iPad protection are numerous. Different colors, different materials, different ways of standing your iPad on display, they all seek the same goal—to protect your iPad and look good doing it. So, how do you decide which one you want? You look at the details, as Newer Technology did with The Pad Protector for the first gen Apple iPad.

The Xyber Pro case for the iPad has an interesting, two-part design. There’s a x-shaped piece that goes on the back, latching on at the corners. Pinlo claims this will “increase shock absorption capabilities” (and I’ll take their word for it), but one practical effect is that it lifts the iPad when you set it on a surface, preventing scratches. Because of the texture, holding the iPad by this piece makes the iPad less slippery and easier to hold with one hand.

Most protective carrying products for the iPad are leather cases, neoprene sleeves, or other opaque enclosures that obscure the iPad, hiding it from sight. Not so with LapWorks’s new Crystal iPad Folio, which completely encases the iPad to protect it from the bumps and bruises of everyday life for portable devices while still allowing the iPad’s sleek industrial design features and styling to show through.

Ah, the iPad. It’s so pretty you almost hate to put a case on it. After all, you just spent between $600 and $1,000 on this device, and covering it up was probably the last thing on your mind at the point of purchase. The good news with this case is that it’s completely clear (and optionally tinted). So, you will be able to see every inch of the device that you just shelled out big money for.

Not sure quite what to get for that Mac or iDevice owner in your life? As a group, Mac and iDevice users tend to be an affluent bunch—you know, the has-everything-gadget-guru who is notoriously hard to shop for and has pretty expensive tastes on top of it. Here are some high end offerings to make your shopping a little easier for the Apple fan in your life.

Although it takes some getting used to, Solid Line’s Bluetooth Keyboard Case for iPad is certainly better for serious typing than the iPad keyboard. It’s a good case, and it’s a good keyboard, but it’s not the best for either. If you’re willing to get separate units, you’re going to do better for both, getting more flexibility for possibly less than $120. But if you want everything wrapped up into one tight, professional looking package, this is worth consideration.

Now that the iPad has been out for a while, trends are starting to develop with its accompanying accessories. This is most noticeable in cases, which are proving to be as simple and elegant as the device itself. A good example of this is Moshi’s Muse. It’s doesn’t offer much beyond basic protection from scratches and bumps, but it does so with attractive precision. If your main use of the iPad is in the classroom or around the house, Moshi designed this for you.

More and more, I’m noticing two schools of thought when it comes to iPad cases. There are those who see the iPad as a laptop, selling cases with pockets, shoulder straps and handles. Then there are those who view the iPad as an iPod, focusing simply on protection. With the LA robe iPad, Be.ez is certainly in the latter category. This is just a sleeve, nothing more, but that doesn’t mean it’s not well designed.