If the Vario from Zerochroma (http://www.zerochroma.com) isn’t the most versatile iPad case/stand around, I’m not sure what is. It provides an angle-setting, rotatable carrying solution for the Apple tablet.
You can set the Vario at 16 angles — whichever best suits you for watching videos, reading, typing, gaming, web surfing, drawing and more. It also accommodates landscape and portrait modes for the Apple tablet. You simply rotate the stand until it clicks into place in the mode you want. What’s more, you can rotate the wheel on which the stand is attached 360 degrees. I haven’t actually counted ’em, but the folks at ZeroChroma say there are “80 unique, hands-free” modes.
The Vario — which is wrist strap ready — sports anti-slip rubber bumpers and a stand tip to hold it steady on a variety of surfaces. The back fold-out stand also allows you to hold the iPad by hand in several different ways.
You can find more durable cases, but the Vario is pretty sturdy. It’s made of hard plastic, has “shock rail” ribbing and boasts a rubber interior designed for shock absorption.
One of my favorite features is that, when you’re done using your iPad, the Vario’s slim, fold-out stand “hides” itself within the case. And the reversible, screen-shield mode lets you pop the case off, flip it and snag it on the screen.
I did find the Vario’s various adjustments a bit hard to implement at first, as the stand and wheel tended not to want to move without a bit more force than I’d have expected them to require. But after a few times of adjustment, they loosened up.
I still haven’t decided which of the eight bazillion iPad cases (my official count) that I like best. But if you’ve got a good grip and need to have the Apple tablet perform a routine of moves and flexes, the Vario will turn the iPad into the gymnast of mobile devices.
Macsimum rating: 7 out of 10
— Dennis Sellers
