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In the meantime, our sales have dramatically slowed down. This is likely true for most businesses. Luxury or premium small manufactures may be hit even harder.
The fact that we serve those who need to use their iPads for work or travel is not helping either, as most people are staying indoors. You probably do not need a shoulder strap while you are home.
It is not clear at the moment when we are going to have new 2020 cases in stock. We will let everybody know when/if we do.
The good news that we continue to ship our remaining stock of 11" and 12.9" iPad Pro cases from 2018. We do not have many left. We are almost out of the 12.9" 3rd gen (2018).
Separately, we are considering expanding our color choices and possibly offering bespoke, custom bags and cases.
Stay safe everybody.
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This is a typical case from Amazon. Image copied from Zenrich's store.
It seems that there is only one basic design, with minor variations, sold by multiple Chinese sellers on Amazon. We tried some, and they do work. The specific brands we bought were Herize for 11" Pro and Miesherk for 12.9" Pro. There probably hundreds of similar cases on Amazon.
Here are some pictures of the Miesherk case:
Yes. You are one of the Lucky Dogs. You received this lucky card! :))
The tested Miesherk looks Alibaba-like basic. It is somewhat bulky and clumsy, does not offer the same functionality as Strotter cases. However, it is inexpensive and it does protect the iPad and does have a strap.
]]>Amazon is great when you know exactly what you are looking for: basically, you are price shopping, you like the convenience of the one click; and you perhaps trust Amazon more than some independent website.
However, situation changes when you do not exactly know what you need. Let's say you are trying to find a hands-free iPad case, like our Strotter Across cases. Type in "hands-free iPad case" and you will be presented with an endless array of choices. Most are cheap sub-$20 and even $10 cases from overseas sellers who somehow have tons of extremely positive and enthusiastic reviews. Also, there are "sponsored" listings in the mix.
Guess what Amazon puts on top of its search results? Products that Amazon thinks would sell the best, and increase its profits - and it is totally understandable: Amazon runs a business. Also, merchants are paying for advertising - these are the sponsored listings. You, a consumer, need to sift through these sponsored listings, many of which are irrelevant to your search. The number of overseas (Chinese) sellers has exploded since 2015. There are so many offerings, of seemingly the same product with a different brand name, that it became extremely difficult to find what you are looking for.
From time to time we order cases from our competitors on Amazon, just to see what's out there. Yes, you can buy an iPad case that also claims to be "hands-free", with a shoulder strap, for $20-$30 or so. Some of these (definitely not all) are useable and perform their utilitarian functions (sort of). They look like a $20 case. So what that the Pencil is not charging or falling out in some cases? Plastic buckles semi-permanently attached to corners are not a big deal either. Shoulder strap is not easily adjustable. In some cases the iPad would not stay "face-up" when suspended one user's chest, because of the wrong placement of the attachment points for the strap clips. The case does protect the tablet, however. And it is just $20!
Recently, Nike has announced they will no longer sell on Amazon. 'Brands don't need Amazon', said Jefferies analyst Randy Konik.
We have already pulled our FBA listings from Amazon, and will likely stop selling on Amazon altogether.
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Please do not try to buy the 10.5” case thinking it would fit the 10.2” iPad. It will not, unfortunately. The thickness is different, speakers and camera are in different places. Stay tuned for the news on 10.2” case.
We do have carrying cases for most iPad models. All our cases include shoulder straps.
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Here is the new 12.9” Pro case, in all its black understated elegance:
Note the modern thermoplastic elastomer base and rich leather combo. They work well together. Chrome-colored brass reinforcing grommets complete the package. Pencil is securely held in place when flap is closed. The shoulder strap is the same 1.5” wide car seatbelt webbing as before.
Here are the shamelessly good looking Strotter cases for 11” iPad Pro.
The current stock is selling out fast.
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Cases are more protective and putting an iPad in the case is now a snap. The cases look more modern, combining high-tech polymer, fine Italian leather and polished metal. New cases also feature a wide 38mm / 1.5" shoulder strap.
10.5” iPad Pro case have a compartment for the Apple Pencil, while 11” and the 3rd Gen. 12.9” Across cases will have a special cutout so the the Pencil is docked and charging when not in use. (10.5" case on the picture below).
All of these new Acrosses are available for preorder. The first batch will be small as we study new demand trends.
Thanks for reading!
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Clearly, I had to test our iPad case on the track. I asked Mat Ford-Dunn from supermotoland.com to wear Strotter Across case (with iPad Pro 12.9" inside) and do some laps at a real race pace. Mat did just that, wheelies, slides and all. "I forgot it was there", said Mat after he came back to the pits. If this is not the ultimate test, I do not know what is. Enjoy! :)
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It affected project scheduling, and as a result 10.5" iPad Pro and 9.7" non-Pro cases were delayed.
We still do not have them, as disappointing as it is. We will likely know what to expect in the second week of January. We hope to deliver at least a small batch of 10.5" (and maybe 9.7" 5th gen) cases by late February or March.
Apologies to many of you who had counted on our cases for your new 10.5" iPads.
Some of you are asking about support for the Apple Pencil and the Smart keyboard. At least one model of the 10.5" Across will have a storage option for the Pencil.
The planned 10.5" Across case will not support Smart Keyboard, as adding it involves too many compromises on fit, weight and convenience. That said, you can always use a Platforma convertible messenger bag and happily carry your 10.5" iPad Pro (and other stuff!) in it.
Stay tuned for future updates. Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page. (We do not send spam or shallow marketing emails. Promise).
]]>Drop us a note if you already know you will need one of our hands-free cases for one the new iPads. They are coming.
]]>At Strotter we've already increased productivity by creating innovative, user-friendly, hands-free bags and iPad cases like the Platforma and Across that allow busy workers to conduct business during their morning commutes or on a job site.
Knowing the best programs and tools available can positively impact our productivity and work levels even more. Work with an iPad? Here are the ten business and productivity apps for your iPad that you have to download right now to spike business:
PDF Expert
PDF Expert allows you to read, edit and annotate PDF files and sign and fill out PDF Forms on your iPad. While there are a number of PDF editing alternatives, PDF Expert beat out its competitors like PDFpen, Adobe Reader, GoodReader and more when tested by The Sweet Setup for import speed, in-app speed, compatibility, redacting, highlighting, adding text and noting PDFs, exporting, re-ordering pages, merging and organizing documents and syncing PDF documents between devices/services. It gets our vote too.
Evernote
Evernote has become popular with everyone from students to freelancers, but it isn’t without good reason. Both individual workers and teams can benefit from Evernote. Teams can collaborate in one place while working together and receiving and giving feedback. Individuals can keep images, files and web searches in one place, syncing the files across all devices. Don’t enjoy the Evernote interface? OneNote is a great note-taking alternative.
Scanner Pro
Keeping important files for your records? Forwarding a contract? Saving receipts for business expenses? Whatever the situation, Scanner Pro allows you to easily take your paper documents and upload them to your iPad as a digital copy.
Workflow
Do you ever feel like simple tasks are taking up a lot of your time? If you do, Workflow may be the answer you need. With the slogan “Spend less taps, get more done,” this app automates and simplifies your life, allowing you to spend more time on tasks that matter. With Workflow you can set up shortcuts to get directions to the next event on your calendar, send a “running late” message or create a voice memo reminder that automatically gets sent to your to-do list. The ability to customize this app to your needs makes it a valuable tool for any busy worker that spends a lot of time on their iPad.
Google Sheets and Google Docs
A word processor and spreadsheet creator are business must-haves. Google Docs and Google Sheets make sharing your files with coworkers or clients much simpler. These applications also have an advantage over other programs because they are free. More of a traditionalist? Try Microsoft Office for iOS. In comparison to Google Docs, Microsoft Word has more advanced features, but it comes at a price. One or the other is generally necessary - which one you choose depends on your priorities.
OmniPlan 3
OmniPlan 3 is a project management app. If you have complex projects, OmniPlan will help you visualize the flow and tasks needed to complete the project. You can even track the start date/time, end date/time and the duration of each task, creating a timeline for your project. Other features of this app include monte carlo simulations and earned value analysis.
Trello
Trello is another, very different project management app. With Trello you can create cards for each individual project you are a part of. You can add your team to that card, and the team is able to discuss the project on that card. Each card can contain a checklist, comments, due dates, attachments and more. Your team has never been more informed.
Weekdone
Weekdone allows you to set goals and objectives for you and your team. With Weekdone you set quarterly objectives, weekly to-do’s, track progress and leave feedback. You can see what everyone in the company is accomplishing at the press of a button.
OfficeTime
Tracking hours and expenses and creating invoices has never been easier. OfficeTime handles all three in one easy interface. It’s as simple as that. No more loose papers. No more messy documents. Other helpful features include syncing with your Apple calendar, summary graphs and quick access from your menu bar.
Focus Booster
Lastly, if your own productivity is wavering, try Focus Booster. Focus Booster is a personal productivity app based on the pomodoro technique, which is the idea that you should work in short intervals (traditionally 25 minutes) and then take short breaks in between “pomodoros.” Focus Booster allows you to set an un-pausable timer to work quickly and without distractions. The app conveniently creates timesheets of your short sessions compiled as well.
With the App Store overwhelming with different applications, it can be hard to find what you need. You can spend hours scrolling through the options. That’s why we’ve hand-picked these ten programs to help you optimize your business and increase your productivity. See? Even finding this article saved you time.]]>Update 08/08/2016: We are shipping now both black and natural Cuoio leather cases for iPad Pro 12.9 inches! You can also buy our Across case with strap for iPad Pro 9.7", both in leather and synthetic.
That includes the black cases and the super-premium natural Cuoio cases. We modified the design to make the fit tighter and some elements stiffer. Keeping fingers crossed.
Showing off :)
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Folks,
We have some very exciting news!
Cases for all iPad models, including the latest and greatest iPad Pro 9.7" (aka iPad Air 3) are finally coming mid to late May.
All leather cases are now made in Italy. I came back from the factory in Firenze a week ago and new Acrosses are going to be dramatically awesome.
We will make the cases available for pre-order within a week or so. We will notify you separately. Please make sure to add yourself to the mailing list at the bottom of any page of this site. (We do not send annoying junk, ever. Promise).
Stay tuned.
]]>Re colors and materials:
Genuine full grain leather cases (GL) come in Black, Super Pink and Sunny Yellow. The colored ones come with two straps: the regular nylon, 1" -wide one, and the 1/2" leather strap with a metal polished buckle. Clearly, this is for the ladies. Enjoy!
Synthetic leather cases (SL) come in Black, Confident Red and Navy Blue. Black is black, and Red and Navy are definitely unisex, without any surprises.
On the picture below: bottom three are leather, top three are synthetic. The camera slightly over-saturated the colors.
Go to the product page for more pics.All nylon straps come have color-coordinated leather or synthetic trim.
As you can see on pictures, the Mini case has only two grommets and not four. Works just as well thanks to the small size of the Mini, so you can comfortably type with thumbs. Attaching the strap to only one grommet works great when you need the iPad in the portrait mode.
Thanks for reading!
P.S.
Apologies for the typo in the recent newsletter. "Without", not "witout". Oops.
]]>We considering two versions: smooth ballistic nylon with minimal leather trim, and a 80/20 leather/nylon bag (similar to the original Platforma).
Chime in, please.
]]>This is a quick post. Please read this carefully, especially if you pre-ordered the Across for Air.
Here goes:
I just came back from China and brought some Acrosses with me, with more coming by plane next Monday (fingers crossed).
We will start shipping Acrosses today. We do not have enough of them to ship to everybody, but we expect to ship all of the pre-ordered cases in the first week of April - we are going to MacWorld 2014 in San Fran next Tuesday, so there will be no shipping of new Acrosses for the next week.
We will post pictures of new Acrosses; they are beautiful. The leather is softer, the cases are a bit lighter. We will be getting cases in various and awesome colors. A very limited number for now. More about this later, in a separate post.
There is one thing that we though we were going to have - but it we will not: the embedded magnets for the Auto on-off feature. The supplier was late, we did not have time to do it the right way, the switching was unreliable. I decided to pull out the feature. We either do it right, or not at all. Apple is now using two magnets instead of one, with specific polarity requirements and very tight tolerances. Not easy to do in a leather cases.
Is this a big deal? Not really, to most users. Our testing and surveys show that iPad is turned on and off much more often than when the case is opened and closed. The thing becomes even less important if you are using a password. Not that we are trying to find any excuses.
If auto on-off feature is super-important to you, please cancel the order is you have already placed it.
The prices of new cases will be higher than those of the previous generation. Labor and material costs went up, and the cases are even better than before.
The fit of these new cases is very tight - please be aware of this. You may think your iPad will not go in - it will. Every case we ship was tested by us here in the US with a real iPad, so we know it fits. You need to insert the iPad at an angle, and wiggle it in. Do it on a flat surface: on a desk or a table. Once the iPad is inside the case, flatten the border to stretch the leather a bit. Also, push it all the way in. The leather will stretch over time. We will post a video of how to do this properly.
Stay tuned! TTYL.
Serge at Strotter
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As before, the new Across will be available in two options: genuine leather (GL) and a more affordable synthetic leather version (SL). The prices are $129 and $79 respectively.
]]>As you know, we at Strotter do not post often. When we do, that's because we really have something to say. So... Without further ado:
Our CEO Serge is personally flying to China to make sure things go as planned at the factory. As before, the new Across will be available in two options: genuine leather (GL) and a more affordable synthetic leather version (SL). Right now the prices are $129 and $79 respectively. They may go up a bit after the official launch.
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We already wrote about teachers using Across iPad cases in classrooms to control interactive whiteboards (Promethean boards)… We get more and more orders from and for sales personnel in retail stores, engineers and architects, field survey folks of all sorts, doctors and nurses.
Recently we found out that our iPad cases are helping special needs students, autistic kids – they use iPads to communicate. Across is exactly what they were looking for, we have been told.
We recently sent a case to a teacher who could only use one arm. The Across case with its strap made it possible for her to use the iPad when not sitting at a desk. We were happy to hear she was very happy with the case. Said it worked really well in the classroom.
Another interesting use of the case was suggested by a pilot of a commercial airline. He uses iPad in the cockpit. Using a special wire holder the Across is hung by its grommets on the chart holder.
As always, your feedback is welcome. If you want us to make some changes to the design, do tell.
Platforma: Available for preorder now! (Update 11/18: already here and available for purchase).
We are expecting the plastic snap-on shells/covers next week. Estimated shipping date for pre-orders is November 18. We will keep you posted. Subscribe to the mailing list at the bottom of the page, if you have not already. Like us on FB, too. We do not send junk, promise.
Across for iPad Air and the Mini: not yet. Will take some time. Do not want to make promises. Again, will keep you posted.
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Also, we are happy to announce that we now have the interface snap-on plastic covers with magnets for the iPad Mini and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. So yes, Platformas now work in hands-free mode with these tablets. If you want your specific tablet included in the list of supported ones, please let us know.
]]>Background: I too ride a motorcycle and carry an iPad and a sandwich back and forth to work...
]]>Company: Strotter
Version: 1.0
Compatible with: iPad 2, 3, 4, other tablets work too
Price: $169
The Platforma bag caught my eye straightaway on my first walk through of the Macworld/iWorld expo floor. Okay, it was really the display with the guy standing next to a motorcycle, but he was wearing this bag, and I just had to check out.
Background: I too ride a motorcycle and carry an iPad and a sandwich back and forth to work. I have this HUGE backpack that I’ve been using for that job and it is serious overkill. I’m also a bit of a nutter when it comes to keeping my hands free. Pockets, pockets everywhere is my motto.
Strotter is a new company that currently has two products: the Platforma and the Across. The Across is more of a sleeve for an iPad and someone else will be reviewing that. The Platforma is a messenger-style bag that can hold a full-size iPad plus a few additional items. It’s not the biggest bag in the world, but then again, that’s the point.
What makes the Platforma bag unique is the way it functions. It has D-rings at each corner of the bag so you can attach the strap in various configurations. Attach the strap using both rings at the top and you can wear the bag as a shoulder bag. Attach one end of the strap at the top and the other end at the opposite bottom and the bag can multitask. First, it can serve as a really snug backpack if you pull the strap tight. (I hesitate to wear other messenger bags on my motorcycle as they can slip off my shoulder. Not this one.) Or it can serve as platform for the iPad if you let the strap out a bit.
Using the bag as a platform for the iPad (hey, it’s called Platforma for a reason) is this bag’s purpose for being. It comes with a case you snap on your iPad (that works with the Apple Smart Case) that has magnets built into the bottom. You use those magnets to attach the iPad to the exterior of the bag. Yes, I said you attach the iPad to the exterior of the bag. Not so much to carry it around, but when configured and held correctly, the bag becomes like a lap desk that you can use to read or type on your iPad.
Those magnets are secure too. I’ve always been a bit skittish about reading on my iPad when I ride the bus. It’s a two handed device, so when I have to hang on for dear life, I have to let go of my precious iPad. The Platforma bag solves that problem nicely. I have much more confidence in using my iPad and not worrying about it slipping out of my hand, or even having someone grab it from me. Did I mention the magnets are strong?
The bag itself is top quality. It’s a solid pebble leather that’s going to stand up to anything I can throw at it. The zippers and fasteners are apocalypse-proof, not to mention gorgeous. The strap is smooth and easy to operate, even one-handed wearing gloves. I find that the bag can hold my iPad, my Moleskine, my bus schedule, and my sandwich just fine, with room to spare if I needed to include chargers or other miscellaneous items. And it closes using magnets, so it’s pretty fuss-free to operate.
This isn’t a cheap bag by any measure. But you certainly get what you pay for. The quality and functionality of this bag sets it apart. It’s a beauty built with brains—what more could you ask!
(And just to be clear, the magnets aren’t a problem for your iPad or credit cards, but they could be for your pacemaker. Take heed.)
MyMac.com Review Rating: 9 out of 10
]]>Our Platforma received the coveted MacObserver Editor's choice award! People LOVED our products! People liked Us! They were standing there watching us work the bags like we were Cirque Du Soleil...
]]>To say that it went well would be an understatement! We absolutely positively totally rocked!
Our Platforma received the coveted MacObserver Editor's choice award! People LOVED our products! People liked Us! They were standing there watching us work the bags like we were Cirque Du Soleil. People liked everything about our bags - functionality, ease of use, looks, quality of materials, craftsmanship... The bags were sold out early. We had several interviews with the press. Retailers, distributors, shop owners wanted us... Our booth was one of the best looking! Our girls were the best!! They stopped traffic with their looks, enthusiasm, smiles and smooth demo performances!:)