Can iPad 2 cases compete with Smart Covers

I haven't even decided if I'm getting an iPad 2, but at least I can say I've seen a case for one.

Targus' 360-degree Rotating Stand, which arrived at my desk early this morning, boasts "iPad second-generation" support right on the box. The rear plastic cradle has appropriate cut-outs for the larger speaker, as well as the rear camera lens.

And, no, it's not backward-compatible: I tried popping my more portly first-gen iPad into the housing, and it fit about as well as my high school jeans. The curved edges look more like the construction of iPod Touch cases.

Available on March 11 once the iPad 2 hits stores, the $59.99 stand is attractively slim, and has a central pivot that can swivel the iPad into landscape or portrait mode while angling up for video viewing or FaceTime chats.

Maybe it was Apple's sexy-cute demonstration of its multicolored magnetic Smart Covers for the iPad 2, but accessory makers are bound to feel a little panicked about the iPad 2. I love my Apple-made iPad case, and still find it to be the best iPad case around among a field of good alternatives. Yet, the magnetic cover doesn't feel comforting to me. It remains to be seen whether other iPad 2 buyers-to-be will feel the same way.