Booq makes an array of tech-savvy and sturdy carrying and covering accessories, and recently I was able to review the Booqpad mini Agenda for iPad mini ($39.95). This leatherette folio brings together your iPad mini, stylus, and business and credit cards, with a 50-page notepad. Lightweight but functional, the Agenda ensures you are ready for that next important meeting.
The interior of the Booqpad has a natty nubuck lining, with openings cut under the notepad into which you might secure business cards or other slim personal items. On the left side of the opened interior of the folio a sewn-in cover keeps your iPad mini in place and allows easy access to ports and controls (though the rear camera is completely covered). Attached to a tuck-in flap that wraps under your inserted iPad, an elastic loop for inserting a stylus or pen makes sure your writing implements come along for the ride.
The Agenda stays closed thanks to a flap with a heavy-duty snap on the outside and is roomy enough for an additional pen clipped in the center (if you have a stylus already in the stretchy sleeve, for example). The writing pad is nothing special at first glance (no graduated lines, etc.), but spacious enough for quick writing tasks, and made of 30% recycled soy-printed paper. The folio is designed to be reversible for either left or right-handed users.
If I were to critique the Booqpad just a little, I would say it is just that and nothing more—a folio. It doesn't do double duty as a stand, and has no smart covering capabilities. If you want to type comfortably from an external keyboard, you have to prop it up on something. I removed the writing pad and tried placing my Belkin keyboard in it's place. Once snapped shut, it was a reasonably secure way to carry mini with the keyboard, but I needed an external backstop like a wall or desk for extended typing when opened up.
The Verdict
The Booqpad Agenda for mini is an exceptionally styled cover and folio. The interior pockets don't serve any function besides carrying small, thin items, but the writing pad is handy for a quick note. If you have been searching for a tote and note-enabling case for the iPad mini, the Agenda will serve nicely, though a stand feature would be a useful addition to the design.
Pros:
Sturdy Leatherette styling
Added notepad in a roomy folio
Cons:
No Smart features or stand