Accessory Makers Setting Up Shop For iPad Release

The WSJ took a glance at what all the accessory makers for Apple’s creations are doing to prep for the big “A’s” latest spawn: The iPad. According to the report, many of them are taking a bunch of routes to set up shop for this thing in all different directions. Some are pushing production as fast as they can to have stuff laid out for the masses when the iPad comes home. Some are also waiting to see what the public wishes they could do with the iPad before they even start heading to the drawing board.

The moves show how an entire ecosystem of new hardware is ready to spring up around new Apple products. While Apple in recent years has spawned cottage industries of new software businesses — particularly around its iTunes App Store — the accessory business around its gadgets has also thrived and driven the growth of many third-party manufacturers. According to Piper Jaffray & Co. estimates iPod and iPhone accessory sales — including cases, headphones and chargers — totaled about $3.7 billion world-wide in 2009.

Wall Street Journal point to various case manufactures the likes of Griffin and Targus. Griffin stated that they were drawing up cases just a couple hours after the event took place while Targus said that they mapped up some cases before the damn thing was even seen by human eyes (Damn! Talk about first in line!), basing there ideas off rumors and renditions of the device, resulting in them having to make tiny altercations in their designs when they sent he actual thing. Besides cases (which is pretty much an obvious given that they were going to be created), other manufactures are planning to create a whole bunch of stuff including external batteries and docking stations equipped with speakers and woofers (OH YEAH!). However, all that stuff is going to be a little bit after the launch for the iPad being that they are going to need a little more time for that so they can see what kind of market is going to exist.

Apple played their part, showcasing some of their own in-house creations, such as a dock with and without a keyboard, and a book-like case that can be folded into a stand (both the dock and the case/stand are hot). They even showed some docking adapters for digital camera so they can use their photo with the iPad. The accessory selection should be just as crazy as it is for the iPhone, iPod, and Mac. Definitely should be just as crazy¦

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