Must-Have iPad and Tablet Accessories

A basic iPad 2 ($499) is much cheaper than most laptops, and the Nook Color / Tablet and Kindle Fire are cheaper still. They're not exactly stand-alone tablets, though. When buying one, you need to factor in the cost of the accessories that you'll get. They're not too expensive, but they do make the price tags a little deceptive.

Which ones do you need, and why? Here's a quick summary, with some links to help get you started.

A folding (or other) case

With smartphones, you can sometimes get away with just putting them in a silicone sleeve and then tossing them in your pocket or handbag. So long as the screen isn't facing outward (because it's liable to get cracked that way), you're good to go.

Tablets are harder to keep safe that way. The screens are a lot bigger, so they're much easier to crack or scratch. So even if you're just taking yours in your handbag or backpack, you're going to want a case of some kind to put it in, to keep the screen safe and protect it from falls.

The iPad 2's Smart Cover ($39) is perhaps the purest example of a tablet case. It protects only the screen, and not the harder aluminum chassis. It folds back when not in use. It turns off the screen when it's folded over it. And it can fold into a stand for typing or watching movies. Other tablets have few options that are as convenient. There are also cases for the iPad 2 that turn it into sort of a laptop, since they have Bluetooth keyboards built-in. Speaking of which...

A keyboard

This is a "must-have" if you plan on using your iPad or other tablet to write documents on. There are apps like iWork and Quickoffice for tablets, but unless you have an external keyboard you need to type everything out on your tablet's flat screen, which is no fun at all after awhile.

Look for Bluetooth keyboards, especially compact or folding ones that can fit in a case or handbag alongside your tablet.

A 3G modem or Wi-Fi hotspot

Some tablets, like the iPad, have a 3G option that costs $100 or more extra and then requires a monthly fee. (You have to buy the 3G model upfront; you can't upgrade your tablet to a 3G version later on.)

The upside of this is, you can then connect to the Internet away from a Wi-Fi hotspot. Just make sure that the network you choose has good coverage in the areas you're going to use your tablet in...and that you'll actually be on the go enough to justify this. (A lot of us could get away with using our smartphones while on the road, especially if we're paying for a data plan for one of them already).

If you want to get wireless access for all your devices at once, including a laptop, an external 3G modem might be the way to go. Turn it on, and you suddenly have a Wi-Fi hotspot that anything you own can use. They have their own upfront costs, though, as well as their own (expensive) data plans.

Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Join the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own shopping guides.