The iPad has sold quite well in the United States, with over a million shipped, and tomorrow finally marks the international launch. We were just in Europe, visiting France, Italy, Germany, and Holland, where our iPad drew plenty of jealous stares and even small crowds on occasion. And our travels with the device helped us put it through some serious tests, revealing some strengths and weaknesses that are partially addressed by the accessories we have on hand today. We've already checked out some of the best iPad apps around, and today we turn our eye from software to hardware.

You could also choose to protect your privacy along with your screen. NewerTech and OWC offer the NuVue Privacy Screen Protector for the iPad, which works as a fairly decent screen cover as well- if not quite as nice to touch as the invisibleSHIELD. It applies fairly easily, with static cling instead of adhesive, meaning fewer air bubbles (though a bit more shifting). The main feature, though, is that it makes your screen nearly impossible to read when viewing from an angle… as long as the screen is positioned vertically. The idea is that you might want to share your screen for movies and videos, but would position it in landscape orientation- so the privacy shield works only in portrait orientation. This might be fine, except for the fact that email programs on the iPad work much better in landscape mode. Also, though glare was greatly reduced and the screen was quite effectively blocked to other potential viewers, the screen was noticeably dimmer with the shield on even when viewing directly. At $40, this is a fairly unique addition to your iPad, and definitely useful to folks wishing for protection from prying eyes.

NewerTech and OWC also offer a polycarbonate plastic shell for the back of your iPad, called the NuGuard. We liked that it didn't add much weight, but definitely offered more protection than a simple stick-on shield. It's transparent, so you can show off the Apple logo… but unfortunately also features a large Newer Technology logo as well which dampens the effect greatly. Installation is literally a snap, and all buttons and ports are still kept accessible. And we liked that it fit over our skins (see below). $25, and another unique solution that offers a bit of extra protection without bulk.