Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I ordered two of these, one in blue and one in white. Received a black one today--close enough to blue! In my notes below, I'm comparing it to the Apple Smart Cover. I know that's not entirely fair, since the Smart Cover costs 8x as much (at this writing, with introductory pricing) but at least it provides a baseline for comparison. Pros: --Looks great --Fits perfectly, all the cutouts are in the right place etc. --About as lightweight as seems possible for its function --Protects the back, unlike the Smart Cover --Paid $5 with free shipping, and it is well worth that. Actually, $5 is a great bargain. --Magnet in cover works fine for auto on/off when opening/closing --When the front cover is folded to a triangle, it holds the ipad mini up nicely for landscape viewing. Feels as stable as the Apple Smart Cover in this position. If you're using the folded back cover to type in landscape mode, it's about as good as the Smart Cover (which is to say, IMHO, barely useful). --3 year warranty from Poetic (if they will be around for that long) Cons: --When the cover is folded back flat, it doesn't make for really comfortable holding. Smart Cover is better in this regard. Edit: Cover folds back easier already with just light use. --The front cover is nowhere near as supple as that on the Smart Cover. A little concerned that with repeated folding it may not close firm and flat over the screen. --I'm concerned about the durability of the hinge, which is essentially cloth covered with plastic. --The edges of the front cover look like they might delaminate. They are not sealed in the same way as the Smart Cover. --Not exactly a con, but I don't know how much protection this will provide for dropping. Certainly more than the Smart Cover which has no back. The back on the Poetic is essentially hard plastic. No cushioning. Absolutely will protect from scratches. --Surprisingly hard to get out of the case (maybe I'll learn how to do it easily), which is good in a fall but not so good if you want it to go in and out a lot. One of the things I like about the Smart Cover is easy on and easy off. I'll probably want to keep the Poetic cover off for use in the house, simply because I like the feel of the iPad mini and don't like to encumber it needlessly. --Edit: Other reviewers mentioned a fishy smell. I hadn't noticed it but when I put my nose to the inner lining, sure enough it does smell like fish! In my experience all of these inexpensive cases start with a bit of a smell and that goes away pretty quickly. Update:I let it air for a couple of hours and the fish smell is gone already. Summary: Buy it if it stays so inexpensive, if only to use when you're taking your iPad Mini out of the house. If you have the $s you might also want to have a Smart Cover for in house use, because less protection may be needed at home and the Smart Cover is lighter, feels better with the front folded all the way back, and goes on and off easier (if you like to use the iPad Mini sans cover when possible). I plan to try a Skinkomi skin on the back for use with the Smart Cover. Edit: Just learned that Monoprice has a roughly comparable case for about $10. However it appears to be stitched around the perimeter of the top cover, which is an area of concern for me on the Poetic.