The day before my iPad arrived I got a package from Targus, makers of cases and bags for carrying all manner of gadgets and personal stuff. In that package was a nice brown leather case sized perfectly for an iPad. The outside of the case is handsomely stitched with a big flap that folds over a pocket where the iPad and a small cache of business cards could fit snug and safely from the rigors of backpacks and briefcases.

The Targus Hughes Leather Portfolio Sleeve for iPad™ is a mouthful, but the name aptly describes the cover. It is well built, has padding to protect my iPad, has a nice oiled leather exterior and a no-scratch twill interior, even a magnetic clasp to keep the flap in place. The case has an executive quality about it, and it manages to keep the added bulk cases tend to heap on the iPad to a minimum. One of the reasons I bought my iPad was because it is thin; I don’t need to fatten it up with protective covers.

The sleeve is part of the Targus Hughes Collection of bags, and device covers and comes in either black or brown.

The problem with sleeve cases is that they are only useful and effective while the device is tucked safely inside. For me, sleeve cases would not be my first choice for protecting my iPad. I want something that can protect even while the device is in use and acts as a stand. Still, there’s no denying the this Targus sleeve is a handsome devil.

I decided to see what sort of public reaction I’d get with my Targus-ensconced iPad tucked under my arm. The local Barnes and Nobles was an excellent testing ground. It has free WiFi, and a high concentration of book readers — people who would presumably use an iPad and so, a Targus case.

No one gave me or the case a second glance. I’m used to the former and was curious about the latter, so I asked several people around me what they thought of the case.

Rena, the young barista at the coffee counter said it was, “classy.” She liked the simple, but functional design.

Chris, the sandaled guy browsing graphic novels called the Targus case, “a classic. Nothing feminine about it at all.”

Feminine?

“It’s a great looking case,” Annette told me as she was preparing to leave. “Good color and I like the magnetic clasp. I’d buy one.”

Then there is Ivan, the dark complexioned man with a thick Southern European accent, who liked the case, but said he wouldn’t buy one for himself. “I think my wife would like it. It kind of looks like a purse.”

OK, I guess it does look like a large purse, which kind of accounts for the feminine comment, but I don’t count that as a bad thing. If I had to ding the Targus sleeve for anything, it would be the cheap looking plastic used in the interior of the case that holds business cards. It’s odd that Targus went through the trouble of designing such a nice looking case only to lessen its appeal with bad plastic bits. Luckily, you can’t see the plastic when the case is closed.

Still, my entirely unscientific poll was unanimous, The Targus Hughes Leather Portfolio Sleeve for iPad™ looks great, is less filling, and does a good job of protecting the iPad. If you’re looking for a sleeve style case and don’t mind a bit of homely plastic then I Highly Recommend* the Targus Hughes Leather Portfolio Sleeve for iPad™.

* Note: My rating system goes like this;

• Get it Now! - Highest rating and an absolute must-have
• Highly Recommend - Minor flaws, but a great product
• Recommend - Flawed, but still a solid product
• So-So - Problem product that may find a niche market
• Avoid - Why did they bother making it? A money waster.