24 Sep 2010 |
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iPad wireless keyboard folio reviewEvery so often, here at Good Web Practices we manage to get our hands on some of the latest gadgets to review. Fresh of a lot of press from Engadget a few weeks back and now Slashgear just this week, is GearZap.com's iPad keyboard, which is a bluetooth keyboard, which is neatly stored within a folio, which essentially turns your ipad into a pseudo laptop. Here's our take on it: The conceptThe concept of having a wireless keyboard for your iPad is of course not a new one, with the availability of the Apple wireless keyboard which can neatly sit underneath your shiny iPad. However, where the keycase folio excels is that it has managed to incorporate the keyboard into a neatly packaged folio case, which means not only get the added functionality of a keyboard, but also a compact, and fairly rugged leather case to carry round. The case itself, fits together well when closed, and has a sleek minimalist black design, which gives the impression of the high quality product. The leather itself is perhaps not up there with some of the other expensive iPad cases available, but to be honest it looks the part, and can be quickly forgiven for its minor shortcomings. The folio and caseThe folio is well put together, with neat edges and a relatively snug fit when you place the iPad inside, meaning it won't move around when you close it. There are no nasty plastic or metal parts anywhere near the iPad either, so there is no chance any of the actual case doing damage to the iPad which I've experienced with other products and their cases. The case when closed, neatly comes together and is held shut lightly by four magnets, tight enough to keep it shut within the realms of day to day use.
Keyboard usabilitySo, onto the keyboard - and arguably the deal breaker in any such product. The good news is that the keyboard has been well designed, even for me, who is by no means an very accurate typer (being used to hammering away on my old mac book pro keyboard). As someone who finds netbooks a little frustrating to work on, due to their small size (I keep hitting the wrong keys), the keycase keyboard didn't take too long to get used to. The indent around each key makes this possible, ensuring I only hit the key I am targeting. After a few minutes of concentrating on my accuracy, I was able to switch off and type as I would on any other keyboard - surely an indication of a well designed product. The keyboard itself feels a little odd at first for those who are used to the more standard hard plastic keys, the whole keyboard itself is made from a spongy rubbery material. But as I said, after a few minutes I had quickly forgotten this and was used to the change of texture. It certainly didn't impact my ability to type.
The bad bitsThe battery is meant to last for an impressive 90 hours and we've seen no signs of it giving up yet. We also had no problems connecting the keyboard, a simple power switch and then a big connect button to press to pair the bluetooth devices. Arguably, as seems to the general consensus in other reviews, one of the shortfalls is not so much with the keyboard itself, but more that the ipad is not designed in the first place to use a keyboard, so inevitably there are a few functionality issues which hamper productivity and can prove a little frustrating. The biggest one for me is the spell checker, as you still need to tap on the screen to correct spellings, there is no intuitive way to do so from the keyboard. ConclusionOverall the keycase iPad keyboard folio (which is still no easier to roll of the tongue!) is certainly an innovative product. As one of the first to emerge, the product has a number of minor shortfallings, it can be easily forgiven for its highly practical and smart design. One questions why you would have bought an iPad in the first place if you wish to use a keyboard all the time, but to have the option to do so is certainly a good thing. When combined with a solid, sleek looking case that will certainly be able to take a knock or two and perhaps the odd spill on it during your iPad's life, the keycase folio is a highly recommended product. Pros:
Cons:
A big thanks to GearZap.com, who sell a wide range of other nifty and innovative iPad accessories, for letting us get our hands on this product, we understand it's in hot demand at the moment! Comments (1)
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Just thought you might like to know that GearZap and MobileFun have released an updated version of the Keycase Folio called the Keycase Pro Folio for iPad 2. |
