Found Footage: Kensington Bluetooth keyboard case for iPad
OK, admit it.
The multi-touch screen on the iPad is amazing for most of the work that you do, but when you're really trying to type a lot of words quickly, the virtual keyboard sucks.
We've seen a few similar keyboard cases demoed over the past few months, but this is the first we can remember from a well-known accessory manufacturer like Kensington. When it begins to ship next month, Kensington's Bluetooth keyboard case for the iPad will cost $99.
The case has hotkeys for launching the home screen, searching, and controlling media playback, which will keep you from reaching up to tap the screen while you're working. According to the post on Liliputing, the case comes with a Lithium-ion battery that powers the Bluetooth transceiver for up to 3 months on a charge. Blogger Brad Linder noted that the keys have a "soft, rubbery texture," which sounds regretfully like the infamous PCjr chiclet keyboard. Still, as Linder states, that's still better than the on-screen keyboard for fast typing.
In other iPad keyboard news, AIDACASE is reporting that their very similar Keycase Folio Deluxe for iPad is now shipping. The $99.99 case looks strikingly identical to the Kensington case, is charged through a Micro-B USB connector, and now has a magnetic flap to keep the folio closed when on the move.
For this blogger, I'd rather spend $69 and get an Apple Wireless Keyboard if high-speed typing on an iPad becomes a necessity.
[via übergizmo]
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OK, admit it. The multi-touch screen on the iPad is amazing for most of the work that you do, but when you're really trying to type a...
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I think the Clam Case (http://clamcase.com/) is a lot more aesthetically pleasing and I think would come in handy while traveling rather than taking my Macbook or my separate bluetooth keyboard. For home use I don't generally use a case.
September 16 2010 at 2:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI agree with most folks here (Don't think I'll get it), but my main reason is that I cringed when he shut the case and the screen went down onto the iPad. I know the screen is glass and all, but I also know that gritty junk can get into a keyboard, and I don't want that against my iPad screen. I'll stick with my Apple Wireless keyboard and the Griffin A-Frame stand. I rarely carry them around together, but that's the beauty - flexibility.
September 16 2010 at 1:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply"Sucks" is kind of a harsh word...
September 16 2010 at 12:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI have to agree that I'm having a hard time seeing the utility of these cases that seem to make your iPad that much closer to being a laptop. Maybe a laptop with a removeable screen is actually a product niche, but my feeling is that if I was going to want the keyboard most of the time, I would just want a laptop.
I see the keyboard as something that would be occasionally useful, so I think for me a keyboard case would need to be something easy and fast to get the iPad in and out of, and, of course, if you're using the iPad with another case, that adds to the inconvenience. I think a product with more utility might be a portable bluetooth keyboard with an integrated iPad stand, something that would accommodate an iPad with or without a case and that wouldn't have to be attached to the iPad all of the time. So far nothing I've seen seems better than the Apple keyboard, so I expect that's the route I will go.
Have you seen the upcoming clam case rob? While it looks like a sturdy case + keyboard, the keyboard can be inverted behind the iPad to be used just as a tablet.
September 16 2010 at 11:55 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIt does look sharp, but it suffers (in my mind) from the same drawbacks as any iPad keyboard case: It adds a lot of bulk and saddles you with the keyboard whether your want it or not. I love the idea of having a keyboard when I need it, but if I'm always going to want a keyboard on hand, then I guess what I really want is a laptop. The Clam Case looks like it provides a lot of options for how you use the iPad, which is a good thing, but ultimately I don't see myself regularly doubling the size of my iPad just so I can have all those options, nor do I see myself buying one for occasional use. A separate keyboard that you can take or leave at home, or take and leave in your bag when you don't want it, still seems like a more elegant solution.
September 16 2010 at 12:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyLooks like a great idea and a poor implementation. It appears to flimsy for reliable use. A hard case with better structural support would be preferred.
September 16 2010 at 10:53 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThey make those. They are called laptops :-)
September 16 2010 at 10:58 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAs much as I feel people should buy a full fledged laptop if they want a physical keyboard on the go, I gotta admit, that case -is- pretty slick.
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