Tablets are great for certain tasks and even data entry is fairly straightforward on a device as large as the iPad, but for many people nothing quite matches the feel and speed of a real keyboard. Netbooks because hugely popular because they offered the ability to work on the move with lots of portability and tablets offer the same, to a point, but data input will still be seen as lacking by a proportion of the market. The best solution is to go for the best of both worlds and carry an add-on keyboard with you, but that can take away the portability you already enjoy. An even better solution would be to incorporate a keyboard in a case and make it work with the iPad so that it can be a laptop when you want it to be and a tablet the rest of the time. It’s time to review the iPad Case with Bluetooth Keyboard from Brando.
The case
As a case it works very well and is made of good quality materials. It feels like many other cases that sell for the same price as this one and for this alone the value is immediately pumped up. The design allows you to rest the iPad at a near vertical angle and to also use it at a shallow angle when the keyboard is not being used. There are ridges just above the keyboard which the iPad surround cleverly slots into when in the near vertical position and this is how the case can be used on a lap and not just on a flat surface like the official Apple keyboard dock. This flexibility alone gives it a head start, but I have to say that the solution is not perfect on the lap; it is slightly too vertical and also does not have the complete stability you may want. However, it does the job which is impressive for a leather design and after some time I did get use to the feel no matter what position I held it in.
The keyboard
This is a silicone keyboard and thus does not offer the feel you would get from a plastic key design. There are advantages and disadvantages to this; it is exceptionally quiet and will not disturb anyone around you and the key material means that you are highly unlikely to damage the iPad when the case is closed. However, it does take some time to get used to and is a design you will either love or hate. I say that, but I am in two minds over it- it is much, much quicker than the iPad screen keyboard for me and surprised me with the speeds I could attain and it is also quite comfortable to type on for long periods. The feel does continue to bug me slightly though and I can’t work out of that is purely a state of mind.
Conclusion
This is a huge bargain for $59. The case is very well made and shuts to protect the iPad from every angle, albeit increasing the depth of the unit somewhat. The Bluetooth connection mechanism is very quick and I was up and running in no time, to the point that the wireless connection is not even noticed because it all feels so natural. I am still waiting for the battery to run down and I haven’t even charged it since I received it so expected battery life over the long term is also excellent.
If you are looking for a keyboard attachment for your iPad, but don’t want to spend a fortune I can recommend this one highly. The only caveat is that your view of the silicone keyboard may differ from mine.
For those of you with a Samsung Galaxy Tab, Brando also sells the same model for the Tab at exactly the same price.
I’ll have to see if I can try one in a store. Sounds very promising.