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Can an iPad really take the place of a laptop? For many users, the answer would be: “Not without a real keyboard.”
I hear that. Though I’m able to manage some basic touch-typing with the iPad’s onscreen keys, my fingers don’t fly nearly as nimbly as they do with a real set of QWERTYs.
Apple’s iPad Keyboard Dock is one option, but it forces you into a portrait orientation–and costs $69. For something a little more affordable, check out the Azio KB333BM Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard. (As opposed to a wired Bluetooth keyboard, I guess.)
Priced at $49.99, the Azio keyboard offers a full set of perfectly sized, perfectly spaced keys. It’s actually quite like a Mac keyboard, and in fact can be paired with a Mac (and an iPhone, and probably anything else that accepts Bluetooth input).
Having spent some time composing notes, e-mails, and other documents, I have this to say about the Azio: it rocks. The keys are comfy, the feedback is just how I like it, and the Bluetooth pairing works beautifully. Even if I haven’t touched the keyboard for a week. A couple of “wake-up” taps instantly re-establish the connection with my iPad. (The battery-sipping keyboard goes into standby mode after two hours of inactivity.)
Many of the available extra keys (like F1-F16, Command, Home, etc.) are useless in iPad apps, but others–like the play/pause/volume controls doubled onto some of the function keys–work very nicely.
I think my only complaint with the keyboard is that it’s not particularly portable. I mean, it’s thin and fairly lightweight, but also considerably longer than the iPad itself. You could toss it in a carry-on bag, but Azio doesn’t provide a case or anything else to keep it protected.
Even so, if you want to get one big step closer to the dream of using your iPad as a laptop, the Azio KB333BM is an excellent start. I really, really like it.
