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diff --git a/wired/old/published/belkinkeyboardcasereview.txt b/wired/old/published/belkinkeyboardcasereview.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e5e72aa --- /dev/null +++ b/wired/old/published/belkinkeyboardcasereview.txt @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +If you've every wanted to turn your iPad into a kind of iOS-based MacBook Air, Belkin's new Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad is the iPad case you've been looking for. Though the result will be slightly thicker than the 11 inch air, the weight and dimensions are otherwise pretty much spot on. + +When the iPad is closed up in the Ultimate Keyboard Case, the case measures around 0.75-inch thick and the whole thing weighs just under 2.5 pounds. For comparison Apple lists the newest 11-inch Air at .68-inch thick and 2.38 pounds. + +Unlike most of the [ultrathin keyboards we've looked at recently][1] the Ultimate Keyboard Case is both an ultrathin keyboard and a protective case, which is the only real drawback to what's an otherwise fantastic iPad setup -- there's no way to use just the case or just the keyboard. + +Essentially Belkin has taken a nice keyboard, very similar to the Logitech Ultrathin keyboard, and fused it with a nice plastic-framed folio-style iPad cover. So long as that fusing -- you can't have one without the other -- doesn't bother you then this is one sleek setup with some nice attention to detail. + +As you would expect the keyboard cover also acts as an on off switch and there are magnetic anchors that offer three different viewing angles. There isn't a huge difference between the three angles, but it's enough that you should be able to avoid glare in most situations. + +The case is a sturdy plastic shell with a flexible leatherish center that covers most of the back of the iPad with cutaways for the headphone port, microphone, Sleep/Wake button, camera, charger and volume controls. Belkin has gone further than just the basics we've come to expect though, adding some nice touches like a little built-in channel in the case that helps redirect the iPad's rear-facing speakers so that audio is a bit louder. Belkin calls it "SoundFlow design", which makes it sound more sophisticated than it is. It doesn't improve audio quality at all, but it works better than just say, reflecting and sound off the flat surface of an iPad smart cover. + +Many a nice iPad accessory has been marred by a poorly thought out keyboard, but thankfully that's not the case here. Belkin's keyboard isn't an exact copy of Logitech's Ultrathin keyboard (which remains, to my mind anyway, the gold standard in thin iPad keyboards), but it doesn't deviate much. The keys are roughly the same size, though more squared off, and the layout is essentially the same, although there are no dedicated single button keys for common actions like copy and paste. Instead you'll need to hit the fn button and the corresponding function key. It's not quite as convenient as the Logitech approach, but it won't slow you down too much. + +Typing on the Ultimate Keyboard Case's keyboard feels nice, the keys themselves have a decent amount of travel for a small chiclet-style keyboard. I also found that, despite the fact that Belkin's keyboard doesn't offer a cutaway around the spacebar (a huge [problem with the Archos keyboard][1]) it wasn't a problem because the actual keys are raised enough that you can hit the spacebar with ease. In short, although Logitech's Ultrathin is still the best keyboard I've used with an iPad, the Belkin is a close second. + +If you're looking for a complete keyboard and case solution the Belkin makes a great choice. In an ideal world the keyboard and case would be detachable and you could use the keyboard around the house and then throw on the case only when you're headed out. Unfortunately that's not the, ahem, case, here and, personally, most of the time I don't need the case portion of the Ultimate Keyboard Case so I'm sticking with the Logitech keyboard, but if you need both Belkin has you covered. + +Wired: Study case and a great keyboard that can prop up your iPad at a variety of angles. If you need a keyboard and a case this is one of the best. + +Tired: You can't have one without the other. There's no single-press solution for copy and paste. + +Rating: 7 + + + + +[1]: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2013/05/archos-ipad-keyboard/ +[2]: +[3]: +[4]: |