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BYOD and the Consumerization of IT

Topic: iPad

iPad keyboard cases for BYOD (February 2013 edition)

Summary: Here are the four of the best iPad keyboard cases that I've tried, along with pros and cons for each. Every one of these keyboard case combos is well-suited to BYOD use.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

By for Hardware 2.0 |

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Bonus: ClamCase Pro

This one is not out yet—it ships in March—but it's the smartest, most beautifully engineered iPad case to day. With this case you can turn the iPad into what looks, feels, and essentially works, like a MacBook Air.

Pros:

  • Very well made
  • Sturdy, and offers a fair bit of protection for the iPad
  • Beautiful
  • Well-engineered keyboard

Cons:

  • No backlight on the keys

Price: $169.

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Topics: iPad, Mobility, BYOD and the Consumerization of IT

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8 comments
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  • They still look bulky and clumbsy

    I'm sure they help get the job done when typing is required, but all of them are at direct odds with the strengths of the iPads designs.
    Emacho
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Best on offer

    turns a tablet into a laptop/ultrabook clone.

    Interesting conclusion.
    Little Old Man
    Reply Vote

  • Still missing the boat.

    Maybe I just want my cake and to eat it, too. None of these keyboards are worth a hoot to a good touch typist. I don't care how thin or how protective or how portable the keyboard might be. I'll take my full size Dell BT wireless keyboard with full travel keys and tactile feel any day, any time. And I'm waiting for a good keyboard that will do Android and Apple, both. Better yet, why not a slot in my Dell Keyboard that will allow an Ipad and an Android phone in the same slot? Just touch the screen of the one which you wish to type. Where is this? I'm not gonna nibble on this bait until it has full travel keys, good tactile feedback and sculpted for the fingers. From where did "Flat top" keyboard keys come? Pianos? The best portable keyboard EVER DESIGNED was the quad fold up keyboard for the Palm Pilot of some years ago. Was not bluetooth, but had the greatest full keyboard feel and practicality. Folded to the size of a paperback book. Did Palm end up buried in some conglomerate empire somewhere? I bought one of those and still have it if anyone wants to see what a real keyboard looks like.

    Ahhh...fantasies and dreams, if only they'd come true! Clicking my ruby red slipper heals together. Isn't there an Android app for that?
    teslaspark@...
    Reply Vote

  • You missed the boat on the ZAGGKeys PROfolio+

    It protects the back of the ipad. http://www.ebay.com/itm/300833663234 I think it's too easy to disengage though.
    Dave.57
    Reply Vote

  • Can it really be both?

    Is the Logitech Ultrathin both a solid piece of kit and something that feels fragile? I've been thinking about getting one, but then remember that my laptop, while heavier and larger, has a comfortable keyboard, tons of storage relative to my iPad, and has all my stuff on it locally, so I don't need to rely on WiFi wherever I go.
    MasterBillyQuizboy
    Reply Vote

  • If I needed a keyboard for...

    the things I do on my tablet, I would just purchase an Ultrabook. It's pointless to buy a thin, light device like a tablet, then encumber it with a heavy, crappy, keyboard case. At that point, you are approaching the weight and bulk of an Ultrabook, so why not just get that instead?
    BillDem
    Reply Vote

  • The shots of the ClamShellPro

    Are misleading, and look like MBA shots. The Clamshell Pro, which is now being shipped, is white plastic underneath, not aluminum or silver. Early reviews are people find it to be the most solid KB of all the KB-covers out there
    Non-Euclidean
    Reply Vote

    • Maybe its the shadows..

      The top, and I think part of the sides are silver paint.

      Some early shots/reviews here...

      http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1541521
      Non-Euclidean
      Reply Vote
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