Apple's iPad Keyboard Dock Reviewed
by Anand Lal Shimpi on April 13, 2010 2:35 AM ESTFinal Words
The iPad Keyboard Dock is good at one thing: turning your iPad into a desktop writing station. Think typewriter but with a different sort of multitouch. If the iPad is the perfect computing device for you, the keyboard dock is going to make it that much better. The ergonomics problems of using the iPad at a desk are solved, as are the typing speed issues thanks to Apple's excellent aluminum keyboard design. If the iPad was made for you, the $69 Keyboard Dock will be worth every penny. It'll turn your beloved iPad into a mini iMac Touch.
What it won't do however, is make the iPad any more attractive to you. If you can't deal with the limitations of the platform, the keyboard dock doesn't do you much good. Even if you just hate the idea of a virtual keyboard, the dock won't help much since it's a sort of awkward thing to carry around; not to mention that you need a desk to use it on.
Regardless of what side of the fence you're on, the quirks are annoying. It's great that Apple enabled some keyboard shortcuts (copy/paste/page up/down), but leaving out others (bold, reply) is disappointing. The lack of app switching is irritating but also understandable given the lack of a multitouch way to do the same.
Personally, I like it. It makes the iPad more useful at my desk and I like the ability to quickly pull it off the dock and carry it with me. I just wish you didn't need to take it out of its case all the time. The iPad is still much more portable of a device than a netbook, the keyboard dock just makes it more useful when you're not porting it around.
Like the iPad it pairs with, the Keyboard Dock is a very polarizing device. You'll either love it and think it's worth every penny, or burn all of your black mock turtlenecks in disgust.
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pullmyfoot - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - link
+24 articles in one week, (four!) devoted to the wonderful iPad.
wizzlewiz - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - link
Also am tired of hearing about Apple, 60% of all articles I've read in the last few days have been Apple this, Apple that, Adobe saying Apple should play with itself in the corner.Not hating on Apple, I just feel the tech world doesn't need every Apdate.
PsychoPif - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - link
I agree, there is already a ton a apple fan site out there that are more than happy to review every gadget Apple can sell.Anand, the site is great, we all love the inside view on CPU, the advanced reviews of graphic architecture, don't ruin it with an apple review every day.
The IPad is out, we heard. If anyone was remotely interested in it, I'm pretty sure they found out great alternate sources of information by now.
Griswold - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - link
And if you thought it will die down now, you need to think again!June/July is iPhone HD time! Duck and cover, for the reviews will be flying at you from every direction, also here at AT!
Anand Lal Shimpi - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - link
I can understand that the iPad isn't for everyone, which is why I've continually referred to it as a very polarizing device. Even in the keyboard dock review I mentioned that it's the type of thing that's almost as polarizing. It's going to either make you love your iPad more, or upset you even further. There's not much I can do about that.My goal has and always will be to provide the same sort of depth to whatever it is we cover - whether it's a new CPU, SSD, motherboard or even an Apple product. I believe Apple users deserve the same depth of content as owners of the rest of the products we review.
But it's not all about Apple. Today alone at the top of the site we've got a new SSD, a thorough look at the Nehalem EX, an update on GeForce GTX 400 availability and some more notebook stuff in addition to the iPad keyboard dock coverage. The accessory wasn't available at launch and after receiving it I thought it might be worthy of a quick review for those who are interested in the iPad, but in no way is it impacting the regular flow of other content on AT.
I was testing SSDs while I wrote up the review last night and am continuing to do so today as well :)
Take care,
Anand
MadMan007 - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - link
"iPad, but in no way is it impacting the regular flow of other content on AT"I see what you did there -_o
manicfreak - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - link
Is an Apple dock really that sophisticated that it needs 3 pages to explain what it does?Anand Lal Shimpi - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - link
Of course not, but the pros/cons and quirks worth mentioning justify it. Regardless of what we write, we want it to be as thorough as possible. 3 pages is pretty short on AT :)Take care,
Anand
michal1980 - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - link
theres reviewing, and then theres talking up a 'magical' device. When your reviews start talking of the great 'experance' and start to brush aside obivous glareing defects, you move past objective writing into, fanboism.IMHO the device is less polariising then the reviewers.
strikeback03 - Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - link
Well, for a device like this, the experience is a large part of what will make or break the device. For example, the experience of Windows Mobile on my HTC Diamond for me has overall been pretty bad, something that just specs can't relate. OTOH I have had very few troubles with my Archos 5, while others have numerous complaints. I'm sure both relate to how I use the devices, and what I expect from them.As a side note, I really like your smartphone coverage Anand. I appreciate the insight into the hardware and the future roadmap for such that is missing from most reviews at cell phone sites.