The Brydge iPad keyboard case, a Kickstarter project, looks very promising. It features a full-sized keyboard in an aerospace-grade aluminum body, and it has a patent-pending hinge system that uses friction and magnets to securely hold your iPad – even when you try to shake it apart. The hinge rotates through almost 180-degrees, so you’ll have no problem finding the correct viewing angle. The keyboard is Bluetooth, so there are no cables. There are special iPad function keys, and the keyboard is USB chargeable. Closing the hinge causes both the iPad and the keyboard to go to sleep. An optional model even has speakers. The Brydge plus iPad is about the size and weight of a MacBook Air.
Although they have already received pledges for more than double the goal, you can still pledge a minimum of $210 to receive a Brydge with speakers. The pledge period ends June 4, and estimated shipping is October, 2012.
Send to Kindle
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
i’m constantly looking for iPad keyboard that is as good as for asus transformer.
this project is very promising, but 210 bucks!?
@Dmitriy It is expensive, but I really like that it has a full-sized keyboard. I’ve seen a lot of attractive keyboard cases, but they all have had undersized keyboards that are hard to type on.
@Dmitriy What about just getting one of Apple’s wireless keyboards?
While it’s a full layout, I don’t think you can have a “full sized keyboard” that is only as wide as the iPad.it’s a beautiful piece, and I’m sorely tempted, but I still like my Apple wireless with the InCase Origami Workstation case I reviewed a while back. It’s in my bag on most long trips, but not every day.
@Julie i like keyboard cases, not just wireless keyboards.
Cannot be a full size keyboard if it’s the same physical size as the iPad. As we said in our recent article…
http://www.rainydaymagazine.com/RDM2012/Home/April/Week4/RDMHomeApr2612.htm#iPadKeyboard_AppleWireless
…we have given up on the smaller keyboards. The Apple wireless is what we use with the iPad now. Form cannot trump function.
@Rainydayinterns I just held my iPad up to the keyboard on my laptop. I agree that there’s no way a keyboard case with the same footprint as an iPad could have a full-sized keyboard.
I can’t find a picture showing the full keyboard on the Brydge to see what the key layout is. I guess the keys that fit in the area could be the size, shape, and arrangement of a normal keyboard, and they had to double on the keys to fit the missing punctuation keys or whatever. Still, non-standard key arrangements are as bad as undersized keyboards.
At 22 seconds into the video there is a shot of the keyboard, face on. They manage it by taking about 3/8ths of an inch off the keys on the left, and something like 3/4s of an inch off the keys on the right (and of course the keypad is gone). Measuring on this keyboard I am typing on right now, shows that the keyboard thus trimmed is ten inches wide. I don’t know how that compares to the actual unit. (And for that matter, since I don’t (yet) have an iPad, I don’t know how that compares to the width of an iPad either.)
I’d be interested to know whether this device will let you re-orient the iPad in portrait mode while you have it open.
Perhaps its time to do a followup on this post. The project was funded almost 9 times over the original ask and now the developers have a real mess on their hands with very outspoken critics of their drastic change in the design of the hinge and very obvious lack of communication on their part with their backer community.
They also continue to take preorders on their commercial website for the product without a word on the design change.
Dah•veed
@David I’d forgotten about this one. It took me awhile to find an image of the redesigned hinge, but I don’t much like it either.
I received an email from the company that makes this product and they have officially launched and are taking orders. Their aluminum version is priced at $210, one without speakers is $170 and a Black Brydge made from polycarbonate composite is selling for $130. This model also comes in with built-in Bluetooth speakers.
Need one by 4/9 with speakers and no clitches.
@Marilu The Gadgeteer doesn’t sell these. You’ll need to contact Brydge directly.