Most keyboard cases for iPad 2 are hard-to-hold book-style cases or have the keyboard in a separate piece that snaps over the iPad 2. The new Fold-Up Keyboard for iPad 2 from Logitech fits over your iPad 2 like a silicone case would (top image), though it will add more thickness and weight than silicone covers. The keyboard case is even compatible with the Smart Cover. When you need it, fold out the keyboard hidden underneath the iPad 2. Unlike the book-style cases, this keyboard is full-sized. When the keyboard is in use, the iPad 2 will be supported at a comfortable viewing angle in the horizontal orientation. The keyboard is powered by a USB-rechargeable battery. It automatically wakes and connects via Bluetooth when opened; it turns itself off when folded. There are shortcut keys for frequently used functions, like copy, paste, undo, and more. The Fold-Up Keyboard for iPad 2 is $129.99 at Logitech.
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At what point do you say the heck with it and buy a laptop?
I concur. Period.
Don’t like Bluetooth and battery keyboards. come on logictech, you can do better than this!
@Kevin, @Joe:
Actually…in a few years, the question will be flipped to “at what point do you say heck with a laptop???”
This is not the case today, but that day is getting closer. Either the laptop screen will be removable and becomes a tablet or the tablet will get powerful enough that it will mate with a keyboard when needed to become a laptop.
I must concur RainyDayInterns. I have all three devices: desktop, laptop, tablet. The odd man out is the laptop – it must be 3 months since I last booted up my laptop. Even on vacation, I bring the iPad in lieu of the laptop.
The Asus Transformer is going to be the wave of the future, where the keyboard becomes a docking station for the tablet.
Did you see this new tablet/laptop (10 inch) by Dell?
You can turn the screen and convert the laptop into a tablet.
Prices I saw are about the same as an iPad.
Anyone experience with it?
@Ronald, Dell has been trying to sell this for two years now. The concept seems sound on the surface but is flawed in real life usage.
The problem in a nutshell is that you are carrying the keyboard dock with you, all the time, even when you are not using the keyboard.
The Dell is 1″ thick and weighs 3 lbs. Nearly all of the popular tablets are under 0.5″ thick and weigh 1 lb or less. Thus, you are paying a 0.5″, 2 lb penalty to carry that keyboard with you all the time.
The secondary problem is that the Dell runs Windows 7, which was never designed to be a touchpad OS.