Kevin Bostic
Computer accessory maker Logitech announced on Tuesday that it would be rolling out a version of its Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for Apple's iPad mini.
The Ultrathin Keyboard mini brings the same features Logitech implemented with the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the full-size iPad. It will include Smart Cover functionality, keys to control the iPad mini's media functions, and full-size EasyType keys for faster typing.
EasyType keys also offer iPad function shortcuts, allowing users to copy, cut, paste, and carry out other common word processing actions. Logitech also says the keyboard will have a three-month battery life, assuming two hours of usage per day.
The new keyboard connects to the iPad mini via Bluetooth, and its body contains magnets, allowing the device to securely latch onto the iPad. It also doubles as a hands-free viewing stand.
The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard mini will be available in the United States and Europe beginning in February of 2013. Its suggested retail price is $80.
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25 Comments
Why doesn't Apple make something like this?
Not a big fan of Logitech. Their products lack the level of production quality of Apple. Too plasticky and cheaply made. I prefer to get only Apple accessories...and if Apple doesn't make them (which is common) then I usually pass. I also shy away from accessories that I have to carry, pack, charge, or just store. They seem to add bulk to the iOS device and take away from the elegance of the design. Having said this it looks rather intriguing, especially for the Mini. I will check it out.
Why doesn't Apple make something like this?
Because they don't need to.
Why doesn't Apple make something like this?
Apple leave lots of niches for third-party accessories, and there are lots of keyboard choices. (Keyboard attachments are a big and popular niche, but a niche nonetheless: a tablet is at its best being a tablet, not a wannabe laptop. And attaching a keyboard to a tablet with no real adjustable hinge is always going to be a little cheesy and awkward and lacking Apple simplicity; true of this, true of the Surface. That said, I'd gladly use one of these sometimes and leave it home doing no harm the rest of the time!)
This keyboard is the clear winning option in my book, since it uses the magnets instead of plastic friction clips. I like the Fn-Arrow commands to select text, too.
Logitech beat Microsoft to the Surface punch: they've been selling these for the full iPad long before Microsoft mimicked (and, yes, enhanced greatly) Apple's magnetic Smart Covers.
I like these better than the Surface because of a) more key travel and b) most important: portrait support! Plus, no awkward kickstand. (The kickstand would have a real benefit... if it were adjustable! Missed opportunity there.)
Not a big fan of Logitech. Their products lack the level of production quality of Apple. Too plasticky and cheaply made. I prefer to get only Apple accessories...and if Apple doesn't make them (which is common) then I usually pass.
I also shy away from accessories that I have to carry, pack, charge, or just store. They seem to add bulk to the iOS device and take away from the elegance of the design.
Having said this it looks rather intriguing, especially for the Mini. I will check it out.
I agree with all of the above... bulk = bad! But I'd take a keyboard like this with me just SOMEtimes and be glad for it. (BT uses little power, so charging would be rare.)
I know people who have largely replaced their computer with an iPad, but only because they got an external keyboard.
As for Logitech quality, I too have concerns: I've had a couple of their products die, and a couple feel cheap. Others have felt great and lasted forever, though, so it's hit or miss. The tie-breaker: every other attachable iPad keyboard seems even more cheap, and doesn't attach by magnets! (Folios? Holy bulk, Batman!) And reviews for this (full-size iPad version, on Amazon, Wirecutter, etc.) have been great.
I wish it came in red-and-black. (The full-size one comes in a third color, red-and-white.)
[quote name="1983" url="/t/155815/logitech-unveils-ultrathin-keyboard-for-apples-ipad-mini#post_2271473"]Why doesn't Apple make something like this?[/quote] If Apple made something like this, people would complain they're gouging customers. If Apple doesn't, people will complain that Apple doesn't innovate. Damned if they do, damned if they don't. This is what it means to be Apple.