Michal Marek The iPad has come a long way since its introduction in 2010. Thanks to advanced applications, it has become a work or creative tool for many people of various interests and professions and is definitely no longer just a toy to kill a long time. However, the use of the iPad is somewhat painful for those who want to write at least slightly longer texts on it.
Even for pens of all kinds, there are excellent text editors tailored to the tablet. However, the software keyboard is a hindrance. Therefore, a number of manufacturers started to produce hardware keyboards.
When perusing the range of iPad hardware keyboards, you'll find that there are basically two types. There are models on the market that are also cases and artificially create a kind of laptop imitation from the iPad. This means that when you carry the iPad, you carry the keyboard and stand with you. However, few people need to have a typewriter from their iPad permanently, and the keyboard built into the case can often be rather a nuisance.
The second option is more or less portable keyboards with a classic plastic finish, which, however, do not suit the iPad very well and greatly reduce its mobility. However, the Logitech Keys-To-Go Bluetooth keyboard, which arrived at our newsroom, is different and, thanks to its unique design, is definitely worth paying attention to.
FabricSkin - more than just a marketing gimmick
Logitech Keys-To-Go is self-contained but at the same time tailor-made for the iPad, lightweight and perfectly portable. These properties are given to the keyboard by a special material called FabricSkin, which is a kind of leather imitation and seems perfect for the given use. The keyboard is very pleasant to the touch and it is really perfect for transport.
In addition to the aforementioned lightness, the material is also unique with its integral waterproof surface. You can easily spill water, dust and crumbs on the keyboard and then wipe it off easily. In short, dirt has nowhere to sink in or flow in, and the surface is easy to wash. The weak spot is only around the charging connector and the switch located on the side of the keyboard
When writing, however, FabricSkin is a material that you need to get used to. In short, the keys are not plastic and do not provide a clear response when typing, which the user is used to from classic keyboards. There's also no big clack, which is disconcerting at first when typing. Over time, quiet operation and pliable keys can become an advantage, but the typing experience is simply different and won't suit everyone.
A keyboard made for iOS
Keys-To-Go is a keyboard that clearly shows what devices it is designed for. This is not universal hardware, but a product tailored to iOS and use with iPhone, iPad or even Apple TV. This is proven by a series of special buttons located at the top of the keyboard. Logitech Keys-To-Go enables a single key to initiate a return to the home screen, start the multitasking interface, start the search window (Spotlight), switch between language versions of the keyboard, extend and retract the software keyboard, take a screenshot or control the player and volume.
However, the impression of a pleasant symbiosis is spoiled by the iOS system, which obviously does not take into account the full use of the keyboard. This manifests itself in shortcomings that, although minor, simply harm the experience of using the keyboard. For example, if you call up Spotlight with one of the previously mentioned special keys, you cannot start typing immediately, because there is no cursor in the search field. You can only get it by pressing the Tab key.
If you call up the multitasking menu, for example, you cannot naturally move between applications with the arrows. The overview of applications can be browsed with just normal gestures on the display, and they can also be launched only by touch. Controlling the iPad thus becomes somewhat schizophrenic when using the keyboard, and the device suddenly lacks its intuitiveness. But you can't blame the keyboard, the problem is on Apple's side.
The battery promises a three-month lifespan
The big advantage of Logitech Keys-To-Go is its battery, which promises a three-month lifespan. The keyboard has a Micro USB connector on the side and the package includes a cable that you can use to charge the keyboard via classic USB. The charging process takes two and a half hours. The status of the battery is indicated by the indicator diode, which is located in the upper right corner of the keyboard. It doesn't light up all the time, but there is a key under it, which you can use to turn on the diode and let the battery status be revealed once. In addition to signaling the battery status, the diode uses a blue light to alert you to Bluetooth activation and pairing.
Of course, the charging signal using a colored diode is not a completely accurate indicator. For more than a month of our testing, the LED was green, but of course it's hard to tell how much power the keyboard actually has left. The missing light of the Caps Lock key also freezes. But that's really just a detail that can be easily forgiven for an otherwise perfectly designed keyboard.
Three colors, the absence of a Czech version and an unfavorable price tag
The Logitech Keys-To-Go keyboard is commonly sold in the Czech Republic and is available in three colors. You can choose between red, black and blue-green variants. The downside is that only the English version of the keyboard is in the menu. This means that you will have to write letters with diacritics or punctuation marks and other special characters by heart. For some, this lack can be an insurmountable problem, but those who type on the computer more often and have the layout of the keys in their hands, so to speak, probably won't mind the absence of Czech key labels so much.
However, what may be a problem is the relatively high price. Sellers charge for Logitech Keys-To-Go 1 crowns.
We thank the Czech representative office of Logitech for lending the product.
Looks interesting. But would it be possible to provide one photo when reviewing the keyboard so that it would be advisable to see what its layout is? Thanks.
I have a BT keyboard from Apple with a cover from Incas, which I also use as a stand and it writes great, yes, but I have to say that the absence of returning to the home page, multitasking and other things really takes away points from it..
iOS keyboards have a square key on the top left. This should be used to return to the home screen. Tip: double-press this key to bring up the app-switching interface (like double-pressing the home button), making up for the missing multitasking hotkey at least a little. And since the function buttons on the keyboard to lock the iPad and the button to return to the desktop perform their functions perfectly, you can use the triple touch Fn+Home+1(lock) to take a screenshot.
Unfortunately, the iPad and the keyboard is a long and sad story. IOS has (compared to Android) somewhat poorer support for controlling the user interface with keys. On Android, for example, you can use the keys to scroll through menus, move around the home screen, launch applications, use multitasking with the familiar Alt+Tab shortcut, etc. iOS insists that it is a touch system and lets the user know that the keyboard is simply extra and as such only suffered by the system. And it's a shame. I use the iPad mini with the keyboard quite intensively.