Michal Marek The use of an iPad keyboard is a relatively controversial matter, and its merits are disputed. Some users simply can't get along with the built-in software keyboard and are unable to write even the shortest texts comfortably with its help. So they reach for various external hardware solutions or buy expensive cases for the iPad Folio, which have a keyboard. However, others claim that with an additional keyboard, the iPad loses one of its main advantages, which is its compactness and mobility. These people say that the hardware keyboard completely negates the basic philosophy of the iPad and they consider it to be complete nonsense. The Touchfire Screen-Top Keyboard product is a kind of compromise and a solution that could theoretically appeal to both groups of users described above.
Processing and construction
The Touchfire Screen-Top Keyboard is certainly not a purebred hardware keyboard, but a kind of minimalist tool for increasing the comfort of typing on the iPad. It is a film made of transparent silicone, which is attached directly to the body of the iPad with the help of magnets embedded in the plastic bottom bar and plastic upper corners, where it overlaps the classic software keyboard. The purpose of this foil is clear – to provide the user with a physical response of individual keys when typing. The magnets used are strong enough and the film holds perfectly on the iPad. Even when writing and handling the iPad itself, there are usually no unwanted shifts.
The silicone used is very flexible and can basically be folded and squeezed indefinitely. The only obstacle in the consistency and flexibility of the entire product is the already mentioned lower plastic bar and above all the elongated rigid magnet that is placed in it. There are convex buttons on the silicone foil that fairly accurately copy the keys of the built-in keyboard. Slight inaccuracies in the overlap can be noticed and half a millimeter can be missed here and there. Fortunately, these inaccuracies are not significant enough to actually bother you when writing.
Use in practice
As stated above, the purpose of the Touchfire Screen-Top Keyboard is to provide physical feedback to the user while typing, and it must be said that the Touchfire does a good job of that. For many, it is certainly important that they feel at least a slight reaction and bending of the given key while typing, which this silicone film reliably provides. In addition to the compactness of this solution, the fact that the user only "improves" the keyboard he is used to, and does not have to adapt to a new product, is also an advantage. It continues to use Apple's software keyboard with its typical layout and only benefits from the comfort of the physical feedback that Touchfire provides. With hardware keyboards, the user has to deal with the various locations of specific characters and take into account the presence or absence of Czech localization. With Touchfire, other ailments of external hardware are eliminated, such as the need to recharge its battery and the like.
After finishing writing, it is almost a must to remove the silicone cover from the display. Touchfire is transparent enough for comfortable keyboard use, but not for comfortable content consumption and reading from the iPad display. Thanks to the flexible design, Touchfire can be rolled up and attached to the bottom of the display using magnets. However, it's not the most elegant solution, and I personally couldn't accept having a silicone cocoon hanging from one edge of my iPad. The Touchfire accessory is compatible with Apple cases and some third-party cases, and the writing pad can be clipped to the inside of supported cases when carrying the iPad. The compactness of the iPad is thus preserved and it is not necessary to carry an external keyboard in addition to the tablet itself or to use heavy and robust cases with the keyboard inside.
záver
Although the Touchfire Screen-Top Keyboard is a fairly original solution to typing on the iPad, I can't say that it appeals to me too much. Maybe it's because I'm just used to the software keyboard, but I didn't find typing noticeably faster or easier when using the Touchfire silicone cover. Although the Touchfire Screen-Top Keyboard is a very minimalistic, light and easily portable device, it still bothers me that the iPad loses its integrity and uniformity with it. Even though the Touchfire foil is the lightest and smallest, in short, it is an extra item that the user has to take care of, think about, and carry with him in some way. In addition, during testing, I couldn't get over the fact that this is an unsightly intervention in the cleanliness of the iPad's overall design. I also see a certain danger in the unprotected magnets with which the foil is attached to the iPad. Could these magnets scratch the glass on the frame around the iPad display if handled less carefully?
However, I don't want to just bash the Touchfire Screen-Top Keyboard. For users who are not used to the touch keyboard and find it difficult to get used to it, this solution will certainly be an interesting alternative. The Touchfire film scores points mainly for its portability, it is practically unbreakable and, as I have already described above, it has many advantages over the classic hardware solution. It's also worth noting that I've been using the Touchfire film on a large iPad, where the keyboard buttons are quite large and usable on their own. On the iPad mini, where the buttons are much smaller, perhaps the benefit of the film and the physical response when typing would be greater. However, there is currently no similar product for Apple's smaller version of the tablet, so this speculation is pointless at the moment. A big advantage that has not been mentioned so far is also the price. This is much lower than external keyboards and completely incomparable to Folio cases. The TouchFire keyboard can be purchased for 599 crowns.
We thank the company for the loan ProApple.cz.
Relatively old solution and useless :)