Review: Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Mini
USING THE LOGITECH ULTRATHIN KEYBOARD COVER
It was a case of instant gratification to finally have tactile feedback for my keystrokes. Logitech’s keyboard is responsive, and the keys have just the right amount of resistance.
The keyboard does more than simply offer physical keys for a mobile typist. I regained nearly half of my screen’s real estate, and added special keys, such as apostrophes, numbers, and symbols, as well as arrows and the home screen button. All from a keyboard that is quite smaller than full-size keyboards.
Beyond the special keys, the keyboard provides shortcuts for highlighting text, locking the screen, pulling up Siri, searching the iPad for apps and files, opening Safari, bringing up the on-screen keyboard, snapping a screenshot, pausing and playing music, skipping or reverting to previous songs, controlling device volume, and cutting/copying/pasting text. Now, nearly all of the shortcuts I was accustomed to using on my MacBook became available on my iPad as well. While the keyboard has a caps lock key, there’s no LED to indicate whether or not it has been enabled. In a similar vein, to optimize battery life, the keyboard isn’t backlit.
My iPad typing experience quickly shifted from an uncomfortable ad hoc chore to one that was comfortably the equal of desktop typing. It only took a few minutes of typing to get used to the diminutive form factor.
One month in, I have yet to recharge the Ultrathin Keyboard; indeed, Logitech promises an astonishing 3-month battery life, assuming the keyboard is used for approximately two hours daily. Unfortunately, there’s no provision to display battery status, as there are no LED indicators on the keyboard, and my iPad couldn’t determine this information over Bluetooth, as it does with Bluetooth headphones.
BOTTOM LINE
The Logitech Ultrathin Mini Keyboard offers an authentic typing experience with an extraordinarily long battery life. It’s stylish, fully functional, and doubles as a protective case when it’s not in use. $59.99 at Amazon.
(Photos: Accura Media Group)
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