Through my relationship as a Best Buy WOLFBlogger, I was given a chance to review the Rocketfish Keyboard iCapsule for my iPad 2 this month and received it for free. I’m actually typing out my post on it right now in my local coffee shop.
So far, I’ve really liked using the integrated Bluetooth keyboard. The keyboard even has some cool shortcuts including volume controls, copy, cut and paste buttons and a feature which locks the screen with one click. However, there is no Delete or End button which can be a pain for writers. I can also use my pictures as a screensaver with one click. The keyboard gives you the tactile experience some people crave when typing. It’s my favorite part of the entire case and I can type much faster with it than the iPads native touch screen.
The biggest downfall is the bulkiness of the hard shell case. With my iPad inside, it weighs almost 5 lbs. It’s also 10 inches wide and 1.4 inches tall which is actually bigger than my smallest netbook. However, it’s much more convenient than carrying around my apple keyboard and trying to juggle both when walking into a client meeting. When the case is closed, both the keyboard and iPad itself are protected from bumps and, God forbid, drops.
Another cool feature is the iPad automatically shuts off when the case is closed which is a great battery saving tool.
One other issue is you can’t use your iPad in portrait mode, only horizontally. That can be a big problem for designers like me who need to see the “big” picture of their work.
All in all I’ve received a lot of compliments on the look and design of the case when it’s opened and closed. People tend to think it’s pretty cool and it’s become a nice conversation starter.
I would recommend it to people who write a lot and take a lot of notes. College students would love using it in class and professionals can easily use it during meetings and pack it into a small briefcase with no issues. I’ll be using mine regularly and hope to write more blog posts in coffee shops with it in the future!
You can find the iCapsule here.
Bought this in Jan of 2012 and broke it three months later. They have a very poor charging design. If you are charging the keyboard and accidentally open it, it is broke for good. AFTER you open it there is a small yellow warning tag that says not to open while charging. That warning is a little too late! I took it back to Best Buy and they could not help me. So I went home and tore it apart — what did I have to lose? There is a small control board that could be easily replaced. Called Rocketfish to order the replacement piece — of course they don’t have that part…..so I do not recommend this poorly designed product. They could have placed the charging port on the side of the capsule…
I still have mine and it’s working great. I get people asking me where I got it all the time. Funny, I was talking to the our business contact at Apple today and he said even Apple products are expected to have a certain ratio of failure so no product or manufacturer is perfect. I’m sorry you had a rough time of it. Thanks for your review!