Apple iPad Keyboard Dock user reviews

Pros Apple keyboard quality, iPad-specific keys like a Home and Lock button. Great for email and general typing.

Cons Portrait-only orientation, over-priced, not very portable, not well-suited for use on your lap. For the cost of a $10 USB keyboard and the $30 iPad Camera Connector kit, you can have nearly the same functionality.

Summary Were it not for the portrait-only orientation, I would be willing to at least recommend it for use at a table or desk. But if, like me, you find yourself constantly swinging the iPad into landscape mode because zooming the screen in portrait mode doesn't provide an acceptable level of zoom without the need for horizontal scrolling, you'll get annoyed with the keyboard dock pretty quick.

The real kicker is that the only other device that can make use of this $70 accessory is the 4th gen iPod touch. Nobody knows if it will be compatible with the next generation iPad, but what we do know is that Apple has no reservations about drastically altering hardware so that even their own branded accessories are rendered obsolete within a couple of years (ie: the iPod Hi-Fi).

The other pill that's hard to swallow is that it's the same price as the much more functional and portable Apple wireless keyboard. I finally broke down and bought one, and haven't touched the keyboard dock since.

Due to the fact that the iPad must be removed from just about every case on the market before it will fit into the keyboard dock, I can't even recommend it for charge/sync purposes.

Basically, depending on your personal needs, either you'll love it or you'll kick yourself for not getting the wireless keyboard for the same price. Maybe if Apple included one of those dock extender cables like the ones sold by CableJive I'd be able to give it a higher rating.

Updated on Jan 29, 2011

Just wanted to add that my daughter loves using the Keyboard dock for charging her iPod touch and making Facetime calls. It's about the only dock I've seen that's heavy enough to withstand coming off the table when removing the device.
Also, I ordered this thing at the same time I ordered the iPad itself. Had I been able to give it a test drive, I would never have spent this much for a half-baked accessory that is surely doomed to be obsolete within the next couple of years. Then again, had I known what changes were in store for the 2010 Macbook Air, I'd have skipped the iPad altogether. Hindsight is 20/20.

Pros it makes all typing easier.

Cons it kind of defeats the purpose of the whole touch thing.

Summary Don't get me wrong, I would so get this if I had the iPad, but I don't know, if I got the keyboard I would want a mouse and before I knew it I would literally be using this thing like a laptop. And the iPad isn't exactly cheap.

Pros easy to connect and allows you to free yourself from holding the ipad while typing

Cons cannot use the ipad horizontally and it is not portable

Summary If you want a better option for a keyboard, I would suggest the Menotek Flexible Bluetooth Waterproof Mini Keyboard. It is a compact and portable keyboard that can be used with the iPad and other devices. I bought it on Amazon.com for just $29.99. I bought it and forgot about the one from Apple.

Pros I'm sure I'll find a use for it.

Cons After a day of using the on-screen keyboard, the physical keyboard became obsolete. I spent $70 for a glorified dock. If you bought an iPad, the weight was probably a top selling point. You won't pack this thing along in your backpack.

Summary I apologize for actually buying and USING the product instead of TROLLING. However, it does seem pretty useless. Unless you're a die-hard Luddite you'll pick up the onscreen keyboard in no time.