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Can a "regular" folio iPad case and a keyboard co-exist? It's a tough combination, as I've noticed time and again, because the presence of one tends to mean compromise in the other. Most keyboard case solutions I've seen that offer a "real" case tend to be imperfect, and wouldn't appeal to most people. A rare exception was the Belkin Keyboard Folio for iPad 2, a clever little foldable case that tucked a large keyboard underneath its body. The Keyboard Folio could adjust itself as needed to fit your needs.
Belkin's second-generation redesign, the YourType Folio + Keyboard for the new iPad and iPad 2, has a simplified folio case design but takes a different stance with the keyboard: instead of folding underneath, it stays on the inside cover, but can be removed with Velcro.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Simpler? Yes. However, the new design isn't such a fantastic folio case. It's not terrible, but it's far from stand-out. It can act as its own iPad stand for landscape-mode movie viewing, but the YourType Folio isn't a design that rises up to meet the iPad like the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. Some may like it more for its overall protection, but there's nothing that revolutionary about the YourType that isn't in many other keyboarded cases already. Yes, it works. But, unlike the last version, this new case adopts no new ideas.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
The YourType's keys are mushier than the ones on the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, but they are comfortable and work well. While the keys are a bit smaller than on your average laptop, the Enter, Backspace, Shift, and arrow keys are all similarly proportioned. Nothing's overly squished. Once I adjusted to the keyboard's layout over a half-hour, typing was fast and functional. The YourType is ideally used on a desk or flat surface; on my lap it felt a little floppy and unstable. A row of dedicated buttons above the number keys activate iPad-specific functions like cut, paste, volume/play/pause control, and rudimentary text-selecting shortcuts. The YourType keyboard charges via Micro-USB cable and has a built-in rechargeable battery; it pairs with the iPad the same way all Bluetooth keyboards do.
