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When will tablets like the iPad finally take over the laptop universe once and for all? It may not happen this year--or that year, for that matter--but convertible keyboard covers like the Logitech Keyboard Case will certainly accelerate the process.
We've wondered many times whether a good keyboard case could be the missing link that would make an ultraportable iPad an excellent tool for writing on the go. The $99 Logitech Keyboard Case by Zagg is the best we've seen so far. It's an update of last year's Zaggmate case for the iPad, tailored to fit the iPad 2's dimensions.
Unlike some cases we've tried before, the keyboard employed here is an honest-to-goodness "real" keyboard: the keys depress fully and feel physical, with no strange rubberized or flattened feel to them. The aluminum frame is the same width and length as an iPad 2, so when you're done typing, you can fold the iPad into it screen-down for travel.
The Logitech Keyboard Case works better as a keyboard than as a case, though. True, the iPad 2 nestles into the frame of the Logitech case smoothly, cradled by foam bumpers all around, and the case's matte aluminum finish matches the iPad 2's to a T. Yet, it fails to provide any protection for the iPad's back, one of the most vulnerable areas for scratching. When the iPad is seated in the case, it's also hard to casually remove it for quick use, and the iPad can't fit in the case screen-out. Also, while the iPad's screen is protected against contact with the keyboard thanks to several rubberized padded strips, it still made us a little uneasy to place keys so close to the glass. We chalk that up to iPad ownership neurosis.
