Monday, February 10, 2014

ZAGGkeys Folio brings keyboard to tablets in hinged clamshell design

One of the gems I saw during my CES experience was not from a big 4k display or the onslaught of e-cigs, but that of a keyboard case. I have not been a fan of most keyboard cases I have seen or used, but using a clamshell design is unique enough to not have the keyboard on a flap or where you have to separate and mount upright, that it quickly changed my opinion on strapping a keyboard to my tablet. This mobile accessory is Zagg's folio and features a hinged design that is able to provide over 135 degrees of viewing angles, a backlit keyboard with island style keys, only 7.6mm thick, and packs a big enough battery to go up to three months between charges.  Now that my iPad Mini is snapped in place and I have already writteen three reviews from this keyboard, it's only fitting I write it's own review from it. 
The ZAGG Folio is a great little case, the hinge design is exactly what the tablet needed as it feels more sturdy, has great feedback while typing, and the backlit keyboard is great for both aesthetics and trying to type in dark surroundings. What I did not realize was that this clamshell's keys backlighting colors were customizable with seven different colors. The case also has a leatherette skin on the front and back to look sleek and provide grip during typing on both laps and desks. Hinges, if not built strong enough could be disastrous, causing slack while opened or closed but this folio's hinge is tight like a tiger with no slack after heavy use for the last two weeks. There were a couple nuisances that I encountered during usage but nothing too bad, I just cleaned it frequently and always, always, always proof read. The white skin picks up any and all dirty whether you see it or not, so that is the reason for the constant cleaning and the Bluetooth connection sometimes causes duplicate letters when typing, hence the proofreading commandment. 
Despite the two slight issues, this folio is the closest I have seen to successfully turning the iPad into a miniature MacBook, which I loved with the exception constantly moving my thumbs beneath the Space Bar looking for the touch pad. The Zagg Folio is available now for the iPad Mini and Air for the price of $99.99. Despite having to having to remove the tablet to play games in portrait mode comfortable, the ZAGG Folio is one of my favorite cases as it was great for working on the go when the laptop is not convenient to get to and always gets comments from tablet owners when I pull out the iPad Mini and quickly start typing away while they are fumbling with the touchscreen.

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