Review: Rocketfish iCapsule Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad

I have been through a couple of different bluetooth keyboard options for my iPad. I first purchased the Apple version. I loved it and it remains one of my favorite keyboards, but it lacked the portability I was hoping for. Putting it and my iPad into the bag I carry resulted in the keyboard being kind of smushed inside, which I decided couldn't be good for it.

My next attempt was with an all-in-one case and bluetooth keyboard I found on ThinkGeek for a song. I like the idea of it, but ultimately didn't like the keyboard itself. It's fashioned on the rubberized "foldable" keyboards one sometimes sees advertised. The keys were too sensitive and didn't offer enough tactile feedback, apart from being rather small.

The latest offering I have tried is the iCapsule from Rocketfish. I picked this up as an open box/clearance item at Best Buy today, so may have trouble getting the same steal I got, but it retails for $100 in most stores and online. The idea is an attractive one: the iPad is clipped into the lid of a laptop looking device, with a full laptop, tactile keyboard on the bottom tray, connected via bluetooth. Strangely enough, there is also a carrying handle on the rear hinge of the case which reminds me strongly of a See n' Say I had as a child.

The design is simple and rather elegant, even if the plastic is kind of cheap feeling. That there is so much of the plastic, however, is a comfort given that it appears it would take a good deal of shock away from the iPad if it were dropped. There is even a cut out on the back of the lid so the all important Apple logo can be seen! ;)

The keyboard itself is a dream to type on. I am currently using it to write this post and find I can go full, caffeinated speed on it and the iPad keeps up merrily. The keys are spaced well, and the right keys are in the right spots. There are a host of shortcut keys at the top, which I haven't yet learned in detail, but they cover such tasks as copy and paste and the usual media control keys.

The keyboard case so strongly reminds of a laptop that I sometimes forget I am using an iPad. I find my thumbs looking for a trackpad on the small wrist area below the keyboard. The hinge is strong and holds the iPad with ease in any of the different angles one might need. The only complaint, at this stage is the short time the keyboard remains powered on between key presses and the next time you might need to use it. However, a few quick presses of a key brings it back to life fairly quickly.

Another nitpicky complaint is the high gloss black plastic finish on the outside of the case. It shows fingerprints worse than the screen of the iPad itself. The last complaint would be that connecting external devices to the iPad is nearly impossible while it's clipped into the lid. The case allows for both landscape (while clipped into the lid) and portrait (using a slot on the keyboard itself), but either configuration makes it hard or impossible to have the charging/sync cable attached. The lid has a cut out for using headphones, but if you use high quality studio headphones like I do, you might have to trim away some of the rubber stress flashing around the plug to make it fit.

Bottom line, however, is that the iCapsule is a worthwhile investment. While I am glad I didn't pay full price for it, had I encountered it earlier in my iPad history, I would have doubtlessly got it. Four and a half stars out of five.

$100 from Best Buy, by Rocketfish (a Best Buy brand)