The Pi Dock-iT keyboard and iPad case is one that I’ve seen advertised in quite a few places this summer. I recently received one to evaluate. DockiT provided me with the keyboard and case in exchange for a blog post. That has not influenced my evaluation of it.
The Dock-iT Air iPad case and keyboard is an all-in-one package. Your iPad snaps into the holder and the keyboard closes on the face of your iPad when you close the case. When the case is open your iPad can be positioned in a “portrait” or “landscape” orientation. The support for your iPad (the support is constructed of what feels like aluminum) can be set at any of fifteen viewing angles as well as being laid flat on top of the keyboard. The large selection of viewing angles is great. I’m not crazy about how the case and iPad felt when lying flat in my hand. If you don’t need a keyboard, you might be better off with a standard iPad case.
The keyboard on the Dock-iT Air iPad case is my favorite thing about the case and keyboard combo. The keys have a crisp feel to them that makes touch typing easy by the standards of small keyboards. I’ve tried other small keyboards for iPads that lacked the crisp feel that I like when I’m typing. This review is being written on the Dock-iT Air keyboard. While I wouldn’t use this set-up to work on my Master’s thesis, I could definitely comfortably type a blog post or two on it. Students under 13 or anyone with smaller hands than mine might find the keyboard to be perfectly comfortable to use for hours of typing.
Pairing the Dock-iT Air keyboard to my iPad was a snap. I just turned on the keyboard, hit the connect key, then turned on my iPad’s Bluetooth setting where I entered the four digit pairing code provided by DockiT.
Overall, if you’re in the market for an iPad case and keyboard combo, I don’t think you can go wrong with the Dock-iT Air. Even though I didn’t give it a drop test, the case seems more than rugged enough for elementary school students who are prone to occasionally dropping their iPads. High school and college students who want a slick little package for writing notes without having to lug around their laptops will like the option to quickly type on their iPads.
At $79.00 the Dock-iT Aird is in the middle of the price range for keyboard and case combinations. Parle Innovation, the company that manufacturers the Dock-iT, is currently offering a free customizations of the case. Customization allows you to create a skin that displays your school’s logo or other graphic of your choice.
