Fortysomething Geek

Today, Logitech announces the new K480 keyboard. It is a bluetooth keyboard that allows you to pair up to 3 devices. This sounds exactly like the K810/K811 I reviewed a while back.

Today I am going to give a quick review of the Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard also known as the K811 keyboard. If you ever wanted the same illuminated glowing feature of the Macbook for your desktop, this is the keyboard to get. It retails for 99ドル but can be had for 60ドル-80 when shopped aggressively.

This is a pretty slick keyboard. It is roughly the same size as the Apple wireless bluetooth keyboard.

Design wise, it is plastic with an real aluminum front plate finish. The aluminum is a nice touch and not some faux painted plastic. The black on silver is reminiscent of the current Macbook island keyboards.
It is pretty slim as well.

What makes this keyboard so great are:
- USB charging. No more replacing AA batteries. It uses standard micro-USB.


- 3 device Bluetooth pairing. I love this feature. With a switch of a key-press, you can toggle this between computers and devices. I have this paired with my iMac, 13" Macbook and iPad. It takes less than a second to switch over between the devices. I simply love this! This alone makes me want to replace all my keyboards at my various locations. It is so convenient to switch between my iPad and iMac at any given time.

- backlight keyboard. The thing glows at night! This alone is one of the key selling feature.



Overall, I dig this keyboard. The incurve keys are evenly space with some good tactile feel. It feels like a Macbook keyboard and is much better than Apple's own.

Here is a comparison picture to see how this would fit in with your Apple gear. I think they should have make it more subdued without the logo and black bar on top. Otherwise, it is a very handsome design.




And a few pictures at night where this device really shines.



Late night work on the iPad is a pleasure with this keyboard!


Link: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/illuminated-keyboard-for-mac-ipad-iphone

Does this look familiar? It is an iPad made to look like a miniaturized MacBook Pro.





The bluetooth keyboard case comes in two flavors – iPad 2 and iPad3. Make sure you choose the right one. My iPad 2 did not fit in my iPad3 case. As you can see, it adds a considerable amount of bulk. Pictured below is an iPad3 in the case compared to the ultra thin iPad 2.

In short, it looks good and does the job. I like the ability to charge the iPad through USB with its high capacity battery.


However and this is a big however, it does feel flimsy and cheap. After a full month of usage, I can see the plastic paint pitting. The enclosure is a bit loose and the iPad can easily fall out. Hence, I have mixed feelings about it. It works for what I use it for. I guess I'll be one of those waiting for the Brydge when it comes out. But for the next 5-6 months, I will have one of the coolest iPad cases around.