After researching for a month, I settled on the Belkin QODE and so far I have been extremely pleased with it. When I bought the iPad I already knew I wanted a keyboard folio for it. I had three major and one minor criteria which the Belkin was the only one that that did not violate at least one of them.
The criteria (and how well the Belkin matched them) were as follows:
Major:
1) Should fold in such a way that the keyboard is hidden away when holding the iPad in portrait configuration so that if I'm standing on the light-rail I can hold the tablet in the case with one hand comfortably.
2) Typing should be close to what I would experience on a full-size keyboard.
3) When using the keyboard the iPad should be stable as I want to use it to write on the light-rail.
Minor
Should be aesthetically pleasing or, at the very least, not ugly.
I took a hard look at the Logitech Ultrathin and Fabricskin folios as well as the Zagg folio with the backlit keys. The Zagg was the keyboard I most wanted because of the backlighting but it failed criteria one which was non-negotiable. Which left me with the Belkin and the two Logitech keyboards. I tried both Logitech keyboards out at Best Buy and did not like the feel of either of them and the Fabricskin also manages to be horribly ugly (Mars Orange and Blue and Grey and Yellow Logitech? Really?).
I decided on the Belkin and it meets all four criteria and the one where it was weak (aesthetics) are just not that important.
The Belkin folds as it should and precisely as I wanted it to. It feels secure in my hand when it is folded up and Belkin was smart enough to have the keyboard shut itself off when in that configuration.
The iPad itself feels very secure with those magnets and I am impressed with how well they work.
I have not been on the train with the case yet so I don't yet know how it will do with the motion of the train but sitting on my couch typing is very comfortable and it does not feel the table will be going anywhere when the train decelerates or accelerates.*
The case itself is good looking in a minimalistic sense. But it feels very well made. Pairing was extremely fast.
It's as if Belkin knew the product I was looking for and built almost precisely that thing. The placement of the single/double quote key is a little offset than I'm used to so it will take a bit of practice to not hit enter everytime I try to write a contraction.
The case is very well worth it and really does make the iPad a near replacement for my laptop.
*Addendum:
I've now commuted on the train with my keyboard all week and it has performed wonderfully. Sitting on my lap the tablet stays put when the train accelerates or decelerates.
| Standing screen display size | 9.7 Inches |
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