Just over a year ago I wrote about how I wanted to buy a Surface Pro 2 because of how well it fit into my night job as an entertainment journalist. And while it was very useful – so much so that it became my primary machine – there have been several times that I wished I had an even more portable way to stay productive wherever my job(s) took me. For those times when I am fighting other journalists for elbow room at a roundtable interview or when I’m travelling light and get a hot news item that I’m rushing to publish, I’ve toyed with the idea of adding a compact Bluetooth keyboard to my arsenal so that I could work solely off of my smartphone.
Granted, I could work off my smartphone without a physical keyboard, but I think we can all agree that the typing experience is far less than desirable, especially when typing for extended periods.
However, now that I’m covering fewer events and competing less with other publications to be first-to-print, I’m finding it hard to justify getting a keyboard just for smartphone use. Also, anecdotally speaking, whenever I stop by a local coffee shop, I never see people working off of their mobile devices, whether it be their phone or tablet. Instead, they’re working off their laptops. No doubt these people also have a tablet, but if these people are making a concerted effort to go to a public space to get some work done, it makes sense that they would choose the most powerful machine that’s reasonably portable.
It’s been a while since I’ve been in school, but I also can’t imagine a lot of college students opting for a tablet over a comparably priced laptop, unless they can afford to have both. But even then, the laptop typing experience will no doubt annihilate the wireless keyboard/mobile device setup any day of the week. In short, wireless keyboards for mobile seem like a stopgap measure until the user can get to a proper machine. But unless the user is some kind of deadline writer who is actively away from his or her main typing machine and must turn out words/inches/pages while in cramped quarters, i.e. unless the user is a journalist, I can’t see how wireless keyboards for mobile really offers much in a practical sense.
On the other hand, whenever I get caught up in extended text messaging or when a Facebook chat that I don’t want monitored on my company’s network turns heated and my thumbs just won’t respond fast enough, my thoughts always come back to how much a wireless keyboard would come in handy. All of this is to say that I’m open to suggestions and opinions; if you’re one of the rare breed who uses a wireless keyboard for your mobile device, I would love to know what your weapon of choice is and for what purposes you use it for. Below are a few keyboards that I’ve had my eye on over the years:
Freedom i-Connex 2 Folding Bluetooth Keyboard
I was drawn to this keyboard years ago because of its decent looks and its footprint while folded. Any mobile keyboard had to fit in a cargo pocket to be in contention. And while there were several folding Bluetooth keyboards that met this requirement, this was the only one I found at the time that provided a stand that discreetly stored away inside the keyboard. Weighing in at under a pound, I was almost sold.
I stumbled on this folding Bluetooth keyboard when it was still a Kickstarter project a few years back. This also met all the requirements: It was light, weighing in at half a pound; it was compact, measuring 3.5-inches squared and just over an inch thick; and it had a device stand that was neatly attached to the keyboard, but could also be detached. Also, it was powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery. Finally, it had a name that resonated with me. How cool would I be unfolding this thing in front of my colleagues at the next roundtable interview? If it had been available when I discovered it, then I probably would have bought it. Unfortunately, it’s only now being made available this March 2015.
This is the device that got me thinking about this subject recently in the first place. Personally, I love this design. The keyboard comes in four parts – two pieces for the keys, one for the spacebar and battery, and one for the stand. Everything is connected by magnets and only weighs 1.5 ounces. I only wish this came in black. My only real concern is that the stand might not accommodate a device that is in a case (depending on the case). As far as minimalism goes, though, this is about as good as it gets without going into the hyper-expensive one-handed keyboards. Judging by the lead time stated on the WayTools site (order now to get your TextBlade at the end of March), this looks pretty popular.
Anyway, I know that no one can speak for my individual usage needs, but I’m interested to read about other’s experiences with keyboards for mobile. Am I missing out on a whole new world of productivity? Am I just being cynical here or are keyboards for mobile devices actually much more prevalent than my limited experience has led me to believe? Let me know in the comments! And if you’re a mobile keyboard user, then please let me know what keyboard you recommend and why.
