Keyboard Cases?

[anon(924308)]

Anyone try those Amazon: funky $10 cases with mini keyboards? Is the keyboard too small to really bother typing with? I got one just for kicks, I"ll update with pics/review when it arrives. I was planning on using the N7 for some light note-taking/research.

edit:// my amazon review:

You'll need a micro USB to USB cable (I used this one: Micro USB to USB Female Cable USB- OTG For Galaxy S2 I9100). I literally just plugged it in, and it works great! The touchscreen keyboard is instantly disabled.

CASE:
fit: The top prong is springloaded to adjust to any size. however, because there are no side prongs, it's not secure at all. I'll have to modify it later in order to make the case portable.
construction quality: a little sloppy, but it doesn't look incredibly cheap. I don't think there's much quality control regarding stitching or where magnets are placed, or how wide apart the prongs are.
size: 5.5 x 9 x 1.75 inches. It's small but a little unnecessarily thick.

OVERALL: The main drawbacks of the case are its poor fit (I don't trust three little prongs with holding my tablet secure) and unnecessary thickness (quite a bit of extra space. I like the convenient pop-out stand (makes your tablet feel like a laptop).

KEYBOARD:
-key size: most essential keys are 1.5 cm, but they're crowded. I don't have an issue with letters so much as the punctuation keys, which are very crowded (and only 1cm wide)
key layout: like I said, letter and number keys are laid out perfectly. All other keys are squeezed. Some are in a weird location, like the apostrophe (which is located below the period). I use apostrophe way more than the colon, I feel like those should have been switched,
-button functionality: I notice some keys don't work. This may or may not be a function of the tablet, not the keyboard. My DELETE key doesn't work.

OVERALL: They did a good job keeping the alphanumeric keys the same size, but I would have appreciated a more intelligent design, according to what keys are used most (shift, ctrl, apostrophe, etc.) The really cramped keys are at the bottom, so typing words isn't the hard part, it's ending them that slows you down. I like that it has signals for capslock, numlock, etc. For the price, I have no complaints.

TIP: it's faster for me to type with my hands above the keyboard, like how you'd play keys on a piano, rather than with your palms flat down. If you have large hands, you'll definitely have a harder time.

 

[retsaw]

I bought this a few months ago to go with the cheap 7" tablet I had before my Nexus 7, I have tried it with my Nexus 7 and it works fine although you may need to buy the a microUSB OTG adapter since my one came with a miniUSB OTG adapter which obviously won't work the the Nexus 7.

But really it is an awful keyboard to type on. Although I am used to typing on my 9" netbook keyboard this 7" one is far too small for me and I found myself hitting the wrong key or multiple keys far too often, you can probably type quicker on a decent on-screen keyboard, it also adds a lot of thickness and a fair bit of weight when used as a case.

For my Nexus 7, I bought a HP Touchpad Bluetooth keyboard, which you can get at a reasonable price and it is a pleasure to type on and I also bought a tablet stand to prop it up when I'm typing. They're not quite as convenient to carry round as that keyboard-case, but what is the point of a keyboard that you can't type properly on.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[anon(924308)]

Good to know, thanks! I just got it this afternoon; although it's not a huge pain to type on, I decrease my typing efficiency by like 50%. I think I may get a portable USB/bluetooth keyboard as well.

I don't trust three little prongs with the safety of my tablet; not to mention, the case is unnecessarily bulky. I think I'm going to DIY my own out of a thin hardcover book. Either that, or superglue on a hard case to secure it.

 

[anon(924308)]

So I just modified the case to fit my needs. SO much less bulky, and more secure. If anyone wants a cheapo keyboard case, I would buy the one listed above and do the following:

-purchase a TPU case (I got mine for like 7 bucks).
-remove the metal prongs.
-superglue the TPU case to the keyboard case. To make sure it seals correctly, place a heavy book over it while it dries, and wait a couple hours.
-bend the spine (it's just cardboard inside) so that the case becomes thinner.

Not exactly aesthetically pleasing, but if you were going for aesthetics, you wouldn't buy the keyboard case to begin with lol. Not too shabby for $17, but my max typing speed is like 30WPM, whereas on a regular keyboard I can type 100 WPM.