Archos Ultrathin Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad

The Archos Ultrathin Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad aims to do for your iOS slate what Microsoft did for its Surface tablet with its smart keyboard cover: give you a screen protector that also doubles up as a physical QWERTY keyboard and laptop-replacement. Can it rival the current favourite from Logitech? I grabbed an Apple tablet and popped it on the stand to take a look.



                 PROS
The Archos Ultrathin Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad is as handsome as the case is solidly designed: it clamps neatly down using magnets, and though it moves slightly, this has the advantage of stopping it coming away easily as could happen with a more brittle connection. (One thing to consider though - that aluminium backing is easy on the eye, but won't stay polished if you're going to chuck your iPad in a bag using this to protect it. If that's your concern, you're probably still better off with one of Apple's polyurethane smart covers).

Pairing with your iPad is easy, and there's a simple switch and LED light to make it clear when Bluetooth is on: when you're done, just drop your iPad in and begin typing away. Though it's only 5mm thin, there's just enough space to fit a micro USB port on the side to charge it up, and Archos has somehow managed to minimise the amount of flex while typing - an impressive feat everyone wishes laptop manufacturers could pull off on bulkier machines.

                   CONS
Archos says the stand for the iPad is adjustable: in practice, it's anything but. When it's not locked into the steep default setting - which is secure - people found it more than a little distracting to type with: the iPad bounced in its cradle depending on the surface, and even fell down on the hinge, shutting it, leaving me longing for a laptop. Combined with the tiny henpeck chiclet keys - and a space bar that's bizarrely angled downwards, forcing you to push into the lip of the cover - you're left with a thin-yet-durable add-on that's not quite as productive as it really ought to be.



                  CONCLUSION
While Archos never fails to impress with its willingness to make anything and everything, as it so often seems to, it falters slightly in the execution. This keyboard does not cope well with multiple angles, and the keys are small enough that typing on them isn' a great deal faster than on the touchscreen itself, unless you've had years of training with a netbook. If you really want to get some work done on the go, consider a Chromebook - or even the new MacBook Air.