We received an Arpeggio Bluetooth Keyboard from “The Joy Factory” for review. The particular one we received is compatible with the iPad tablet or Mac. Let me tell you a little about The Joy Factory (thejoyfactory.com) before talk about the keyboard. They offer several specialty accessories for smart phones and tablets; including protective cases and portfolios, rotating stands and versatile mounting and charging solutions.
The Arpeggio keyboard is a slim, compact, full-featured keyboard that can be used with your iPad or Bluetooth-enabled Mac. I am not sure why you would need it for a Mac if they are talking about a laptop since a laptop already has a keyboard but since this keyboard does work from 33 feet it could be something you use on your lap while the laptop sits on a table further away. Because it is Bluetooth Class 2 compatible, there are no wires or cables needed. The Arpeggio can be 33 feet away from the iPad or Mac and still interface with either. In addition to the standard keyboard features, it has several special multimedia keys.
Arpeggio comes with a lithium ion polymer rechargeable battery that can be charged quickly. After four minutes of non-use, it will automatically go into sleep mode to conserve the battery charge. A lighted power indicator lets you know when it’s on. A USB charging cable is included with the keyboard. They also offer the keyboard with a dual-pocket carry case making it easier to carry your iPad and keyboard around with you.
Upon taking it out of the box, I noticed how little it weighed and that it was slim and compact, just as they stated. As with any electronic device, it is recommended to fully charge the device prior to first use. It was easy to charge, just attach the USB charging cable and plug it into your computer. Or connect the USB charging cable to an USB charging adapter and plug it into any standard 110v outlet. I choose the latter method and it was fully charged in approximately 90 minutes. There is a battery status LED on the F11 key of the keyboard. If the light is out, the battery is fully charged. If the LED is slowly flashing, the battery is low. If the LED is quickly flashing, the battery is charging.
Note: the USB charging adapter I used to charge it in an outlet does not come with the keyboard. You have to buy it separately and I just happened to have one when testing out the keyboard.
The little pamphlet they include has step by step instructions with pictures so it makes it super easy to figure out how to connect the keyboard to your iPad and figure out what the extra indicators mean on the top row of keys.
It was seven easy steps to pair (interface) the keyboard with our iPad2:
- Power on the keyboard.
- Tap the Settings icon on the iPad.
- Select the Bluetooth option under the General tab on the iPad.
- Turn Bluetooth on from the iPad.
- Press “Connect” button on the bottom of the keyboard. This button is recessed and can be pressed with a pen or fingernail file. The blue LED on the F12 key (WiFi) will start flashing.
- Tap the keyboard name on the iPad to begin Pairing it.
- Type the password on the keyboard that is show on the iPad and press Return. Pairing is completed and LED on keyboard F12 key will stop flashing.
I haven’t used other wireless keyboard for the iPad so I don’t know if this is standard or not but I found the Connect Button on the back to be a little inconvenient. It is the black dot in the picture below. It is kind of a rubberized button that sits slightly below the surface of the plastic keyboard surface making it hard to press. I had to use the tip of a fingernail file to actually use it. I would think this would be a raised button with a hard surface so you don’t need anything to press it but your finger. Everything else about using and connecting this keyboard was great though.
Having this portable keyboard makes typing on the iPad much easier than the touch-screen keyboard. Because it has a range of 33 feet, I could use it like a remote when I have my iPad attached to my TV and am watching movies through Netflix without having to get up. Other than that I am not sure why you would use a wireless keyboard and have a Mac or iPad that far away from you. I can see using this (with a case) attached to the iPad to make it work more like a laptop. An iPad is so much lighter than a laptop and having a wireless keyboard makes it more convenient and easier to type on.
The battery charge can be extended if you turn off the keyboard when you are finished using it.
There are four rubber feet on the bottom of the keyboard to keep it from sliding around on smooth surfaces.
The keyboard does has the standard 5-row layout and the Function keys offer iPad/iPhone specific functions such as turning on/off the Home screen, launching universal search, multimedia playback controls, launching on-screen keyboard, and more.
Also on that row of keys you will see the battery indicator and WiFi indicator. When the keyboard is connecting the WiFi button has a blue light that flashes but once it is connected you don’t see an indicator that let’s you know it’s on so you have to make sure to check the On/Off button on the back so you don’t run your battery down when you aren’t using it.
The keyboard may take a little time to get comfortable using as it is a little smaller than a normal keyboard or even a laptop keyboard. But it is a little larger than the keyboard on a Netbook. The spacing between the keys is about the same as a normal keyboard.
In summary, the Arpeggio Bluetooth Keyboard from “The Joy Factory” is compact and light-weight, that offers the standard keyboard layout and keys. It works with any Bluetooth capable smartphone or tablet, but has several iPad / iPhone specific control keys. It is a good device to take with your iPad while traveling, especially if you have the carrying case. Is makes typing on your iPad / iPhone much easier than the touch-screen keyboard.
I didn’t test to see if this bluetooth keyboard would work with any other tablets but it would be interesting to see if it could be for dual tablet use. It is specifically designed for an iPad or Mac though, as the packaging indicates.
You will find The Joy Factory on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube too.
Disclaimer: We received the Arpeggio Bluetooth keyboard to test out and review. I gave my honest opinion about this device.
Aaron says
How do you control the Netflix app with the keyboard? I have tried without any success.