ZAGGmate Review
We had to have one... The iPad had very quickly become one of our favourite things and the idea of a case with integrated keyboard seemed brilliant. Have to admit the fact it makes the iPad look like a mini-MacBook was also a big plus!
The ZAGGmate comes packaged well and all that’s included is the zaggmate itself and a charge cable. The cable is a USB-to-mini-USB and we used a standard Apple plug-in unit to charge the device.
First impressions... It’s really nicely made. The finish of the ZAGGmate seems identical to that of the iPad, which is a great start and the unit itself is nice and neat.
Pairing the device is simple and should be a breeze for anyone used to playing around on their iPad. We leave the iPad bluetooth on and just turn off the keyboard when not in use. It pairs automatically when the ZAGGmate is turned on.
OK - first impressions and set-up done... Now what did we think?
Firstly, ZAGG claim the unit is made from the same aluminium as the iPad. This can’t be the case, as the ZAGGmate seems to scratch very easily. ZAGG do sell protective covers for the case, but it seems a bit odd buying a protective cover for a protective cover! (Then again, seems ideal for ZAGG!).
The mechanism to stand your iPad up seems very flimsy. Now the guys at ZAGG must have tested this thing, but it does seem like the part of the ZAGGmate that might fail first. In practice it works well, but there is no angle adjustment for the iPad, which looks as if it could have been built in easily. The iPad leans onto the hinge and although solid on a desk surface, would not work well on your lap on the train journey home, as it would likely unbalance.
The keyboard itself is good, but takes some getting used to. The designers obviously had limited real estate when fitting the keyboard into such a small space and it could not have been done better, however at present, we’re going at half-pace on the ZAGGmate and making mistakes a lot more frequently. Time will tell if we adapt to the cramped keyboard better, but one thing is for sure, it’s better than the touchscreen keyboard and takes none of your iPad screen space.
There are a number of keyboard shortcuts and getting the hang of them is simple 1) operate the home button (including the doubletap to switch apps), 2) open the search function, 3) start a slideshow, 4) hide/show the iPad keyboard, 5) darken the screen - and make it come back again (just like the sleep button), 6), 7) & 8) volume up, down & mute, 9), 10) & 11) play/pause, previous/next track and 12) international keyboard toggle.
Placing the iPad into the ZAGGmate when you’ve finished is interesting... The case holds the iPad firmly using an interference-fit provided by a rubber/foam type material around the ZAGGmate edges. There is no doubt the iPad fits snugly, but over prolonged use we might expect the fitting to develop play and become less effective. One to watch, but when you are used to Mac engineering, it does seem a little low-tech!
As can be seen from the images (apology on quality!) the keyboard is significantly smaller than standard and the keyboard shown here may be the reason we would not give the ZAGGmate 10/10. The iPad is a lovely looking item “naked”, but it’s only really becomes pleasurable to use when wrapped in Apple’s standard rubber case. Using the ZAGGmate, we soon missed the standard case and found ourselves slipping the iPad back inside to read books etc - it just feels cold and lacks grip when in it’s birthday suit. For this reason, we might choose to recommend the Apple wireless keyboard, coupled with the standard iPad case. Sure, it’s not quite as pretty and lacks the James Bond factor that the ZAGGmate possesses, but we feel it makes a bit more sense both in use and cost.
The ZAGGmate is good, but if getting some work done on your iPasd on the move is your intention, you might be better off with a wireless keyboard! ZAGGmate gets a 7/10 (and the customer service was a 10/10!).