I love working on my iPad. More specifically, I love working on my iPad mini. I generally carry it with me, as it allows me to edit photos in Adobe Lightroom on the go. It's also great for times when my reMarkable Paper Pro feels too cumbersome to bring with me. It has a larger display than my iPhone 13 Mini, but it is not so large that I can't jam it in a coat pocket. It feels like the perfect mobile consumption device.
It can be great for media production, too, if you have the right tools. But finding those, for a tablet this size, can be a bit of a pain in the ass. I've tried using keyboard cases designed for several iPad Mini models over the years. My Snickers bar-sized fingers aren't up to using the wee keys that come with such a device. What's more, I hate the shitty amount of travel such little chicklet-style keys have to offer. It feels like typing on a cardboard box. I use a mechanical keyboard at home. I want to use one on the go as well. Then there's setting the tablet up to type on. Yeah, the folio covers made by several companies convert into a stand. But they can be wobbly and don't provide a great viewing angle to work with.
A few weeks ago, I ordered a Royal Kludge F68 Foldable Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard. It set me back $70 Canadian, which is what? $10 American cash? I wasn't expecting a hell of a lot from this thing. I've been disappointed by Royal Kluge's hardware in the past. But you know what? It's not half bad.
The F68, as its name suggests, is a mechanical keyboard that folds up when it's not in use. Most folding keyboards pack up like a book, or have hinges that make it look like a wee accordion as you're storing it away. The F68 folds down the middle of the keyboard, length-wise. It's a weird choice that saves just as much space as doing it the way other companies design their keyboards to break down, I suppose. It's a bit odd that once folded, the keys are on the outside of the F68, on both sides of the accessory. When sliding the keyboard into its storage sleeve, I've found that you need to be careful with the keys getting caught. Time will tell how well this design will wear. But it feels very well made, considering its reasonable price. The body of the F68 is made using reinforced aluminum. It's got some heft to it and doesn't feel like you're going to damage it were it to be subjected to a bit of casual abuse. Backlit keys with low-profile brown switches make it a clicky pleasure to work with. But then, I've been working on 60 percent mechanical keyboards for years. Your mileage may vary. I'm typing this review on the F68. The only improvement I think I'd like to see from an upgraded model would be for it to have adjustable, pop-out legs so that I can adjust the keyboard's pitch.
Just like most of my EDC kit, this keyboard charges via a USB-C connection. This makes juicing it up on the go a simple affair. It uses Bluetooth 5.0 to connect to hardware and can be paired with up to three different devices. If you want to kick it old school, it can also rock a wired connection with a USB-C to USB-A cable (included).
Provided the hardware holds up, I can see myself using this thing to drive the punters at the local Starbucks insane from the clicking of my keys for years to come.
Jesus that's a lot of mechanical keyboards:
• Going back to a mechanical keyboard turned me into a butterfingered idiot
• Review: Filco Minila Air wireless mechanical keyboard
• Is it worth disassembling and repainting a vintage iMac to match this amazingly yellow mechanical keyboard?
• Cleaver mechanical keyboard machined from aluminum block
• The dark truth about mechanical keyboards and gaming
• Review / Logitech MX Keys
• This budget hot swappable mechanical keyboard works great with my Mac
• I can't stop watching this mechanical keyboard attempt to divide by zero
