iHome iConnect Media Keyboard w/dock for iPod or iPhone

by iHome

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds
• ASIN: B002G4BN5Y
• Item model number: IH-K237LB
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 3, 2009

Product Description

IH-K230MB iConnect Media Keyboard Dock your iPod or iPhone in the keyboard and easily transfer music, photos, videos, applications and more with iTunes. The built-in dock has a cover which slides flat on the keyboard when it's not in use to maintain the keyboard's stylish and sleek design. Illuminated touch sensitive media keys allow you to shuffle your playlist and control your media with a glide of a finger. 2 rotating USB 2.0 ports offer quick and easy access for connecting digital cameras, printers, thumb drives, mice and more. The rubberized wrist rest allows you to work or play in complete comfort.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great letters, bad numbers!, December 18, 2009

By 

Lucas A. Dodge "DodgeLAD" (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: iHome iConnect Media Keyboard w/dock for iPod or iPhone (Personal Computers)

I was looking for a keyboard that was more compact, and resembled the feel of a notebook keyboard (as that is what I am used to). The desktop keyboards (which I am forced to use at work) are a totally different feel, bulkier keys, and more spread out keys. The feel was really throwing me off when trying to combine keystrokes. This keyboard fit the bill, and had a sweet Iphone charger built in. Here is what I found in a short few days of owning it; Keyboard (Letters): All though the keys were still a little noisy, they were quieter then standard desktop keyboards. The keys were fairly responsive, and the keys were well placed (although the home, end, delete, etc) keys are arranged a little differently. The right shift key is also really small, and made some shift functions difficult at first. All in all the keyboard was a better fit for those more used to notebooks. Keyboards (Numbers): This was the big stinker in the product, and the reason I ultimately will be taking this back to the store (by the way, I bought it at Costco for $50...best price I found). The number keys, although black in color, are nothing like the letter keys. Not only do they have a slightly different texture, they have about half the profile of the letter keys, i.e., they sit allot flatter. So far, not an issue, but, the keys required a user to hit the sweet spot to actually activate them (sweet spot being the direct center of the key). I work with a lot of numbers and spreadsheets all day, and use the keypad frequently. I would say that 80% of the time, I was unable to hit the key correctly to type the numbers I was computing. This was very annoying. Believe me, this is not user error, the flaw in design is obvious, and cannot be overcome, unless you only type a few numbers a day. This rendered the keyboard useless to me, as I had to plug a separate keypad into the computer just to make it through the day. If you plan on using the keypad for anything frequent, do not buy this. IPod/Iphone Dock: Although I was not using ITunes on the computer the keyboard was hooked up to, the charging feature worked flawlessly. The placement of the phone was great (especially if you use your phone at work to access websites that are blocked on your work computer). Also, the keyboard comes with multiple inserts so that you can plug Iphones, Nanos, etc into it, but more importantly, you can leave the included sleeves out, and dock your bulkier sleeved phone into it (as most Iphone docking accessories do not allow room for the extra girth a sleeve/skin causes. One last note, my keyboard came with the included mouse. Although the mouse had some of the higher end features, such as the programmable buttons on the side, the software was par. Nothing like my Logitech's, and not a replacement for anyone who likes to truly customize their mouse buttons. Another plus....the mouse receiver is the size of a Logitech nano. Summary: Only buy this if you plan to never (or very rarely) use the keypad. With that said, if you fall into this small category, there is no reason why you should buy a better compact keyboard that has no keyboard which will save on desk real-estate, which then you can add an independent Iphone docking station. Hope this helps....I will be buying the HP Elite keyboard as a replacement, and hope that works better. Regards!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Functional, but not Premium, August 27, 2009

By 

J Goins (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: iHome iConnect Media Keyboard w/dock for iPod or iPhone (Personal Computers)

Pros:

1. iPod/iPhone dock is built in which removes yet another "wart" from your desk.

2. The touch sensitive media keys, lining the top, respond well.

3. Swivel usb ports are a nice touch.

4. Attractive finishing, sleek profile, the slid cover for your iDevice folds open when you press it back...gimmicky but neat nonetheless.

Cons:

1. You may be able to get rid of a desk wart, BUT you have to hook this keyboard up to a usb port and an AC adapter so you are going to lose an electrical plug-in somewhere.

2. Since the keyboard has to be plugged into an AC adapter you would figure that it could power/charge usb devices (or iPods/iPhones) while the computer is off...NOPE. Additionally the keyboard will not function (no, not at all) if the AC adapter isn't plugged in.

3. This is a personal preference issue, but the layout is very similiar to a notebooks, and the number pad keys are flush with the housing of the keyboard. The number pad doesn't respond as well as the raised keys which would be an issue if you use it a lot, possibly that will improve with time and wear.

Impressions:

The packaging is very nice however I wouldn't recomend paying $50+ for the keyboard. If you would like to get rid of a desk wart, and you don't mind a "notebook feel" keyboard for your desktop, then go for it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't work w/ iPhone 3Gs, February 26, 2010

By 

Ian T. Bui - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: iHome iConnect Media Keyboard w/dock for iPod or iPhone (Personal Computers)

Pros
+ quiet
+ compact
+ built-in iPod dock

Cons
- keys too small and hard to use
- too many wires to be plugged in all the time
- doesn't charge device if computer not turned on
- only charges iPhone 3Gs, no audio support, rendering media control keys useless

Returning unit to Costco for refund ($40)