Customer Reviews

iHome iConnect Media Keyboard w/dock for iPod or iPhone

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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!

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.

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)

1. It installs an app that is nothing more than a login item into your Applications folder, with a the standard "I don't have an icon" app icon. I hate that. If it's just a driver, don't stick dumb stuff in my Apps folder.

2. The keyboard feel is sad. Keys are tight, travel is mushy, arrangement is poor. Man, I should have noticed this. For a full-sized keyboard, it sure feels like I'm on a netbook.

3. Can't seem to invert the Fn-key aspect of the F keys. To get F1-F12 to behave as such, you *have* to hold down the Fn key. I hate that. I like inverting those, so that the special functions are the ones that require holding that key down.

Verdict: Bleh. Going to get my money back tomorrow.

I got this a couple of years ago as a Christmas present. I really liked the layout and the looks. I agree with others that the numeric keypad execution and overall key feel both are not the best. But I kept using it, willing to settle for some annoyances for the look.

When last upgrade of Snow Leopard came out, it caused the Kernel Panic and I had to stop using it. No help at all on the web site. Email to their tech support and they said to be patient, the were working on it. Same problem with Lion and no sign of company having fixed the driver. So it's useless to me.

I do NOT recommend buying this until the company starts supporting it again!

I was pumped at first, great craftsmanship, but the numeric pad is so damn terrible I'm going to return it, very disappointed, had so much potential

The recent Apple OS update 10.6.8 (IMAC) renders this keyboard useless. In fact, the keyboard causes a "Kernel Panic" that locks up the computer along with a message to "reboot" which does not work. IHOME has indicated that they are working on a new set of drivers....been waiting two weeks... Contacted Apple, they referred the issue to the keyboard manufacturer.

This "iHome" had reviews on here stating the exact same thing I'm going to tell you. (but I bought it anyway)It looks great. Sleek Black, USB ports, iphone slide in dock. Perfect till you get to the 10 key on the left. It @#$%&! The keys are not user friendly. You have to beat them to get them to type. They don't stick or anything it's just not 10 key friendly. But if you hunt and peck you'll have no problem.

So i purchased the new iHome keyboard for the PC since it was on sale and thought it would be nice to have a dock for my iPhone and it's been nothing but a hassle since I plugged it in while the dock on it works perfectly fine the numpad is stiff and I have to pretty much slam it down to get a response from the num keys and the touch controls at the top of the keyboard are bonkers as all get out I have a dual monitor setup to watch movies as I'm watching a movie the keyboard goes nuts and starts acting like a bunch of the touch buttons are being hit while I'm across the room from it.

the keyboard is really easy to use and probably the best made for mac. However, the number pad on the right hand side is the absolute worst ive ever seen. I resort to using the numbers on top of the letters instead of the num pad because they are hard and flat and rarely register a touch unless you hit just the right spot. Other than that however everything is really neat and great to use. I have not seen a keyboard that is better for my mac.