AVS GEAR Zippy BT-500
Over the years, I’ve reviewed a number of keyboards. Today’s entry is from AVS Gear: The Zippy BT-500. Their PR agency sent me a unit to review.
Here you can see it on my 17″MacBook Pro. The keyboard is relatively small and has kickstands on the bottom to raise the keyboard. It is reasonably sturdy and provides one feature I had not seen in a bluetooth keyboard before: the ability to pair with up to six different devices and easily and quickly switch between devices!
I set up three different laptops (running both Windows and Mac OS X) as well as my iPhone 3GS. With a press of a couple of buttons, I was able to easily switch between all of the devices. There is a few seconds of delay when you switch, but that is understandable given what is happening.
My only real complaint with this keyboard is the same complaint I have with all smaller keyboards: they are difficult to actually type on for any length of time. The layout is also somewhat challenging. I find myself hitting the up arrow when I want to press the right shift key. I also find I miss the spacebar key more often than usual. Maybe I simply need to work with it and get used to it.
If you travel with multiple devices and you need a portable keyboard, this device is what you want. It’s a good deal for $49.99, though I’m sure you can get it for a couple bucks cheaper if you shop around.
