Rocketfish iPad2 Accessory Review

Several years ago I joined the Wolf at Best Buy group to do research for them. To be honest, I signed up because I thought it would be an easy couple hundred bucks. I had no idea how much I would learn and be influenced by such a huge company. To get a glimpse behind the scenes at how much thought goes into every decision made was intriguing but to be a woman whose opinions were valued by part of a massive corporation was a phenomenal experience. This relationship led me to become a member of the Wolf at Best Buy Blogging Network. From time to time I will be testing products for them and providing you with my honest opinions and review. For my first assignment, I am reviewing the Rocketfish Keyboard Capsule for iPad2 and the Rocketfish Pad-Pivot. Let’s get started with the Keyboard Capsule.



Right out of the box the 2.2 pound Rockfish Keyboard Capsule for iPad 2 is constructed of a durable hard plastic shell with a sturdy aluminum hinge.


The Rockfish Keyboard Capsule for iPad 2 features an internal rechargeable battery that is easily charged with your computer using the included USB charger. You will also easily find access to you iPad’s ear phone and charging ports.

Let's open the capsule and see what is inside. As you open the capsule, the aluminum hinge feels sturdy providing balance and stability to the unit. The capsule boasts a full size keyboard with large, well spaced keys to truly make your iPad look and feel like a laptop. The keyboard also features 20 quick function "hot" keys for an even easier navigation. Now let's get everything set up and take this Rocketfish for a test drive.



Rocketfish recommends fully charging the battery before your first use. Not a bad idea to begin but in the future you can charge the unit while in use if need be. Once your battery is charged, you place the upper shell into the tray and simply nestle your iPad in the upper compartment where it is safely and securely held in place with the upper latch. I did have to remove the costly Otterbox from the iPad to install into the capsule; however, the snug design of the capsule felt equally, or safer than that of the previous Otterbox. When you do not have a need for the keyboard you can also remove the upper shell from the tray and fully extend the hinge to rest on the bottom on the keyboard. This provides the perfect angle for streaming movies, gaming or reading. Connecting the capsule to the iPad was relatively simple with the Dual Bluetooth Connectivity. You simply pair the capsule with the iPad by pressing the Bluetooth Function and the pairing keys on the keyboard, powering your iPad then navigating to your general settings and selecting Bluetooth on your iPad. The iPad will automatically find your device to pair and by selecting iPad2 Keyboard Capsule; an on screen message will appear with a passkey for you to enter on your keyboard. Once paired, you should not have to repeat these steps again in the future. If you notice, I mentioned the capsule has Dual Bluetooth Connectivity so you can also pair your iPhone or other Bluetooth enabled device if you have a need for that as well. Setup and installation of the capsule to your iPad is literally a 60 second job tops. As you can see, Rocketfish has made setup a snap.


So, how easy is it to actually use? I had a bit of an adjustment with the part touch screen, part laptop functions of the capsule. While testing this product, I would notice myself trying to use the on keyboard mouse that I'm used to having with a laptop but isn't there with the keyboard capsule. That aside, the 82-key keyboard is well designed with large, well spaced keys in all the right places. With the 20 hot keys, you can quickly and easily access things like your iPad's home screen, the search function, and the iPod controls like track selection and volume control. Having a full size keyboard paired with the iPad makes emailing, blogging and social networking extremely easy and far less time consuming than with the iPad alone. Another benefit of the capsule is the hands free placement of the iPad within the capsule. This makes Facetiming a far better webcam experience as well. No more nauseating Blair Witchesque video production when the kids want to Facetime grandparents far away. The Rocketfish Keyboard Capsule for iPad 2 is extremely user friendly and easily provides a laptop like experience for its users.



Overall, I think the Rocketfish Keyboard Capsule for iPad 2 is a quality product at an affordable price. With a MSRP of $99.00 at Best Buy, you get the durability and protection of a hard shell case as well as a fully functioning keyboard for a laptop experience. The only drawback to the capsule I have found is that you cannot use your iPad’s camera while in the capsule so it’s an on again off again production with the Otterbox. That is a small price to pay for the convenience of the keyboard and the security of your iPad while on the go. The Rocketfish Keyboard Capsule for iPad 2 is a great investment for anyone who uses their iPad for more than a game of Angry Birds.

Let’s move on to the Rocketfish Go Anywhere PadPivot Stand



The Rocketfish Go Anywhere PadPivot Stand is also a great little gadget to have in your arsenal of iPad accessories. The PadPivot is a fairly simple product made for hands free use of your tablet, e-reader or even your cell phone. It is constructed of a virtually indestructible hard plastic material. The bottom is ribbed with a rubbery type finish allowing a safe and steady hold onto whatever surface you have it placed. The top assembly is screwed into the ball bearing base that allows the surface to tilt, pivot and rotate 360 degrees to suit any viewing angle. The pad comes with a removable dust cover to ensure a long life of your sticky pad and also an adjustable leg strap.



To use the PadPivot, you simply remove the dust cover and place your iPad, e-reader or phone centered onto the sticky pad. Unfortunately, like with the Capsule, you cannot use any type of leather or silicone case for your device in conjunction with the PadPivot. I will admit that I was a bit hesitant to let go of the device fearful that it wouldn’t hold and I would have a relatively expensive iPad crash to the floor, but it held tightly with no issue.


My favorite feature of the PadPivot is the included adjustable leg strap. The leg strap is just an elastic band with hooks to connect to the PadPivot. You can attach the leg strap and sit in bed or with your feet propped on the coffee table for comfortable hands free use without the fear of your device falling. Another great feature of the PadPivot is that you can angle the pad all the way forward and place your iPad or reader in the grooves of the base for display. You can use the PadPivot in both portrait and landscape mode this way. I used the PadPivot when preparing Thanksgiving dinner this year. I simply found my recipe online using my iPad, propped the iPad into the PadPivot and had it there hands free to refer to as needed. You could use the PadPivot this way to watch a movie or show a photo slideshow at a birthday party.



When you are finished using the PadPivot, you simply gently pull from one corner until the device is removed and replace the dust cover to ensure a long life of your sticky pad. The sticky pad leaves absolutely no sticky residue behind on your device. I have put on and removed the iPad several dozen times and the sticky pad shows no sign of losing its sticky factor anytime soon so I think it will be a product I use for a very long time.

The Rocketfish PadPivot Go Anywhere Stand is a fairly simple device that does its job and does it well. Its hands free capabilities make reading, gaming and movie watching far more enjoyable and much more convenient than using your iPad or e-reader alone. I hope that Rocketfish will one day make replacement sticky pads for the PadPivot because naturally this one won’t last forever. With its minimal cost however, it will be worth it to me to purchase a new one when that time comes. In the meantime, I will enjoy being hands free.

I hope you will check out Best Buy for these and all of your tablet accessory needs.

Disclaimer: I have received the reviewed product from Best Buy for free.