Apple Bluetooth Keyboard

With the iPhone 4 and iPad launching in Hong Kong in the span of a week, here's something for those lucky few to get their hands on the first batch of the latest Apple gear.

If you want to use your new iPad or iPhone 4 for more than the basic utility of phone, web browser and portable game machine, you might want to consider the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. It's a simple accessory, but it can turn instantly your device into a tool for writing long e-mails and even essays.

The Bluetooth keyboard also works with existing iPhone 3GS models as long as you upgrade to the iPhone 4.0 operating system.

Connecting it to your Apple device is easy. Simply go to the settings menu on your iPhone or iPad, turn on the Bluetooth function, and your gadget should 'sense' the wireless keyboard automatically. Once found, it is a matter of clicking on the 'connect' option to get it going.

Like most of Apple's products, the Bluetooth keyboard is sleek - it's wafer thin, and made from ultra light aluminium. It works incredibly too, with very little delay in response time despite the wireless connection.

One problem is that once the wireless keyboard is connected, there is no way to activate the onscreen keyboard, which is inconvenient if you want to quickly switch between using your iPad or iPhone in tablet mode for quick text entries, and screen mode when you want to do lots of typing.

Apple's Bluetooth Keyboard costs HK$510.

Pros: sleek aluminium design, full Qwerty keyboard for iPad/iPhone, no wires

Cons: you need to disconnect it to reactivate the onscreen keyboard