Logitech announces schools-only Rugged Case & add-on keyboard for Apple's new budget iPad

AppleInsider

Hot on the heels of Apple revealing a new budget iPad, Logitech on Tuesday debuted a matching case and keyboard combo intended exclusively for Canadian and American schools.

The Rugged Case is designed to protect against drops up to 6 feet, using polymer "ribs" surrounding the edges. Luggage-style fabric protects against wear and liquids, while a detachable cover can be used to guard the screen.

A kickstand with mechanical hinges supports angles between 20 and 60 degrees. The back also features a transparent window, meant to show tagging and/or barcodes schools typically put on electronics.

The cover can be replaced with a optional add-on keyboard, which uses a proprietary Logitech connector and draws power from the iPad so it doesn't have to be recharged on its own. It also offers a wide, laptop-like layout, and a row of function and shortcut keys.

While schools will be able to buy the two accessories separately, a Rugged Combo pack pairs the two together.

Pricing has yet to be announced. Schools will be able to buy the gear later this week through Apple's specialized shopping portal.

The new iPad starts at $329 for the average buyer, and goes on sale this Friday. It comes with an A9 processor, and 32 or 128 gigabytes of storage.

patchythepirate

This is a brilliant design. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple had a lot to do with it (while not wanting to put their brand on it). It's perfectly functional for it's purpose, and is also aesthetically pleasing, while at the same time not looking "fancy," and thus decreasing the perception/criticism that schools are being frivolous with their money by buying iPads (which invariably occurs, despite the iPad's clear value over a clumsy, spyware-ridden chromebooks or androids).

levi

Nice move here. Offering a fairly powerful iPad (more capable than a chromebook) with near current specs at a discount (likely further discounts for schools) in a rugged PC form factor. Apple isn't content with seceding education. 

macxpress

Okay this makes up for the lack of these updated iPads not having the smart connector. No word on price though...

apple jockey

Could also be ideal for a panoply of business site applications, where a tough exterior would be helpful. The Pro line would be served well with a similar armor.

paxman

I know it is all about the iPad but when you add the case and the keyboard you got one helluva chunky piece of kit. Very rugged, to be sure but from the pictures (renderings) it all looks too much, to me. Specially the keyboard.  - I notice these cases and keyboards are only sold in units of ten.

macxpress

paxman said:

I know it is all about the iPad but when you add the case and the keyboard you got one helluva chunky piece of kit. Very rugged, to be sure but from the pictures (renderings) it all looks too much, to me. Specially the keyboard.  - I notice these cases and keyboards are only sold in units of ten.

These are not designed for consumers. I believe this was specifically made for K-12 schools, hence why you see packs of 10. On the Apple education store you can buy iPads in a 10-pack which ships in a regular brown box with 10 iPads and chargers inside it. Makes it much easier to unbox and deploy. If I'm ordering a 100 iPads I don't want 100 individual iPad boxes. You can't have something durable and thin. You can't have durable without some sort of chunkiness. 

k2kw

macxpress said:

paxman said:

I know it is all about the iPad but when you add the case and the keyboard you got one helluva chunky piece of kit. Very rugged, to be sure but from the pictures (renderings) it all looks too much, to me. Specially the keyboard.  - I notice these cases and keyboards are only sold in units of ten.

These are not designed for consumers. I believe this was specifically made for K-12 schools, hence why you see packs of 10. On the Apple education store you can buy iPads in a 10-pack which ships in a regular brown box with 10 iPads and chargers inside it. Makes it much easier to unbox and deploy. If I'm ordering a 100 iPads I don't want 100 individual iPad boxes. You can't have something durable and thin. You can't have durable without some sort of chunkiness. 

Its interesting but what the price of the logitech case and keyboard.  Probably brings the total to $400.   I think Apple should just make an iosBook laptop using the polycarbonate material from the 5C for kids and the educational market.    They could even have the bright colors from the 5C.  Think of this an updated Macbook from the old hard plastic body for kids.  Aim for a $269 price with an A9 chip
Apple could also make an 12.9 inch premium iosBook for adults based on the A10 with both pencil and mouse support starting at $899. At 1.9 pounds this would be the true successor to the MacBook Air.

redgeminipa

k2kw said:

macxpress said:

paxman said:

I know it is all about the iPad but when you add the case and the keyboard you got one helluva chunky piece of kit. Very rugged, to be sure but from the pictures (renderings) it all looks too much, to me. Specially the keyboard.  - I notice these cases and keyboards are only sold in units of ten.

These are not designed for consumers. I believe this was specifically made for K-12 schools, hence why you see packs of 10. On the Apple education store you can buy iPads in a 10-pack which ships in a regular brown box with 10 iPads and chargers inside it. Makes it much easier to unbox and deploy. If I'm ordering a 100 iPads I don't want 100 individual iPad boxes. You can't have something durable and thin. You can't have durable without some sort of chunkiness. 

Its interesting but what the price of the logitech case and keyboard.  Probably brings the total to $400.   I think Apple should just make an iosBook laptop using the polycarbonate material from the 5C for kids and the educational market.    They could even have the bright colors from the 5C.  Think of this an updated Macbook from the old hard plastic body for kids.  Aim for a $269 price with an A9 chip
Apple could also make an 12.9 inch premium iosBook for adults based on the A10 with both pencil and mouse support starting at $899. At 1.9 pounds this would be the true successor to the MacBook Air.

Mouse support? This is iOS, not Android or Windows... No mouse support wanted or needed. If you're too lazy to reach a couple of inches to tap something, there's a problem.

k2kw

Mouse support? This is iOS, not Android or Windows... No mouse support wanted or needed. If you're too lazy to reach a couple of inches to tap something, there's a problem.

Yep this will eventually be a feature that Apple will add to the iPad OS and within the next 5 years. Till they do the iPadPro's will continue to be a failure even with the expected refresh.

macxpress

k2kw said:

Mouse support? This is iOS, not Android or Windows... No mouse support wanted or needed. If you're too lazy to reach a couple of inches to tap something, there's a problem.


Yep this will eventually be a feature that Apple will add to the iPad OS and within the next 5 years. Till they do the iPadPro's will continue to be a failure even with the expected refresh. 

So in other words, you think Apple is going to give in and make a 2-in-1, which is what they've said all along they would never do. If you give it mouse support, then it turns into a laptop and of course it will have a touchscreen so its a tablet as well. 

I think in the end, the market will work itself out and the 2-in-1's will go away. This will be very similar to this netbook phase that everyone wanted Apple to get into because Apple was apparently doomed back then because they couldn't compete with these netbooks and it was supposedly killing Mac sales. 

faceweed

macxpress said:

k2kw said:

Mouse support? This is iOS, not Android or Windows... No mouse support wanted or needed. If you're too lazy to reach a couple of inches to tap something, there's a problem.


Yep this will eventually be a feature that Apple will add to the iPad OS and within the next 5 years. Till they do the iPadPro's will continue to be a failure even with the expected refresh. 

So in other words, you think Apple is going to give in and make a 2-in-1, which is what they've said all along they would never do. If you give it mouse support, then it turns into a laptop and of course it will have a touchscreen so its a tablet as well. 

I think in the end, the market will work itself out and the 2-in-1's will go away. This will be very similar to this netbook phase that everyone wanted Apple to get into because Apple was apparently doomed back then because they couldn't compete with these netbooks and it was supposedly killing Mac sales. 

Apple also said they wouldn't make a bigger iPhone or a smaller iPad...or a stylus. Apple changes it's mind sometimes. Apple is not perfect and they aren't always right and Apple knows this. As for the 2-in-1's, I guess we'll see what happens in a few years. What we see right now is that sales of traditional tablets, including the iPad, have been steadily declining. Meanwhile 2-in-1's have been selling pretty well. Well enough that every major PC maker has several in it's lineup now in all different sizes and price ranges. So I'm not quite sure why you'd think they are going to disappear and the iPad form factor is going to take off. There is zero evidence of this.  

I realize some people feel compelled to maintain Steve Jobs reality distortion field and will do contortions and backflips just to argue that Apple's way is flawless and the best, but come on.  

Reaching up to tap the screen to control the cursor when you are using productivity apps is a nuisance. It's counter-intuitive. It's annoying. Your hand blocks the screen. If you need to control the cursor repeatedly whilst typing you are sitting there with your arm awkwardly and uncomfortably hanging in space. It's a fact and anyone who is even a little aware and has tried to work on an iPad knows it. In fact, Apple uses that very same argument themselves when they explain why they aren't making touch screen iMacs or Macbooks, and I tend to agree with them there.

The fact is, when you are doing anything cursor intensive, the natural way to control a cursor is with a mouse or trackpad. Period. If Apple insists on not offering that support in the iPad, that's fine. Just don't call it "Pro" and tell people it's a laptop replacement. Don't promote it as a tool for productivity (I mean writing, spreadsheets etc, not drawing pictures). Keep it focused as a consumer device for media consumption, facebook, casual gaming and drawing pictures. That's what the current device and OS are best at. You can use an iPad to write and do office work, but it's a compromise as long as there is no proper cursor control and no local filesystem at minimum. The most maddening thing is people like you will argue against it, as if it will somehow impact you negatively if the iPad became more functional and inched closer towards actually delivering on it's "Pro" moniker. An optional trackpad/keyboard cover and mouse support in the OS wouldn't affect anyone who doesn't want to use it and it would suddenly make the iPad an OK device for a road warrior who doesn't want to bring a laptop along. I realize Apple probably won't do it because Jony Ive is too much of a purist to do the practical thing sometimes, but at least let us dream of a more useful iPad.