I’ve had several Logitech keyboard/covers for my iPads over the years. In December, while traveling, I dropped my keyboard (and thankfully NOT the iPad) which bent the corner so that it no longer sits flat. When we got home from our trip, I ordered a replacement, the newer Ultrathin Magnetic Keyboard Cover for the iPad Air from Amazon.com. I was frustrated with myself that I had dropped the old one, but was excited about getting the new one, as it is thinner and lighter, and has an adjustable angle for the iPad’s screen.
It arrived a few days later, and I plugged it in to charge it, then got it synched with my iPad Air. I began to notice problems almost immediately, as the keyboard would fall asleep when idle, but then not wake up when you pressed a key. I had to turn off the keyboard, and then back on again in order to get it to reconnect… About every 5 minutes!
Then, as I continued to try using it, I discovered that the screen would flash as the keyboard would send the signal to capture a screenshot periodically. One night, it took 57 screenshots as I tried to log in after turning the keyboard off and on, typing email, or trying to type a journal entry into DayOne… Now every time I sync, I have to open Photos and delete all of the extraneous screenshots that the keyboard has taken.
I ordered the keyboard through Amazon before we returned from our trip, and it arrived the day we got home. I opened a support case with Logitech on January 4th, after trying the troubleshooting steps from their website, to unlink the keyboard, turn off Bluetooth, relink, etc. None of which made any improvement.
After several rounds with support website to go through the symptoms and the things that I had tried, entering the model number and serial number of the keyboard, the model number of my iPad, scanning and uploading a copy of the receipt, clarifying my shipping address, etc. I was told that they only replacements they had available are Space Grey/Black. My iPad Aid is Silver/White. I really don’t want to replace the keyboard with one that is the wrong color…
I would have simply returned the defective keyboard to the vendor, through Amazon.com, but I had bought the last Silver/White unit that they had in stock. They were unavailable through the end of January, when the 30-day return policy ran out, so I was stuck working with Logitech support.
At the end of January, Logitech marked my support case as “Resolved” and closed it, even though they still hadn’t replaced the defective keyboard yet! I had to open a new support case, and reference the original one, which they reopened.
It’s now the end of February. I still don’t have a replacement keyboard yet. I can see that the Logitech online store has the Silver/White unit in stock, if I wanted to buy a new one. Looking on Amazon.com, the vendor that I bought the defective keyboard from has them back in stock now as well. Logitech support, however, maintains that the only units they have available are the Space Grey/Black. This tells me that they aren’t going to replace my brand-new but defective keyboard with a new unit, they are going to ship me someone else’s broken return that has been refurbished…
For many years, I have regarded Logitech as the premier manufacturer of keyboards and mice for either PC or Mac, and have recommended them frequently.
Recently, however, it seems that they have dropped Mac support for many of their products, even Bluetooth models like the DiNova Mini, which linked right up with my Mac mini and was recognized as a combo keyboard/trackpad, as well as the mk710, which BestBuy lists as Mac compatible, although it isn’t indicated on the box.
It seems that their product quality has dropped considerably, so that they don’t have the quality feel that they used to have. Their support is certainly no longer “world class” either…
I’ve just posted a rather harsh reply in my support case, saying that I’ve given up on using the crappy keyboard that I bought in December, and I can’t wait any longer for a replacement. They might as well send me the wrong color refurb, as I’ll likely throw it in the trash as soon as I can find a replacement that actually works…
So, who else makes Bluetooth keyboard covers for iPads? I’m sure that there are plenty of other options, which can’t be any worse than the new but defective Logitech that I have now…