My hunch was right that it will take time for my Keychron K3 to be delivered. I never thought that a Kickstarter campaign can take so long.
It’s February already. I ordered K3 last year in October.
Fortunately, I found B046 Jelly Comb Bluetooth Keyboard on Amazon.ca ($42.99) for half the price of K3. Within a week I was typing away on my new Bluetooth keyboard.
Did I Spend More for Another Keyboard
I wouldn’t say that I was splurging on keyboard. Each keyboard I bought has its purpose.
Keychron K3 is my main mechanical keyboard (will I get another one like K6?) that I will use at home for my laptop and iPad Pro. I’mm guessing it will be too loud to use in a library.
On the other hand, I can use B046 Jelly Comb Bluetooth Keyboard anywhere with my iPad and mobile phone. At home. At the library. Anywhere I please.
One thing is for sure, I’ll make good use of my two keyboards especially for blogging. Since I had an iPad Pro and Bluetooth keyboard last year, I spend time writing on my bed using these two portable gadgets.
For half the price of Keychron K3 and with the things I like about it (there are tons coming up next), I knew I can use it for a long time . . . as long as it is working though.
Well most of my gadgets wouldn’t stop working like my Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 3000 and Ultra optical mouse. These devices were bought almost the same time as my Toshiba Satellite L745D 13-inch laptop.
I want an excuse to get a Logitech MX Anywhere 3.
The Good
So what do I like about B046 Jelly Comb Buetooth Keyboard? A lot. I’m not going to list all the features from the online specs. Instead, I’ll go on and on about the things that I like then also what I hate (not much).
1. Portability. I can bring it with me anywhere. In my quick trip to library, I can picture myself sitting in my favourite spot with my favourite snacks blogging to my heart’s content.
Although it’s a bit heavy (1.56 lbs) for a TKL keyboard, I don’t mind carrying that extra weight. Gadgets are not a burden if use properly and with moderation. (This reminds me to cut back my screen time. Hit the hay at midnight.)
2. Rechargeable battery. I mentioned somewhere in this post that I don’t like using disposable battery (like AAA for Logitech K380 or K340).
Having a rechargeable battery is my first criteria even for Keychron K3 and to all the gadgets that I’ll buy in the future. I want to use technology with sustainability in mind even in small ways.
With USB-C cable I can charge it for 2 hours and use it for how many days before charging again.
3. Aesthetic. It’s my first time to have a keyboard with round keycaps and I am loving it. Black has always been my favourite colour even for clothes. It’s classic and I’ll never get tired of it.
If I can’t have something in black then I’ll settle for dark grey or lighter grey. But not white. That´s a lot of brightness.
4. Bluetooth connectivity. Cable management is a tough job. If possible I’ll have gadgets with Bluetooth (except a wide screen monitor).
The Tzumi Bluetooth Keyboard is my first bluetooth device followed by Apple Pencil (2nd generation), then Jelly Comb keyboard.
I am not a gamer though I like to play Tetris occasionally so there is no reason to have a mechanical keyboard with USB cable.
Another thing I shouldn’t forget to write is that I can switch to two different devices in a breeze.
5. Built in stand. The keyboard doesn’t have a stand but more of a hole for gadgets to serve as a stand.
I can use it for my iPhone but not for my iPad Pro 12.9 even without its folio case. A bigger screen means a heavier weight which I am used to by now since it has been half a year of using an iPad Pro.
What else can I use the stand for? Can I write on Kindle which I thought of getting to read more without distraction.
As I’ve said before, there is one thing that I don t like with Jelly Comb and I hope it will go away by itself. A glitch that disappears because it s just a glitch.
The Deal Breaker
While there are many features that I like about Jelly Comb, it is just fair to also mention its bad side.
First, I personally don’t like the design of the logo at the left top corner.
When I buy a gadget the features matter the most but I would consider the aesthetic color, form, and design.
One gadget should complement the other devices. And that includes the logo.
For Jelly Comb, I had to go against my criteria. I was leaning to get the Logitech K380 which is aesthetically pleasing. But I was turned off when I found out that it needs 2 AAA batteries.
I am all for rechargeable devices, my clock and wristwatch are exceptions to my rule.
In the future, I hope Jelly Comb will come up with a simple font for its logo.
The deal breaker of all that I discovered in using B046 Bluetooth Keyboard which is also the same issue that I had with Tzumi Bluetooth Keyboard is the getting mixed-up keys.
What do I mean by that?
As I am typing this post, I can’t find the question mark, single quote, open and close parentheses and other characters.
What’s going on? This issue can lead to longer time of proofreading which is the part that I hate the most in blogging. (I also don’t like searching among hundreds of photos for the post. It’s hard to choose; I want to put many possibly relevant photos.)
Right know I am getting more annoyed as I keep on typing.
What’s the solution? Well, I don’t know.
Give up. Turn off the keyboard and don’t use for sometime, long enough to forget its shortcomings.
That’s the only way that works. If I find another way and my Jelly Comb Keyboard is still not broken in half out of frustration then I’ll definitely update this post.
Any Alternatives
I wasn’t sure if I’ve done enough research before buying Jelly Comb Bluetooth Keyboard so I am doing it now.
With a little bit of snooping in my favourite brands and YouTubers, I found two portable Bluetooth keyboard that would be a great alternative for Jelly Comb.
First stop is Logitech Keys-To-Go. This is lighter than Logitech K380 and has a Bluetooth to boot. But it doesn’t have a stand compare to Jelly Comb.
Well if your iPad have a folio case (eg. OtterBox Case) then Keys-To-Go will fit your iPad setup especially if you like working just about anywhere.
The second alternative came from Fernando Silva. I was watching his video a few days ago and can’t help but to be captivated with the aesthetics of his iPad setup.
He often features Satechi products and one of which is Slim X1 Bluetooth Backlit Keyboard.
Backlit. Grey. Black. And with Bluetooth!
His video made me wondered if I should have waited for this instead. Have I made a wrong decision? Not really!
But I’ll keep an eye on Slim X1. Maybe just maybe.
What’s Your Keyboard
As you will notice, I stick to branded products but would love to know other less known companies with quality products.
I am all for having gadgets that I can use for a long time while not spending a lot.
What keyboard are you using? Are you interested in using a mechanical keyboard?
Sidetrack: And who has a Keychron keyboard? How are you liking it so far?
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