Currently on KickStarter is an iPad
keyboard dock that goes out of its way to look like Apple’s
aluminium-clad notebooks. Complete with the same black chiclet-keys,
sandblasted aluminium finish and absurdly sharp edges as today’s
Macbooks, the
CruxSkunk offers iPad users the basic Macbook features without
the high price tag. It also offers a way to coexist with all of the
Windows 8-powered tablet hybrids that are preparing to storm the
market without feeling overly left out.
The CruxSkunk keyboard runs off a
built-in 350mAh battery, apparently good for a month’s worth of
typing, and connects to the iPad using a wireless Bluetooth
connection. The iPad itself slots into the top of the CruxSkunk and
acts as the screen. A 360-degree hinge allows for much flexibility,
including the ability to rest the iPad side back-to-back with the
keyboard, not unlike that of Lenovo’s
Yoga.
The keyboard itself populates the
function-key row above the numbers with more useful functions, such
as volume controls and a screen lock key, while rubber pads prevent
the iPad bezel or screen from scratching against the aluminium
surface of the case, at the expense of looking less like a Macbook.
As a whole, with iPad attached and folded like a laptop, the
CruxSkunk measures only 19mm thick, with the base only contributing
6mm of that figure. Meanwhile, CruxCase boasts compatibility with
both iPad 2’s and 3rd-gen iPads.
Of course, being a KickStarter project
and all, some of you may have been skeptical of whether the CruxSkunk
would ever actually hit the market. Well, with $155,871 pledged
over the original $90,000 goal despite 29 days to go, there
really isn’t anything to worry about. A pledge of $155 or more
rewards the pledger with a CruxSkunk and leather sleeve, and CruxCase
tells us that the Cruxcase cases will begin shipping out come December. (Via
CNET)
UPDATE: The Cruxcase is on the market and now available for purchase here and other online retailers.
