Introduction
Alcatroz Xplorer Dock 1 BT + multi-touch trackpad == Alcatroz Xplorer Dock 2 BT. It is also a Bluetooth keyboard that loaded with 78 UV coated chiclet keycaps. Extremely durable, rated at up to 5 million keystrokes. Ultra-slim and portable. Can pair up to 3 devices simultaneously this round. Does it as great as Xplorer Dock 1? Read on to find out…
Special Thanks
This review is possible thanks to below companies. Be sure to check them out…
- Alcatroz for this Alcatroz Xplorer Dock 2 Bluetooth Keyboard and Alcatroz Xplorer Dock 1
Package Content & Design
Again, Alcatroz Xplorer Dock 2 BT comes well protected too. Once taken it out, you can find USB charging cable and user manual. There are multiple colour to choose as well. Just pick the one that suit your taste.
Build quality of Xplorer Dock 2 is decent. Sturdy ABS housing and slightly longer this round to include the multi-touch trackpad. And does have some weight too. Still loaded with 78 keys but their sizes are smaller and narrower than full-size keyboard layout. Do take note on this. As usual, all the keys are UV coated to ensures longer durability when compare to the conventional silkscreened keypads. No need to carry external dock too.
There are 4 strong anti-skid pads at bottom. You need to apply some force to move the keyboard even they are small in size. Yes, no worry about keyboard slipping around.
No height adjustment for this ultra-slim keyboard. You get the almost the same typing experience as typing on laptop’s keyboard. Do check out those low profile keycaps and the micro USB charging port.
Performance Result
Yes, the extra touchpad on Alcatroz Xplorer Dock 2 BT is great. It is sensitive and does support multi-touch finger gesture on both Windows and Android. You can single touch, use 2 fingers and even 3 fingers to call out Cortana. Everything is great but the physical left and right mouse keys at bottom of the touchpad. Why? They are part of the touchpad too. Cursor move when I try to click on them. So you need to adapt and use it.
Yes, Xplorer Dock 2 BT manages to dock a 10″ tablet like iPad 3 too. Or one smartphone with another 7″ tablet together. No worry about the tablet from falling as Xplorer Dock 2 does have some weight to hold it. As usual, no extra dock is needed for tablet and smartphone. Just put them in the slot and you are ready to type. And can use the touchpad to navigate as mouse too. That’s great.
Xplorer Dock 2 passes the Bluetooth range test with flying colours as well. Easily pass the 10m test without obstacles. Response is just as quickly as a wired keyboard. Perfect for typing and even on gaming too. This round you can switches up to 3 devices without having manual pairing process again. Very convenient as you can use it to reply SMS on smartphone then switch back for office work on tablet then. However, it does not have LED light indicator that show you which profile you at now. Luckily, caps lock indicator is there.
Yes, Xplorer Dock 2 supports all the popular operating systems like iOS, Android and Windows. You can use lot of useful shortcut Fn keys on them. The one that I love and must have – control media playback and volume. Surely make my life easier. No battery life coverage here too. Can’t finish using the first charged battery on casual usage. Based on specs, it can last up to 4 months on standby. And 70 hours on continues usage. Take around 2 hours to fully charge. Note – it will enter sleep mode automatically after unused for 10 minutes to save battery life.
Typing experience is okay once you get used to it. Why I say like that? It’s because Xplorer Dock 2 keys are smaller and narrower than normal full-size keyboard layout. Therefore, learning curve is needed in order to get the fast typing speed. Travel distance is short as usual thanks to low profiles keycaps. Soft and silent as expected. Same apply to tactile feedback – decent. As long as you get used to it, Xplorer Dock 2 is good to go.
Advantages
- Hey, it has dock for tablet and smartphone
- Multi-touch trackpad
- Multi-pairing up to 3 devices
- Useful shortcut & multimedia function keys
- Superior Bluetooth range
- Slim & portable
- 2 years warranty
Limitations
- Smaller than full-size keyboard layout – learning curve is needed to use it
- Cursor moves when I clicked on touchpad’s button
Conclusion
Xplorer Dock 2 is another solid wireless keyboard with touchpad from Alcatroz. Loaded with lot of useful features and functions. Do take note that it requires learning curve due to smaller keyboard layout size. Still need more details? Head to Alcatroz Website to do so. Buy yours at Lazada.
