Apple iPad gets a physical keyboard, transforms into a laptop

Tablet PCs may seem like all fun and games, but what about when you actually have to type on one? The Apple iPad isn't so funny now, is it? Fortunately, Apple has announced a separate keyboard accessory for the iPad.

The iPad docks with the sleek keyboard and, er, turns it into a laptop -- except the iPad sits in portrait mode. This should be good for typing long documents, like that novel we're writing about a megalomaniacal technology company and its legion of rabid, deranged fans. It's a comedy.

You probably won't want to put the iPad down, ever, but eventually your arms will get tired. An ebook reader-style leather-look cover will keep your tablet scratch-free, and folding back the cover stands the iPad in landscape orientation. There's also a simple dock that stands the tablet in portrait mode. Now we think about it, both turn it into, er, a digital photo frame.

There's no word on pricing for these accessories yet, but we expect them to be available at the iPad's launch in the next two months.