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Anyone here returning the Magic Keyboard?

I originally stopped using an iPad a while back after the larger iPhones started coming out as for the most part those were meeting my needs and I had no desire to pick up my iPad mini I had at the time.

After Apple announced the new keyboard with trackpad it got me interested in picking up an iPad Pro and the keyboard but my only hesitation was the price of the combo. After mulling it over for a few days I pulled the trigger on the iPad Pro 12.9”, Apple Pencil, and Magic Keyboard. The iPad and Pencil arrived close to a week before the keyboard did so I had a bit of time to use the iPad and while I loved having an iPad again I found typing on it and just finding a comfortable position to hold it in for more than just a few minutes was more difficult than I thought it would be due to the size. However, now with the keyboard I can’t put this thing down and have been using it over my iMac and my iPhone.

I’ve found the keyboard to be super easy to type on, the track pad is great and I have no issues with it’s size. The gesture control works really well on the iPad as well. I suppose the lack of a row of function keys is a bit of a bummer but so far in my 4 days of using it I haven’t found myself wishing there was one either. It’s super easy to use on my lap as well.

TL;DR: No plans to return mine and I love it. :)
 
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One of the pros of the keyboard for me has been being able to use it almost like a dock. This pushes me to pull the iPad out and use it naked and careless at night. Kind of forgot how nice this thing is without any kind of protection. Totally offsets any over the top bulk issues Otherwise.
 
Yes I just instigated my return tonight. 1 week of use was enough to send it back.

1. Its just not firm in the case. You tap the screen and it wobbles even on a flat surface.
2. You cant use the tablet in normal mode without removing it from this. It cant lay flat, etc.
3. The angle never gets to where I would want it to be. Limited angle for view.
4. The texture is so easily dirtied up that it always looks like it needs washing.

Over all disappointed as it "looks" cool. But use wise, its nowhere near the $350 I spent.
 
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Returning mine. Can’t deny the keyboard is great. But the battery drain is significant as well as the weight it adds. If this was my sole machine, id probaby splurge but i got a mbp sitting next to me.
 
I have a real concern about the durability of the materials used. I genuinely have no idea why they’ve chose the same material as the folios which have proven to be anything but durable. This is going to end up looking really grubby once I’m out of lockdown and can get out and about again!

I’m also struggling to get Citrix receiver working reliably on it. I’ve always found the iPad version to be a bit janky compared to the desktop one, but even getting logged-on to my client gateways seems to take 2/3 times compared to on macos. Which I know isn’t a fault with the keyboard itself, but its a big use-case for me.
 
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eninety said:
Returning mine. Can’t deny the keyboard is great. But the battery drain is significant as well as the weight it adds. If this was my sole machine, id probaby splurge but i got a mbp sitting next to me.
Click to expand...

That's interesting. I detect absolutely no impact on battery life. It is certainly heavier and thicker with the MKB, greater in both measures than a late model 13" MBP.
 
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I just ordered one, but I think there is 50% chance I will return it. With the Apple Stores closed, this is the only way to experience it.
 
I‘ve had my 11” magic keyboard for about 5 days and I think there is about a 90% chance I’m going to return mine before the return window closes. I’m coming from the smart keyboard folio, and I really like having a trackpad in certain circumstances, the keyboard feel is nice, and surprisingly the weight hasn’t really bothered me, but:

  1. I purchased this in hopes that I could replace my laptop for most things, but I’m still having a hard time being productive on the ipad, even with simple office tasks. There are still so many small annoyances getting in the way of doing even the most basic computer tasks.
  2. I hit the underside of the ipad all the time when typing.
  3. I’ve had the trackpad and keyboard stop working on numerous occasions. I’m almost certain it’s a software bug, but my tolerance for dealing with this is zero when spending $300 on a keyboard.
  4. Word, Slack, and a few other apps I use all the time don’t support the trackpad correctly. I’m sure in time support will grow, but we all said that about G suites supporting ipadOS features and I’m still waiting on many of those. I’m not willing to part with so much money on the promise of future functionality.
  5. I’m finding myself much less likely to use the ipad in tablet mode even when it would be better, just because I don‘t want to remove and leave the keyboard somewhere. I miss the keyboard folio, where you could just fold it back and use in tablet mode.

I have another week before I need to make a decision, and I’m going to keep using it, try to get work done on it, and see if I change my mind. But so far there are too many downsides for me.
 
Overall I am pretty satisfied with the magic keyboard. Is it perfect? No. I wish it had function keys, the trackpad was larger and ofcourse the price is way too high. I am keeping mine since it makes my iPad Pro closer to a laptop replacement. I use my iPad Pro as my daily driver. I do have a 6 year old macbook pro that I hardly use now except for gaming. I am hoping that Logitech everuntally makes a keyboard case with a trackpad for the newer iPad Pro‘s. At that point Ill probably sell this one and buy that. I doubt that will happen until the fall or later.
 
I’m returning mine only because it had some bubbling in the back. I already placed an order for another.
 
chicagofan00 said:
I originally stopped using an iPad a while back after the larger iPhones started coming out as for the most part those were meeting my needs and I had no desire to pick up my iPad mini I had at the time.

After Apple announced the new keyboard with trackpad it got me interested in picking up an iPad Pro and the keyboard but my only hesitation was the price of the combo. After mulling it over for a few days I pulled the trigger on the iPad Pro 12.9”, Apple Pencil, and Magic Keyboard. The iPad and Pencil arrived close to a week before the keyboard did so I had a bit of time to use the iPad and while I loved having an iPad again I found typing on it and just finding a comfortable position to hold it in for more than just a few minutes was more difficult than I thought it would be due to the size. However, now with the keyboard I can’t put this thing down and have been using it over my iMac and my iPhone.

I’ve found the keyboard to be super easy to type on, the track pad is great and I have no issues with it’s size. The gesture control works really well on the iPad as well. I suppose the lack of a row of function keys is a bit of a bummer but so far in my 4 days of using it I haven’t found myself wishing there was one either. It’s super easy to use on my lap as well.

TL;DR: No plans to return mine and I love it. :)
Click to expand...
Likewise, I mainly used my iPhone XSmax instead of my iPad Air 1gen (one thing was it was so slow!!!), but i decided to order the iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) a couple weeks ago, and just received it last week, i do have a problem finding a comfortable position when in bed, but I bought myself a laptop table to put the iPad on when i'm in bed. I haven't tried the AMK yet, since I just recieved it this afternoon along with the pencil. I might not need the table if the AMK rest nicely on my lap in bed.

I don't think I will returning the keyboard either (unless its defective), but just playing around with it for a short of period time, and the trackpad... it does make the ipad experience very different (positive way)...
 
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Hallstar said:
Get yourself an iBeani, they’re brilliant for using the iPP in bed, with or without a keyboard.

https://www.ibeani.co.uk (Also available on Amazon)
Click to expand...
Lol, that looks interesting... I’ll check it out if this table doesn’t work... it hasn’t arrive yet Lol...

I’m actually in my bed typing on the AMK, but it seems like i can’t put the iPad viewing angle too far back otherwise it will flip. I have to use both of my wrist to push the keyboard down, so it doesn’t flip... but the typing experience is far way better than typing on the iPad screen alone Lol
 
Petey07 said:
Lol, that looks interesting... I’ll check it out if this table doesn’t work... it hasn’t arrive yet Lol...

I’m actually in my bed typing on the AMK, but it seems like i can’t put the iPad viewing angle too far back otherwise it will flip. I have to use both of my wrist to push the keyboard down, so it doesn’t flip... but the typing experience is far way better than typing on the iPad screen alone Lol
Click to expand...

The iBeani gives the right amount of lift to elevate the AMK to a more comfortable position for use and a better viewing angle.

I highly recommend them!

I have purchased them for my partner and both parents and they all love them and use them daily. Very versatile!
 
I returned mine yesterday.

It’s just too expensive. I spend plenty on tech (hello Sonos Sub) and I just felt that £300 for an iPad keyboard is a step too far for me, for my use case.

The main issues were:

- I don’t like the material. For this price I’d have liked a nice quality leather/vegan friendly leather finishing. Something a bit classier than the ruggedised rubber, which I’m not a fan off.
- I have real doubts on the longevity of the case.
- Kept brushing my palms against the edge; this would be a problem on long stints.
- It’s just a smidge too pinched on my iPad 11”. The qwerty keys are full size, but the space on the outlier keys has been compromised, obviously to fit the iPad size.
- The trackpad is too small on the 11”
- Still doesn’t replace my MacBook (which is what I was aiming for)
- Viewing angle needs to be better; just a wee bit more!
- My god the cost.
- HOW EXPENSIVE IS THIS THING

What I liked

- Weight wasn’t a problem
- So sturdy. I could use this on my lap without any problems whatsoever.
- Keyboard is pleasing
- fantastic piece of engineering and design
- I liked the paradigm of using it as a stand and when not using the keyboard having the iPad in hands-only mode
- Great as a stand for watching Youtube/Netflix etc

Overall it kind of answered the question I had in my head: could I use this as a replacement to my MacBook Pro 13”? The answer is no, not right now, and while the keyboard is part of that equation, it just becomes an iPad vs MacBook decision, which for various reasons means I’ll sit with the MacBook.

I can see how some folks love it, and having the 13” version of this would mitigate some of the issues I have, but I decided on my final day of the return window to send it back for a refund.
 
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Returned mine due to the cost, and I‘m not convinced it‘ll hold up well over the course of time. May revisit during a sale (BF?)
 
I've just cancelled my order for the MK AGAIN; I've done this three times now, I'm so undecided. We're in lockdown and I'm not prepared to run the risk of getting a bubbly keyboard and having to post it back. I'll wait until stores are open again and go and try one out; and if I like it, I'll buy one and check it before leaving the store.

More than anything apart from the price, I'm so disappointed in Apple's choice of material to make a premium mobile product out of.
 
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I’m still considering it... I think its an amazing product, but I’m disappprinted by how easily its picking up grime after just being used on my desk and a couple of places around the house.

Its ok on the lap and uneven surfaces but not great - I think its a combination of a few things... The weight distribution & the lack of thickness on the base compared to a laptop make it a bit of a wobbly experience at times.

There’s a few wee software bugs which are annoying. The random Capitalising of words mid-sentence and the trackpad stopping working are just small annoyances, but these wouldn’t happen on a laptop.

Also, and this isn’t Apple’s fault, a lot of my client work is in Citrix sessions and they seem to be reluctant to update their app to work well with iPadOS cursor support.
 
ahostmadsen said:
I just ordered one, but I think there is 50% chance I will return it. With the Apple Stores closed, this is the only way to experience it.
Click to expand...
I’m curious how feelings will change once the world starts spinning again.

We’re on lockdown now so concerns about weight, durability, naked iPads and portability are irrelevant. We’re stuck at home so I’m not worried about someone stealing it if I leave it on a desk, carrying an unprotected iPad isnt a big risk and it’s not weighing down a purse. But once we have to travel or study at a Starbucks then will I want to carry around a Portable Dock rather than a more versatile Smart Keyboard? I’m really not sure which is why I want to give it a real try once life gets back to “normal” and I can see how it fits into regular life.
 
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blaizefm said:
I returned mine yesterday.

It’s just too expensive. I spend plenty on tech (hello Sonos Sub) and I just felt that £300 for an iPad keyboard is a step too far for me, for my use case.

The main issues were:

- I don’t like the material. For this price I’d have liked a nice quality leather/vegan friendly leather finishing. Something a bit classier than the ruggedised rubber, which I’m not a fan off.
- I have real doubts on the longevity of the case.
- Kept brushing my palms against the edge; this would be a problem on long stints.
- It’s just a smidge too pinched on my iPad 11”. The qwerty keys are full size, but the space on the outlier keys has been compromised, obviously to fit the iPad size.
- The trackpad is too small on the 11”
- Still doesn’t replace my MacBook (which is what I was aiming for)
- Viewing angle needs to be better; just a wee bit more!
- My god the cost.
- HOW EXPENSIVE IS THIS THING

What I liked

- Weight wasn’t a problem
- So sturdy. I could use this on my lap without any problems whatsoever.
- Keyboard is pleasing
- fantastic piece of engineering and design
- I liked the paradigm of using it as a stand and when not using the keyboard having the iPad in hands-only mode
- Great as a stand for watching Youtube/Netflix etc

Overall it kind of answered the question I had in my head: could I use this as a replacement to my MacBook Pro 13”? The answer is no, not right now, and while the keyboard is part of that equation, it just becomes an iPad vs MacBook decision, which for various reasons means I’ll sit with the MacBook.

I can see how some folks love it, and having the 13” version of this would mitigate some of the issues I have, but I decided on my final day of the return window to send it back for a refund.
Click to expand...
Nice summary of the pros/cons of this case. I agree 100% with many of your points. I bit the $ bullet and went for the case and love it. Right now, it's the best thing going in terms of keyboard cases for the IPP's (IMHO). It is a fair chunk of change though! I do see some improvements in a v2 of this case. I'll list these below (ie same as many of the points you made).

V2 improvements:
  • Material used on outer case - Apple's left a lot of room for improvement here.
  • Colors - Might be nice!
  • Viewing Angle - I agree with you...a tad bit restricted on the angle you can tilt back.
  • Trackpad - Overall, I love it. However, pinch to zoom is very restricted due to the small trackpad size.
  • key/gaps - Seems like Apple could tighten things up in terms of the gaps around the keys to help prevent debris from getting underneath the keys. Seems pretty "exposed" as-is.
btw...I pulled out my 2018 15 inch MBP today (butterfly keys) and it's amazing how much nicer of a typing experience the Magic Keyboard is...over this version of the MBP's. Night and day really.
 
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Going on about 3 weeks now and I’m still loving my MK + 12.9 IPP. It’s everything I’ve wanted in an iPad keyboard. It’s like having 2 devices in one. My iPad Pro is is a laptop when needed, and at other times a Kick ass tablet. Couldn’t be happier.
 
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I ended up returning mine as the track pad was to small for my needs and was uncomfortable to use. As much as I hate to admit I like the spaced out keys better on the folio keyboard. My solution was the folio keyboard with the trackpad 2 and I absolutely love this combo!
 
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I’ve been searching and haven’t been able to find an answer. Might be a dealbreaker for my setup.

When plugged in via the pass-through port, is the iPad supposed to stop charging when you close the lid/case? It’s incredibly annoying to wake up with a nearly dead battery because I didn’t switch to the “other” usb-c port.
 
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