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Apple's Smart Keyboard Folio vs. Third-Party Alternatives

derekamoss said:
Nah guys, this one is the best!
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Agreed. Super thin, smart connector and backlighting. Plus, the keys are good for ANY keyboard, let alone a portable one. If Microsoft can do it, why not Apple? (and by that I mean add backlighting to their existing Smart Keyboard.) The first gen didnlt have it, fine. But there is no excuse for not having backlighting in the second gen.
 
I haven't used any of them, so just asking - did Apple achieve the thin form by sacrificing keyboard quality? Or is this a case of thinner is also better?
 
Rafterman said:
Agreed. Super thin, smart connector and backlighting. Plus, the keys are good for ANY keyboard, let alone a portable one. If Microsoft can do it, why not Apple? (and by that I mean add backlighting to their existing Smart Keyboard.) The first gen didnlt have it, fine. But there is no excuse for not having backlighting in the second gen.
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Plus you know... The trackpad =)
 
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JetTester said:
I haven't used any of them, so just asking - did Apple achieve the thin form by sacrificing keyboard quality? Or is this a case of thinner is also better?
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I am fine with the typing experience afforded by the Smart Keyboard. They are clicky, and still have a reasonable amount of travel. I do wish there was a dedicated Siri key, but that’s pretty much it.
 
Bonkers prices all around when compared to a full-size mechanical keyboard.
It’s like they price the keyboard at a fixed percentage of the overall iPad cost.
If you were a frequent keyboard user I can’t imagine why you just wouldn’t go for a laptop.
 
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I use the Apple smart folio together with the iPad pro 1Tb.
All I can say is that text input without a mouse is such a pain.
Is a good software developer able to implement mouse support to expensive for Apple?
I am sure the masters of desaster at Apple do not even write a letter on the iPad pro.
 
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rturner2 said:
mouse / trackpad support? come-on apple
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But then some people wouldn't have to buy both an iPad and a MacBook.... They need to suck out every niclkle and dime they can because, you know, it's not like they have a large cashpile laying around or anything.
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radus said:
I use the Apple smart folio together with the iPad pro 1Tb.
All I can say is that text input without a mouse is such a pain.
Is a good software developer able to implement mouse support to expensive for Apple?
I am sure the masters of desaster at Apple do not even write a letter on the iPad pro.
Click to expand...
They don't want you to not own both an iPad and a Macbook.
 
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An older AA battery powered Apple Wireless keyboard sits in my bag. I carry a couple of extra batteries just in case. Don’t use it often and the iPad nestles neatly in the space needed for the batteries. I prefer this with a thin case on the iPad itself. Not for everyone, but works for me. (I’ve have occasionally used the keyboard to type on my phone. On some flights there is not much room)
 
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I love the smart folio. If IPP had a touchpad/normal mouse support, it would be a perfect device. As it stands today, I tend to use my wife's macbook air when on the road (or my 15 mbp if there's enough room) more than my ipad.

Sadly, touchscreen RDP is as useless as a bunch of new emojis. As much as I admire the butter smooth hdr display of my 1T pro, my next tablet is going to be macbook air. At the moment, IPP is nothing but a 2k+ crapper facebook/yt terminal.
 
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The whole keyboard case discussion is interesting to me because I just bought a new Air, and I am trying to decide if I want to get one. Right now I have a folio ($15) and a separate Logitech k380 Keyboard ($25 on sale). So, for $40, I have a pretty versatile arrangement, but it lacks the convenience of always having the keyboard attached. Of course, this cuts both ways because adding an attached keyboard increases bulk and sometimes the darn thing just flops around and gets in the way. Also, some of these keyboard cases can be pretty expensive.

I think it boils down to how often you need to do serious typing on your iPad. I have gotten pretty good on the virtual keyboard, so no problem typing a one page email or document for me. I prefer the physical keyboard for longer documents and spreadsheets.

One other thought, if Apple introduces physical trackpad support in iOS 13, it seems like existing keyboard cases will become obsolete......and they aren’t cheap. So, I might stick with what I have until we get more iOS 13 info at WWDC in June.
 
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Can I ask a small favor please? If an article is going to be more than, oh I don't know, 10" of web space, can you perhaps put a snippet with a link to expand the rest of the article? There have been a few "scroll for minutes" articles on your site recently.
 
I feel like none of these options are good for lap-typing.

As said in the video about the Zagg case, the iPad detaches from the case when lap-typing. I already know the other two don't work for lap-typing because the type of stand those cases use causes the iPad to fall face-forward into your lap.

I believe lap-typing functionality is absolutely critical. If I wanted a desk-typing experience, I would use a desktop PC that is more ergonomic for that setting—not some tiny iPad I have to huddle around.

I have a feeling the Microsoft Surface product excels in this area, but I wouldn’t know.

I hope that Apple realizes their case is overpriced and dysfunctional for lap-typing (which one would expect to be acceptable for a portable PC).
 
I've been out of the iPad game for a while as my iPhone and MacBook serve my needs... but they haven't updated the UI to allow for more than 4 apps in a row yet, lmao! It looked tacky and too spaced out generations ago I cannot believe it's the same. I feel there is a balance between clean and wasted real estate, this being the latter.
 
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I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to buy these types of keyboards simply because once you upgrade your iPad, you generally need to buy a new keyboard as well.
 
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iBreatheApple said:
I've been out of the iPad game for a while as my iPhone and MacBook serve my needs... but they haven't updated the UI to allow for more than 4 apps in a row yet, lmao! It looked tacky and too spaced out generations ago I cannot believe it's the same. I feel there is a balance between clean and wasted real estate, this being the latter.
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thry have never tried to optimize the iPad as a tablet, it's just your iPhone blown up. I hate the grid view they have of apps on the home screen.
 
I’ll add my +1 for the Apple folio. Definitely superior to bluetooth, and Apple’s simplicity/minimalism is almost always the best aesthetic for me.
But in some aspects I seem to be in the minority because:
  1. With keyboards, the slimmer the better. I love the feel of these keys.
  2. I would hate a trackpad with the iPad and am surprised by all the requests here for one. Shortcut keys to move around and select text (opt-arrow, etc) is my preferred method, and a trackpad would over-complicate the many input methods.
 
Hopefully the Brydge keyboard is legit! Ill post a run down when I get mine mid May. I’m returning the Zagg great idea but the hinges had issues with in 10 days of basic use and the unit I had wouldn’t last but a few days with normal use daily so hopefully mine was bunk but if not buyers beware
 
derekamoss said:
Nah guys, this one is the best!
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Amen! I'm looking at the review and while I appreciate the effort, they all seem like imposters. Maybe because the device they cater for is also an imposter

I am struggling to find the usecase for iPad Pro or even the new iPad not so pro (Air). And this comes from someone who uses their (regular) iPad daily
 
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