For those that used the split keyboard and got the new 11inch, hows it going?

[Ghost31]

still a bit on the fence about when to upgrade. New iPad is sexy, but I split the keyboard on my 10.5 a lot and thumb type. So much easier than having to put it down and type or attach a keyboard. Not looking forward to losing it when I upgrade.

For others that used split on a regular basis and upgraded, hows it working out for ya? What’s your typing situation like?

 

[Madmischief]

Works fine for me ... hopefully they will bring the split board back though ...

 

[judyg951]

I don't miss it. I never used it very much anyways. I usually use my iPad in horizontal and bought the keyboard for my 11" IPP.

 

[fyrefly]

I would say it's terrible. I'm a writer and I use my iPad every day with the split keyboard (on the train, on the couch, on a plane, in a cafe, etc...). There are many places a physical keyboard doesn't work as well, and many people (myself included) would rather not carry around a bulky keyboard case.

I'm really hoping this wasn’t an intentional decision and the split keyboard comes back in a point release software update.

 

[Ghost31]

I would say it's terrible. I'm a writer and I use my iPad every day with the split keyboard (on the train, on the couch, on a plane, in a cafe, etc...). There are many places a physical keyboard doesn't work as well, and many people (myself included) would rather not carry around a bulky keyboard case.

I'm really hoping this wasn’t an intentional decision and the split keyboard comes back in a point release software update.

Same here man! I wonder if there’s a good 3rd party app that does split. Might be worth a look

 

[fyrefly]

Same here man! I wonder if there’s a good 3rd party app that does split. Might be worth a look

I spent this AM looking at other keyboards: GBoard, Swiftkey, and Fleksy - none of them offer the split keyboard option. There are one or two paid apps that say they offer it, but the reviews are bad...

 

[Ghost31]

I spent this AM looking at other keyboards: GBoard, Swiftkey, and Fleksy - none of them offer the split keyboard option. There are one or two paid apps that say they offer it, but the reviews are bad...

So we are literally completely out of luck on using the split keyboard with our only option being the full software one or a hard keyboard.

...it might sound trivial but that’s kind of a big deal for me. I use split keyboard every time I type on it. Ugh

 

[TheBing1980]

So we are literally completely out of luck on using the split keyboard with our only option being the full software one or a hard keyboard.

...it might sound trivial but that’s kind of a big deal for me. I use split keyboard every time I type on it. Ugh

I bit the bullet and spend $0.99 cents on Tempest to get the split keyboard back.

It's OK, just seems to occasionally lag.

After using it I have realized not only do I miss the split, but I really miss being able to relocate the keyboard from being docked at the bottom of the screen.

 

[fyrefly]

Typing this on tempest keyboard. It's not great. very laggy. And Yes, moving it up would be great.

It also did this and wouldnt reset... Not worth it, IMHO.

 

[LxHunter]

I miss the split keyboard
Typing this on iPad Pro 11
In landscape
Using the Pencil 2 as a dumb stylus.
Hope The split returns.

 

[j.quintana]

I've returned my iPad Pro 11" because of the missing split keyboard. I wasn't aware of that issue when I ordered it.

I'm coming from an iPad mini 4 which I love for its weight and compactness. So the added 170g with the iPad Pro 11" were not very welcome because I couldn't hold the iPad with one hand for a long period of time anymore. But since the iPad Pro 11" is such a gorgeous piece of hardware I could have lived with the weight IF it had the split keyboard so that I could use the iPad in landscape mode and type with my thumbs.

I don't want to lay down the iPad every time I have to type. For those purposes I already have a MacBook. I want to choose an iPad over the MacBook to free myself from exactly that. I want to be able to type while holding the iPad and it should not matter if I'm standing, sitting, lying on my couch etc. It's this freedom that my MacBook can't give me and sadly an iPad Pro 11" can't either.

So I will stick to my iPad Mini 4 and wait for a Mini 5 (hopefully the same size and weight as the mini 4 but with a 9" display) or a regular 9.7" iPad that hopefully will be lighter and smaller with the next Generation (shrinking the bezel should get us there).

 

[Lowhangers]

Why did Apple remove the split keyboard? That surprises me, I would have thought they would have kept it.

 

[fyrefly]

I've returned my iPad Pro 11" because of the missing split keyboard. I wasn't aware of that issue when I ordered it.

I'm coming from an iPad mini 4 which I love for its weight and compactness. So the added 170g with the iPad Pro 11" were not very welcome because I couldn't hold the iPad with one hand for a long period of time anymore. But since the iPad Pro 11" is such a gorgeous piece of hardware I could have lived with the weight IF it had the split keyboard so that I could use the iPad in landscape mode and type with my thumbs.

I don't want to lay down the iPad every time I have to type. For those purposes I already have a MacBook. I want to choose an iPad over the MacBook to free myself from exactly that. I want to be able to type while holding the iPad and it should not matter if I'm standing, sitting, lying on my couch etc. It's this freedom that my MacBook can't give me and sadly an iPad Pro 11" can't either.

I agree with so much of this. I also returned my iPad Pro 11” because of the missing split keyboard. It seems to be a change that wasn’t thought of at Apple, as the support documents were not even updated until I referenced them in a support call with Apple. Less than an hour later, they were changed to read “Split keyboard not available on the 12.9 inch IPad Pro or 11” iPad Pro”

How sneaky, Apple.

And the kicker is that I bet they could fix this in 12.1.2 with like a line of code. I just wish they would. I also wish Macrumous and other Apple sites would pick up this issue and make some noise so that Apple becomes more aware it's a problem.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

I've returned my iPad Pro 11" because of the missing split keyboard. I wasn't aware of that issue when I ordered it.

I'm coming from an iPad mini 4 which I love for its weight and compactness. So the added 170g with the iPad Pro 11" were not very welcome because I couldn't hold the iPad with one hand for a long period of time anymore. But since the iPad Pro 11" is such a gorgeous piece of hardware I could have lived with the weight IF it had the split keyboard so that I could use the iPad in landscape mode and type with my thumbs.

I don't want to lay down the iPad every time I have to type. For those purposes I already have a MacBook. I want to choose an iPad over the MacBook to free myself from exactly that. I want to be able to type while holding the iPad and it should not matter if I'm standing, sitting, lying on my couch etc. It's this freedom that my MacBook can't give me and sadly an iPad Pro 11" can't either.

So I will stick to my iPad Mini 4 and wait for a Mini 5 (hopefully the same size and weight as the mini 4 but with a 9" display) or a regular 9.7" iPad that hopefully will be lighter and smaller with the next Generation (shrinking the bezel should get us there).

It’s not an issue, just lack of a feature.

 

[fyrefly]

It’s not an issue, just lack of a feature.

I mean, it's not something that apple publicised, like the lack of headphone jack on the 2018 pros. It's not like they said “Now without the ability to split the keyboard!” It was a “feature” on the 10.5” model that the 11” effectively replaced (only the 10.5” got kept around because the jacked up the prices) so it is an “issue” for many of us that the feature was removed.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I never used the split keyboard and find the 11” keyboard in landscape to be perfect.

 

[secretk]

It’s not an issue, just lack of a feature.

Well as a Software Development team leader I use different definition. A bug (or issue) is every aspect that used to work in the past, it's no longer working and no one communicated that it would not work in the new version.

 

[j.quintana]

I never used the split keyboard and find the 11” keyboard in landscape to be perfect.

I bet you don't use your thumbs for typing.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I bet you don't use your thumbs for typing.

How much do you bet?

 

[subjonas]

Alternatively, have you given swipe gesture typing a try? It allows you to hold the tablet and type at the same time, but instead of both hands holding and typing (with thumbs), you hold/cradle with one hand/arm and swipe with the other. I’ve found it’s as fast as thumb typing, but with a couple issues: the software has always been a little too buggy for me, at least in the past, not sure how they are now; and privacy with third party keyboards is questionable, if that concerns you. Also this works better for mini and 12.9 iPads (mini is easier to hold with one hand, 12.9 is easier to cradle in arm)—the medium “in between” size iPads are a little more difficult.

I definitely think developers need to improve text input methods on tablets so that it’s fast and reliable, and doesn’t require you to put down the tablet (and preferably doesn’t take up half the screen). Holding is the whole point of a tablet.

I've returned my iPad Pro 11" because of the missing split keyboard. I wasn't aware of that issue when I ordered it.

I'm coming from an iPad mini 4 which I love for its weight and compactness. So the added 170g with the iPad Pro 11" were not very welcome because I couldn't hold the iPad with one hand for a long period of time anymore. But since the iPad Pro 11" is such a gorgeous piece of hardware I could have lived with the weight IF it had the split keyboard so that I could use the iPad in landscape mode and type with my thumbs.

I don't want to lay down the iPad every time I have to type. For those purposes I already have a MacBook. I want to choose an iPad over the MacBook to free myself from exactly that. I want to be able to type while holding the iPad and it should not matter if I'm standing, sitting, lying on my couch etc. It's this freedom that my MacBook can't give me and sadly an iPad Pro 11" can't either.

So I will stick to my iPad Mini 4 and wait for a Mini 5 (hopefully the same size and weight as the mini 4 but with a 9" display) or a regular 9.7" iPad that hopefully will be lighter and smaller with the next Generation (shrinking the bezel should get us there).

Exactly. Having to put down a tablet to type goes against its whole purpose.