Magic Trackpad 2 and SKF combo

[acemics4]

I have the Ipad Pro 10.5 and I am considering upgrading to the new Ipad Pro. I have been watching all the videos, reading all the threads and reviews, but I don’t think the magic keyboard would be ideal for me. I am thinking about the smart keyboard folio and the magic trackpad 2. I would be using the keyboard a lot more then the trackpad. A huge pro for the SKF over the MK for me is its ability to fold back when using it as a tablet in portrait mode. I know I can pop the ipad off the MK to do this, but I don’t want to do that.

I am curious to know if anyone else is using the 2020 Or the 2018 Ipad Pro with the SKF and Magic Trackpad 2 and what their experiences have been. Thanks!

 

[Alexis Noel]

I have the Ipad Pro 10.5 and I am considering upgrading to the new Ipad Pro. I have been watching all the videos, reading all the threads and reviews, but I don’t think the magic keyboard would be ideal for me. I am thinking about the smart keyboard folio and the magic trackpad 2. I would be using the keyboard a lot more then the trackpad. A huge pro for the SKF over the MK for me is its ability to fold back when using it as a tablet in portrait mode. I know I can pop the ipad off the MK to do this, but I don’t want to do that.

I am curious to know if anyone else is using the 2020 Or the 2018 Ipad Pro with the SKF and Magic Trackpad 2 and what their experiences have been. Thanks!

MK > SK + Magic Trackpad
UNLESS
You find a good deal on the SK and/or the trackpad

I recently sourced out a 2nd SK for my 2nd 2018 iPP from eBay from a user that was upgrading to either the the MK or Brydge Pro+ (they haven't fully decided yet) for about $70 USD after shipping + tax.
BH Photo usually has the trackpad at a couple of $ (usually $10-$20) off on the trackpads (and they even included no tax and free shipping pre-COVID) so paired they'd be good deal to purchase in lieu of the MK.

 

[acemics4]

MK > SK + Magic Trackpad
UNLESS
You find a good deal on the SK and/or the trackpad

I recently sourced out a 2nd SK for my 2nd 2018 iPP from eBay from a user that was upgrading to either the the MK or Brydge Pro+ (they haven't fully decided yet) for about $70 USD after shipping + tax.
BH Photo usually has the trackpad at a couple of $ (usually $10-$20) off on the trackpads (and they even included no tax and free shipping pre-COVID) so paired they'd be good deal to purchase in lieu of the MK.

Thanks for the info. I didn’t think about BH Photo, that’s a good idea.

It is not necessarily a cost thing for me though. I am more curious to know if anyone uses the 2018 or 2020 ipad pro with the SK and magic track pad set up and what their thoughts are (pros and cons). Thanks!

 

[johnnylarue]

I was in the same boat and decided to pick up a lightly used 2020 SKF (for about $75 all in) and to see if my usage will lead me to want a separate trackpad after a few weeks.

I’ve already got a laptop and am not looking to replace it with my 11” iPad, so I mainly was after a dual-purpose folio case and “always-there” keyboard to use for typing out emails when the need arises. The MK would have been overkill for me as I use my iPad as a tablet most of the time.

More to your point, a decent number of people have found the MK trackpad kind of uncomfortable to use, whereas the Magic Trackpad 2 basically gets universal acclaim, so if you don’t mind sacrificing the all-in-one convenience factor of the MK this seems like a really good compromise. But I have no first hand experience so I’ll ****.

 

[acemics4]

I was in the same boat and decided to pick up a lightly used 2020 SKF (for about $75 all in) and to see if my usage will lead me to want a separate trackpad after a few weeks.

I’ve already got a laptop and am not looking to replace it with my 11” iPad, so I mainly was after a dual-purpose folio case and “always-there” keyboard to use for typing out emails when the need arises. The MK would have been overkill for me as I use my iPad as a tablet most of the time.

More to your point, a decent number of people have found the MK trackpad kind of uncomfortable to use, whereas the Magic Trackpad 2 basically gets universal acclaim, so if you don’t mind sacrificing the all-in-one convenience factor of the MK this seems like a really good compromise. But I have no first hand experience so I’ll ****.

Thanks for the into, that is kind of what I was thinking too. The keyboard is more important to me then the trackpad, so I figure that is something I can sort of make a decision after I see how it goes.

 

[Raist3001]

I know I can pop the ipad off the MK to do this, but I don’t want to do that.

I’m curious as to why you wouldnt want to do this? Switching to tablet mode couldn’t be easier with the MK. And returning to laptop mode is also just as easy. I never liked folding the SKF back. The keyboard was always exposed to any surface And always felt odd when holding in this manner. With the MK, I get the feel of the naked iPad in my hand, and with a skin on the back, I never worry about placing my iPad Pro in any surface.

 

[johnnylarue]

I’m curious as to why you wouldnt want to do this? Switching to tablet mode couldn’t be easier with the MK. And returning to laptop mode is also just as easy. I never liked folding the SKF back. The keyboard was always exposed to any surface And always felt odd when holding in this manner. With the MK, I get the feel of the naked iPad in my hand, and with a skin on the back, I never worry about placing my iPad Pro in any surface.

I’m not a fan of the way the camera bump prevents the iPad from laying perfectly flat. Such a clumsy design trend that our future selves will look back on in ridicule. A case (such as the SKF) mitigates this to an extent.

And I actually kinda like the bubble-wrap-y feel of those keys on the back of the iPad but I realize that’s very subjective.

In all honesty if the price was the same I’d probably opt for the snazzy space-age floating design of the MK, but even then I’d miss the always-on nature of the SKF. It certainly fulfills its function as a case better than the MK, which is more of a “portable dock” by virtue of the fact that it doesn’t allow the iPad to be used as a tablet when it’s connected.

 

[acemics4]

I’m not a fan of the way the camera bump prevents the iPad from laying perfectly flat. Such a clumsy design trend that our future selves will look back on in ridicule. A case (such as the SKF) mitigates this to an extent.

And I actually kinda like the bubble-wrap-y feel of those keys on the back of the iPad but I realize that’s very subjective.

In all honesty if the price was the same I’d probably opt for the snazzy space-age floating design of the MK, but even then I’d miss the always-on nature of the SKF. It certainly fulfills its function as a case better than the MK, which is more of a “portable dock” by virtue of the fact that it doesn’t allow the iPad to be used as a tablet when it’s connected.

For me, it is just the way I prefer to use the ipad. I do not want to have it bare when I want to use it like a tablet. I agree that the MK is more of a portable dock. I do use the ipad as my only personal computing device, but I would like to have the ability to fold the keyboard case back if I want to read an ebook. I know a lot of people really love the MK and I am sure it is an amazing device, but for me I just don’t think it would work with how I use it. Lots of people love the apple pencil and it looks really cool, but it doesn’t fit into how I use the device.

I do a lot of writing and also work in office 365 apps. I watch movies, you tube, pay bills, surf the web, respond to emails etc. I have used the Ipad pro 10.5 for al ost 3 years as my only computing device. I have a separate bluetooth keyboard that I use. I am trying to hold off as long as I can to replace it, but I think the time is drawing near.

I really appreciate everyone’s input.

 

[tbayrgs]

I have the Ipad Pro 10.5 and I am considering upgrading to the new Ipad Pro. I have been watching all the videos, reading all the threads and reviews, but I don’t think the magic keyboard would be ideal for me. I am thinking about the smart keyboard folio and the magic trackpad 2. I would be using the keyboard a lot more then the trackpad. A huge pro for the SKF over the MK for me is its ability to fold back when using it as a tablet in portrait mode. I know I can pop the ipad off the MK to do this, but I don’t want to do that.

I am curious to know if anyone else is using the 2020 Or the 2018 Ipad Pro with the SKF and Magic Trackpad 2 and what their experiences have been. Thanks!

I used both the SKF and a Brydge keyboard with my 2018 12.9” iPP over the past year and a half. When iPadOS 13.4 added true cursor/gesture control, I paired my MT2 to it to use along side whatever keyboard I was using. The experience is great—generally had no lag/latency issues and it fully supports all native gestures. Pros to this setup is having a much larger trackpad and ability to use whatever keyboard you prefer. Cons are that it‘s bluetooth, requires charging periodically, and is just less convenient/portable.

So while I found the user experience very nice, I did ultimately switch to the new Magic Keyboard and find it a better overall experience. The trackpad is obviously smaller but I find it perfectly usable. Better yet though is having a much better ‘laptop’ setup when that’s what I need, with the ability to quickly pull it off and go full tablet mode. I use my iPP with a keyboard quite a lot and now find I use the trackpad a ton as well, so having an all-in-one option that works incredibly well better suits my needs. If I find I’ll be using it as just a tablet for a prolonged period of time, I have an inexpensive Amazon knock-off of Apple’s regular folio case that I just wrap it in for a little more protection and add the ability to prop it up when I’m watching a video.

If you find you will only have occasional trackpad needs, I think you’ll be perfectly happy using the separate MT2.

 

[Christopher Kim]

I was in a similar boat - upgraded from the 10.5 iPP to the 2018 11" iPP in April (after 2020 iPP had come out, getting a good deal), with idea that I would get the MK. My use case isn't everyone's, where I have a 13" MBP (used primarily in closed-clamshell mode with Magic Keyboard 2 / Magic Trackpad 2), and primarily use my iPP as a media consumption device at home. When I travel for work, I like to bring my iPP only (and not my laptop), and was hoping the MK could be my primary iPP everything-case. Also if I'm being honest, because I really like the look of the MK.

After the reviews of the MK, I realized I don't quite fit the profile for who can get best value from this. I also prefer to have a slim case on the iPad when using it in tablet mode (which is probably 80% of my use case).

Given I already have a Magic Keyboard 2 / Magic Trackpad 2 at home, I've decided I'm just going to 1) get a very slim case (bought a nice $25 one from Amazon) and 2) bring my Magic KB/Trackpad with me on the road along with my iPP for the times I need the productivity.

 

[acemics4]

I really appreciate all of the input. I totally agree and understand that everyone’s needs and experiences are going to be different. I am trying to eventually make the best, most well informed decision I can when the time comes.

From everything that I am hearing and seeing, I am really leaning toward the smart keyboard folio. I will probably just get that and the ipad to start and then see how my usage is and if I would benefit from the Magic Trackpad. I do not want to use the ipad bare when I want to use it as a tablet, and I do not want to get a separate case for it to use when I take it off the magic keyboard.

I just replaced the cheap bluetooth keyboard that I was using for 2+ years with my ipad pro 10.5 with another cheap bluetooth keyboard. When I am working through the day I have the ipad set up on my desk and use the keyboard as needed. When I am done with work I leave the keyboard on my desk and take the ipad for media consumption, emails etc through the evening. This is where I think the keyboard folio would be a big asset for me.

Thanks again for all of the input. It really helps to hear how other people use their devices.