The reason I love the ipp/Apple Smart Keyboard combo so much better than a laptop is the fact that it sits so much closer to me than a laptop. Yes you still have a keyboard there, but there is much less depth, which means the screen is closer to you. I used the ASK and ipp for the last month and when I used a laptop the other day, the first thing I thought was wow, the screen is much further away.
I also wanted to touch everything I wanted to select, and the trackpad felt almost like more work than just touching my selection. Muscle memory is a funny thing. When I first got my ipp it nearly drove me crazy to not have a mouse or trackpad. Now, I am the complete opposite.