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My hardware I currently have - MBP15, iPad Pro 11, iPhone 11 Max Pro.
I was on the fence but ordered the Magic Keyboard and can't wait to test it out first hand.

Currently I've been using my iPadPro11 as most of my day to day functions.
I'm in IT and my iPadPro11 runs Citrix Workspace, Remote Desktop apps, MS Office, Google Suite, etc without any issues and suffices for what I do.
I can support and do most of my AD functionalities right off of my citrix workspace connecting into my station in the office.
The only time I find myself reaching for my MBP15 is if I really need the horsepower or real world environment to try and replicate issues received from end users.
I currently have the Smart Keyboard Folio with the iPad Pro. For the most part it's served it's purpose - although I would love a better typing experience.
When I forget take the Smart Folio with me I use a magic keyboard2 and magic mouse2 with the iPad Pro and there is a world of difference in the typing experience.
It seems the MK will give me the best of both worlds but won't be able to confirm until I get to use it first hand. On paper and the reviews it would fit my needs perfectly.
 
I don’t get it. The iPad Pro is now primarily a laptop running macOS, and a detachable screen (i.e., not naturally usable with pencil or as a reader once attached to the keyboard);instead of a tablet that can be used with a keyboard. Weird.
 
I jus had mine delivered a while ago. I like it. Jus got it so cant really say too much. Makes the ipads look really nice. Now as long as it last it will be good. The only thing is i wish it would have came with a different material on the outside. Don’t really see what gripe is with the weight.
 
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No it’s more stable due to the weight. It wobbles no more on my lap than my MacBook Air did. The weight on a lap actually gives it an advantage for me. It wobbles far too much on the ASK for me
I haven't seen a review which shows testing on a lap yet. Are there any good ones out there I am missing?
 

Sara did a small example.

That lap portion was VERY disingenuous, it wasn't realistic at all on the surface side. I posted up a video in another thread about how stable the surface pro is in the lap, she obviously exaggerated for the purposes of her video. On the magic keyboard side she looks like she's pushing down with her hands to keep it from sliding off or flipping over. In her example if she lifted her hands off the keyboard the ipad would have slid and/or flipped right off and fell onto the ground, you can't change the laws of physics. Honestly my IQ has gone down 20 points just watching that review, do people really watch this?

Edit: Here is a realistic video of the surface pro on the lap, and that's without even the added advantage of being able to fold it back at a much greater angle and also being able to tuck the keyboard under it. Note I'm pressing with my finger and the pen much harder than anyone normally would for testing purposes. I highly doubt the ipad with magic keyboard would survive if I used it in my video instead, but I also haven't been able to physically try it myself so can't say for certain.

 
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I really don‘t get the point of this design. It adds a nicer typing feeling than the previous model but at the price of doubling the weight. Still, it‘s limited by ipadOS and lacks the productivity of a Macbook when doing real work. And what‘s the weight for ? Just to have the display floating above the keyboard ? Looks nice, indeed, but at the price of adding such weight ? No, really.

So for doubling the weight (which is a very important property of a mobile device) you get something that can‘t be fully exploited given the limited capabilities of the OS and the available software for the price of a notebook.

Looks rather strange to me.

Define "real work". By profession I'm a systems engineer. And I'm fortunate enough to earn $127k/year. Does that qualify as real work to you? If not, then I will state that I can use my 2018 12.9" iPad Pro with the new magic keyboard each day for 8 hours and get my work done quite easily and efficiently.
 
That lap portion was VERY disingenuous, it wasn't realistic at all on the surface side. I posted up a video in another thread about how stable the surface pro is in the lap, she obviously exaggerated for the purposes of her video. On the magic keyboard side she looks like she's pushing down with her hands to keep it from sliding off or flipping over. In her example if she lifted her hands off the keyboard the ipad would have slid and/or flipped right off and fell onto the ground, you can't change the laws of physics. Honestly my IQ has gone down 20 points just watching that review, do people really watch this?

Edit: Here is a realistic video of the surface pro on the lap, and that's without even the added advantage of being able to fold it back at a much greater angle and also being able to tuck the keyboard under it. Note I'm pressing with my finger and the pen much harder than anyone normally would for testing purposes. I highly doubt the ipad with magic keyboard would survive if I used it in my video instead, but I also haven't been able to physically try it myself so can't say for certain.


It’s a hands on unboxing of the keyboard so yeah people do watch these kind of videos.

I’m not sure why it’s a comp of why using it on a lap is that important. As long as it’s useable does It really matter? Not like you are going to get less done on your lap compared to on a desk. A lot of lap usage you are in no danger of it slipping or dropping anyway not when you are on a sofa.
 
Define "real work". By profession I'm a systems engineer. And I'm fortunate enough to earn $127k/year. Does that qualify as real work to you? If not, then I will state that I can use my 2018 12.9" iPad Pro with the new magic keyboard each day for 8 hours and get my work done quite easily and efficiently.

You know it’s funny, the people who class real work being done on a laptop compared to an iPad could be just as likely on a lot less money and are considered lower in their profession than those who use their iPad for real work. It should never be called real work but work for their usage. You can be the highest rank in your profession and use an iPad as your laptop replacement. So for me that is just as much real work as using a laptop.
 
I need safari, goodnotes, lightroom, youtube and notes. What better device is there for these apps than the iPad with a functioning keyboard and trackpad? Especially that it is easily detachable.
 
Why does the trackpad look so netbook tiny? Is it an illusion due to Dan's hand size?


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Bummer to hear. However, it sounds like iPads are just not a productive device for you. There are many, including myself, which have experienced a greatly improved work experience all the way around. Actually I’m quite blown away with how mine has increased my work flow. Awesome note taking capabilities. I import raw DSLR images into Lightroom. Those original raw files then upload to Adobe cloud along with my adjustments, which are then downloaded to my iMac when I’m able to work there. And photoshop, although still in its infancy on the iPad, has been a more than welcomed addition to my workflow when using the pencil, while not having to take a Wacom tablet with me on the road. And battery life is just incredible for all of the power.

For anyone with first hand experience, does the onboard battery to the keyboard get charged via the iPad at all? Or will it eventually need to be plugged in itself to stay charged? I did not see this bit of info in the video and of course Apple does not list how this works exactly. It would be great to never have to plug it in and switch between this and my folio case quickly. Not a deal breaker, just wondering. Also does the power level show up in the today view like the pencil and AirPods do? Thanks in advance!

There is no battery in the keyboard. It receives power from the ipad. You never have to plug it in.
[automerge]1587663703[/automerge]
Or VIM as well!

You’re my kind of person.
 
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It’s a hands on unboxing of the keyboard so yeah people do watch these kind of videos.

I’m not sure why it’s a comp of why using it on a lap is that important. As long as it’s useable does It really matter? Not like you are going to get less done on your lap compared to on a desk. A lot of lap usage you are in no danger of it slipping or dropping anyway not when you are on a sofa.

Yes, how it functions on the lap is important to how I use my device. But with that said it's obvious this just isn't a device suited to my work flow, nothing wrong with that. Apple made their design decisions and the people who can use it effectively will buy it, the people who can't won't buy it, no need for apologies from Apple or anything. At this point I'm just curious, and probably a bit frustrated at disingenuous reviews like this one. I don't particularly mind how disjointed and idiotic the review was because otherwise I would never have lasted more than 30 seconds watching junk like that, it's just the lap part of it that really annoyed me.
 
Yes, how it functions on the lap is important to how I use my device. But with that said it's obvious this just isn't a device suited to my work flow, nothing wrong with that. Apple made their design decisions and the people who can use it effectively will buy it, the people who can't won't buy it, no need for apologies from Apple or anything. At this point I'm just curious, and probably a bit frustrated at disingenuous reviews like this one. I don't particularly mind how disjointed and idiotic the review was because otherwise I would never have lasted more than 30 seconds watching it, it just the lap part of it that annoys me.
I suppose until you try it mate you won’t know i guess but from what you say i think what you use now might suit your workflow better.
 
I suppose until you try it mate you won’t know i guess but from what you say i think what you use now might suit your workflow better.

Yeah definitely, I really can't say 100% for sure until I actually physically try it. I would definitely shoot down to an Apple store to try it, but that ain't happening these days for sure. I can make some pretty good assumptions from viewing the reviews, but that's never the same as personally using it.
 
That lap portion was VERY disingenuous, it wasn't realistic at all on the surface side.

That's the problem with Apple provided review units. They have to sugar coat the review so they don't lose their privilege and early YouTube clicks. Have to wait for out-of-pocket purchased reviews if you want unbiased.
 
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That's the problem with Apple provided review units. They have to sugar coat the review so they don't lose their privilege and early YouTube clicks. Have to wait for out-of-pocket purchased reviews if you want unbiased.

I wouldn’t say that is the issue with early reviews (from YT’ers that get free review units), but rather it being a case of how certain reviewers style of review is, or what they’re doing to try to set themselves apart from the competition.

I watched one of Justine’s vids and her example of trying the MK on her lap was while she was sitting on a table where her legs were angled down quite significantly AND she was wearing workout tights. I suppose there would be cases where this would be what others might expect for a common use case, but it seemed ridiculous to me. She did try a MacBook Air and it wanted to slide off her lap more easily than the iPad Pro in the Magic Keyboard, so it wasn’t really that it didn’t work as a lap type-able iPad Pro keyboard.

And even with someone like MKBHD, where he was complaining about having to touch the screen to go to settings or swipe up on screen to wake to the home screen. To me, it was clear he hadn’t used the new MK with trackpad enough to realize he could do all those things using the trackpad and not have to poke at the screen.

Some of the other reviews I’ve seen, that were using purchased MK’s, what is a common thread is that the keyboard is great for typing, it’s stable for most use cases, the iPad sticks really well to it, yet can very easily be removed, and it’s heavier than they expected.
 
Edit: Here is a realistic video of the surface pro on the lap, and that's without even the added advantage of being able to fold it back at a much greater angle and also being able to tuck the keyboard under it. Note I'm pressing with my finger and the pen much harder than anyone normally would for testing purposes. I highly doubt the ipad with magic keyboard would survive if I used it in my video instead, but I also haven't been able to physically try it myself so can't say for certain.


The Magic Keyboard is basically balanced like a regular laptop. If you would be comfortable with a laptop in a given position, this setup will generally work. So laying on the couch like you are there? No problem. Sitting upright and writing on the screen, well no, there is no support behind the screen the way there is with the Surface so you won't be able to do quite that exact motion, but neither would you do that with a touch-screen laptop either. I will note that when placed on a table, or if your "lap" is not tilted forward, you can write on the screen just fine without support.

For more typical laptop use, it's just fine on your lap in that position. If you want to write there you'd probably pull the iPad off the screen or temporarily support it from behind.
 
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