Why don't apple make a keyboard the side of the iPad?

[gladoscc]

Sell a $149 'keyboard cover', and you can essentially use your iPad like a laptop for typing long documents or spreadsheets.

 

[rsnapeuk]

Like the Surface keyboard?

 

[MiniMi]

Hi Gladoscc,

There are many products like you describe already on the market. I use the ZaggFolio, which is a case/cover with BT keyboard.

 

[ChristianVirtual]

Like the Surface keyboard?

I think I read somewhere that MS even pay license fee to Apple for this one ... Maybe only for the cover part of it

 

[rsnapeuk]

I think I read somewhere that MS even pay license fee to Apple for this one ... Maybe only for the cover part of it

Yeah, I think they paid for the licence:

Teksler noted that Apple and Microsoft have a cross-license agreement that does cover the design patents at issue in this case, but said that there are also special “anti-cloning” provisions in the agreement between those two companies. “We couldn’t copy each other’s products,” Teksler said.

 

[takeshi74]

Why do you think Apple needs to make this? As stated previously, there are plenty of options out there. Apple doesn't need to make every single option possible for all of its products.