Leaving Windows for the Walled Garden - Grail Hunt

[Dellaster]

@JoeS

… I’m less tempted to do the same with my iPad Pro 10.5 because the “smart” keyboard is also its stand.

I have this ordered, mostly to prop up the iPP when using my Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard.

[dstrauss]

That’s why I’ve opted for the Logitech Combo Touch for my iPad Pro 11. A bit porky but can leave keyboard behind for tablet use or reattach in reverse (like Surface keyboard) and hold with keys facing inward.

[JoeS]

@Dellaster

I have this ordered, mostly to prop up the iPP when using my Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard.

Link? Looks good, let us know how you like it when it arrives.

[Dellaster]

@JoeS

Link? Looks good, let us know how you like it when it arrives.

Here you go. For the $13 current discounted price I figure it’s worth a try. Lots of good reviews.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LDNFFSX

[Bishop]

@Dellaster

Here you go. For the $13 current discounted price I figure it’s worth a try. Lots of good reviews.

Great find. Ordered. Thanks

[James]

@Desertlap

My two deal killers are that it’s heavy and that there is no way , unlike the folio to fold it behind the tablet. In other words to use it as tablet you have to take it off the keyboard.

That being said, Apple has made that as relatively seamless as possible with the magnetic attachment. And as an insight as to what the company line is on such things, regardless of iPad in use, when Apple employees I’ve observed, use any iPad as handheld tablet, they remove either the folio or magic keyboard entirely. In other words even with the folio, they don’t fold it behind the tablet

Like many others have said, I’ll echo that I take my IPP off the keyboard all the time. In fact, it’s one of my favorite things about it. It’s so easy to pull off and put on with little effort and makes the portability so much better. I also have a skin on my IPP so I don’t worry too much about scratching it up and whatnot. I don’t feel the magic keyboard offers any drop protection, so there’s nothing for that either way.

@Dellaster

I have this ordered, mostly to prop up the iPP when using my Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard.

I have been on the fence about getting something like this strictly for art. I find the magic keyboard makes a perfectly good stand if I want to connect my Kinesis keyboard to it as well, though TBH if I’m doing that, I usually just have my IPP set up as a second screen with my MBP that’s already connected to the Kinesis. But the extended angles for art and just watching shows would be nice instead of always either just holding the IPP for art/using the magic keyboard for watching shows.

Honestly, what I really want though would be a concept I believe I saw for a magic keyboard 2.0 that folds all the way down similar to the new Surface Studio Laptop. Allowing more forward control without letting it fold backwards otherwise to tip over might be an engineering challenge, but one that I think would significantly improve the design.

[Dellaster]

@James

Honestly, what I really want though would be a concept I believe I saw for a magic keyboard 2.0 that folds all the way down similar to the new Surface Studio Laptop. Allowing more forward control without letting it fold backwards otherwise to tip over might be an engineering challenge, but one that I think would significantly improve the design.

Agree 100%.

[JoeS]

@James

Honestly, what I really want though would be a concept I believe I saw for a magic keyboard 2.0 that folds all the way down similar to the new Surface Studio Laptop. Allowing more forward control without letting it fold backwards otherwise to tip over might be an engineering challenge, but one that I think would significantly improve the design.

That would be great. As you say, that would be tricky. The current floating design requires the fold to be below the middle of the back so that the iPad doesn’t block the keys. They could conceivably add another hinge point halfway up the back of the iPad, but that might become too finicky for an Apple accessory.

[James]

@JoeS

That would be great. As you say, that would be tricky. The current floating design requires the fold to be below the middle of the back so that the iPad doesn’t block the keys. They could conceivably add another hinge point halfway up the back of the iPad, but that might become too finicky for an Apple accessory.

I know I saw a concept that they patented somewhere that had a pen holder in the center hinge where the charging port is. I thought that same concept also showed it laying all the way flat, but I could be wrong about that last part and am mixing it up with someone else’s concept.

[Bronsky]

I know, how about something like this?

[James]

Definitely not. I’ve used that, and it doesn’t work nearly as well as the magic keyboard for my uses.

[James]

Found it. It doesn’t actually lay flat in this diagram, but does extend the flexibility of the angles. It seems it could be expanded to lay flat here though.

https://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2020/09/apple-updates-their-original-ipad-pro-magic-keyboard-patent.html

[JoeS]

@James

Found it. It doesn’t actually lay flat in this diagram, but does extend the flexibility of the angles. It seems it could be expanded to lay flat here though.

Nice find! They show exactly what we were discussing: an additional hinge point halfway up the back.

Plus it has an integrated pencil sharpener!

Never have a blunt Apple Pencil again

[Dellaster]

@Bronsky

… how about something like this?

@dstrauss

That’s why I’ve opted for the Logitech Combo Touch for my iPad Pro 11.

Combo Touch Keyboard Case for iPad | Logitech

It pretty much gives the iPP or new Air full Surface Pro keyboard/kickstand functionality. That’s not what I’m looking for but for others it could be just what they need/want. As with @dstrauss

[dstrauss]

@Dellaster

It pretty much gives the iPP or new Air full Surface Pro keyboard/kickstand functionality. That’s not what I’m looking for but for others it could be just what they need/want. As with @dstrauss

It’s a shame that the thieves, sorry the “copiers” at th Apple, don’t just copy the Surface Pro kickstand and Type Cover, and move on. Heck, they could probably get that royalty free from Microsoft just by giving Panos one free tour of the secret underground processor lab with Timmy…

[Dellaster]

Here’s a nice comparison of the Magic & Combo Touch keyboards. As he concludes, they’re both excellent for what they focus on.

Logitech Combo Touch vs Magic Keyboard Full Comparison

[dstrauss]

Having tried about as many keyboard cases as have been made for iPad (including Apple’s own), I’d say the Combo Touch is the best of the lot. Maybe it has been my experience with the Surface line since Pro 2, but the kickstand/keyboard combination is the best overall (compromise?) solution. In fact, if the Combo Touch had the pencil cover from its Logitech Keyboard Folio, I’d declare the Combo Touch best in class. Hopefully the next version can be a little less bulky/heavy and bring bak the pencil flap.

[Bishop]

@dstrauss

Heck, they could probably get that royalty free from Microsoft just by giving Panos one free tour of the secret underground processor lab with Timmy…

Is it just me, or is Timmy starting to look a lot like Palpatine…

[dstrauss]

@Bishop

Is it just me, or is Timmy starting to look a lot like Palpatine…

I was thinking more like a Bond villain, but your description is more accurate…

Actually, I take that gif too personally - every time I see that head shaking evil grin I think he’s replying to my constant request “Please sir, now may I have MacOS on my iPad?”

[James]

@dstrauss

It’s a shame that the thieves, sorry the “copiers” at th Apple, don’t just copy the Surface Pro kickstand and Type Cover, and move on. Heck, they could probably get that royalty free from Microsoft just by giving Panos one free tour of the secret underground processor lab with Timmy…

Respectfully disagree.

Not about the thieving part, Apple clearly have that down. (Though perhaps because they learned from MS very early on and just went overboard with it?)

But, I think the magic keyboard is possibly the first innovative thing they’ve done in the last 15 or so years and is much better than the kickstand in almost every case. I suppose if the IPP had a kickstand built in, but could also attach to the magic keyboard without somehow adding weight, that would be nice, but I don’t ever want to use a floppy attached keyboard again.