10/28/2023 0 Comments Ipad pro keyboard with trackpad![]() It is also made from the same (or similar) glass that Apple uses on its MacBooks. However, it is so welcome to have it that this is a minor gripe. The trackpad is much smaller than we are used to seeing Apple employ on its MacBooks, a further hint that its inclusion is an afterthought and not by design. Of course, it has lived up to those claims in many ways in particular, thanks to the incredible processing and graphics power Apple’s chip designers have been able to shoe-horn into its A-series chips. It is not to say that it was impossible in the past, but it was far from as simple or as straightforward as it should have been - particularly if it was ever to live up to Apple’s marketing hype that the iPad is the future of computing. The iPad Magic Keyboard with trackpad support is the answer to a lot of people’s prayers as it finally makes working with text-based apps like Microsoft Word, email or script-writing apps, for example so much easier. The backlighting is also excellent and lights every key evenly, which is much more than can be said for other similarly backlit designs that we’ve seen. It is also relatively quiet - much quieter than typing on the discarded butterfly mechanism fitted in MacBooks. The new, slightly scalloped, chiclet-style low-profile scissor switch mechanisms have a far better balance between feel and snappiness. However, it is in many ways a happy accident.Īs for the typing experience - it is so much better than the feel of the fabric-coated Smart Keyboard Folio that also hid Apple’s disastrous butterfly mechanism (yes, it was used here too and also resulted in extended support programs for iPad keyboard just like MacBook keyboards). If Apple had intended to include a touchpad with a cantilever right from the start, then this would clearly have been a compromise that would never have had to be made. This means you will need to find a position somewhere between where you might preferit angled and where it will be positioned best to type without hitting the bottom edge of the screen. The biggest downside of having the keyboard float over the keyboard is that your fingers can hit it when typing. When it was positioned down in the slot of the Smart Keyboard Folio, the lower positioning was not as conducive to this much more natural interaction. The best thing about having the iPad positioned like this is that it really encourages you to interact with the device’s touchscreen in a seamless and natural way - going from the keyboard to touching the display just happens without even consciously thinking about it, such as for tapping word predictions. This design decision alone is the reason the Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Pro weighs 601 grams - or 128 grams heavier than the 11-inch iPad Pro itself, which weighs in at 473 grams. As a result of incorporating the trackpad and pushing the keyboard towards the iPad, Apple couldn’t fit in the stand slots, and obviously the solution has been to have the iPad "float" above the keyboard. Given that the second-generation of the iPad Pro design hasn’t changed, that clearly left Apple with a dilemma once it was decided that it would finally bite the bullet and introduce trackpad support. The keyboard on the Smart Keyboard Folio is placed further toward the user and the iPad was positioned in slots just in front of the keyboard, leaving absolutely no space for a mouse. If you look at the Smart Keyboard Folio that preceded the new Magic Keyboard there was no requirement (or plan) to introduce trackpad support. When the first generation of the new iPad Pro design was introduced back in 2018, it was clear that there was no intention at that time for Apple to introduce mouse support for this particular generation of iPads, as had always previously been the case. Producing a product that is fundamentally compromised by past design decisions is never a good starting point, leaving the team that designed the Magic Keyboard with some serious challenges to overcome. ![]() ![]() One of the first things I noted about the cantilever design approach that Apple has adopted is, undoubtedly cool as it is, that it is the result of a design compromise. To say I was eagerly anticipating a hands-on with the Magic Keyboard is an understatement. I’ve always liked the mobility of the tablet form factor but really missed the lack of trackpad support on the iPad given that the vast majority of my workflow involves writing and working with text. I’ve been advocating for Apple to introduce proper mouse support on the iPad for a long time, as every attempt it has made to try to improve touch-based text manipulation on the iPad has never been completely satisfying. As a long-time iPad user who has been exploring other options over the past 12 to 24 months (including the Surface Pro X, the Galaxy Tab S5e and the Galaxy Book S), the unveiling of the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard accessory got me excited about the iPad again.
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