iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard is now my Daily Driver
Reviews have been out for a while on the magic keyboard for iPad pro. Many people agree that the hardware is great, and the combination makes for a laptop replacement argument. In this showcase, I’ll be talking about my experience with the iPad Pro 11 + magic keyboard as one and why I now use it as my daily driver.
The iPad alone had always been a secondary media content consumption device for me. Mainly to watch YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the occasional Disney+ in bed. I know I know, I’m definitely not using an iPad Pro to its full extent, but the 120 hertz display, quad speaker setup, and my unreasonable pursuit to “USB-C” all things makes it such a compelling device for me (and others). Honestly, if the iPad Air had a balanced stereo speaker setup in landscape mode, I’d be using that one right now. Plain and simple, it was a luxury item purchase, and because I’m so particular about what I want, my options become pricey ones. So I digress.
My Experience
While in use, my inputs to the iPad were 99% through the magic keyboard. Trackpad navigation was as good as it is on MacBooks, if not better. I only say better because the navigation gestures are really intuitive in iPadOS and iOS, so it translates well on the trackpad. After getting used to the size, typing on the keyboard was easy and nice. If you own this or have read/seen any of the reviews, you already know that this thing is a fingerprint magnet. The smudges don’t look great, but it hasn’t been a deal breaker for me.
It’s serviceable on your lap. Viewing angles might be limited based on your torso length, but generally, you can use the keyboard and trackpad just fine. The bonus here is that you don’t have to worry about feeling any heat dissipation burning your knees. This is because all of the heat generating components like the processor are in the tablet itself. Unlike traditional laptops, where the processors are typically housed underneath the keyboard and heat is most definitely noticeable while in lap use. If you are anything like me and like to lay in bed with your device on your chest, feeling no heat will make that experience more comfortable.
I had concerns about not having a full chrome browser and I thought that was going to really impact my usage. I know the safari browser is “desktop” class, but I haven’t felt like YouTube behaves 100% correct in the safari browser on the iPad. I noticed that the “F” key does not exit full screen like I am used to, and since there is no escape Key, you have to use the trackpad to exit full screen once you are in it. Also, when watching a video, YouTube doesn’t always start playing. Minor annoyances, but they were enough to get me to just use the YouTube app. I found it to be OK, and I actually think this constraint allowed me to focus more on the content I was viewing. I know everything is subjective, but for me, the ipad pro + magic keyboard is the best minimal compromise device for content consumption.
Pros
- great hardware
- good sound
- good display quality
- great battery life
- biometric authentication
- weighs less than 3 lbs
- front camera is much better than any laptop
It’s not all great
It’s obvious that iPadOS is a touch first operating system, so it’s no surprise that the trackpad integration can seem off in different Apps. As the software ages, I think the integration in iPadOS and 3rd party apps will continue to get better. I’ve noticed these improvements just in the relatively short time of use. The lack of a dedicated row of function keys is an egregious omission, and one that needs to be fixed. Adjusting the keyboard backlighting has to be one of the least elegant implementations that we’ve seen from Apple in years. Even if the rumors are true and they are working on a keyboard shortcut to make it easier, it’s a workaround fix that will never be as good as a row of function keys.
Changing the iPad’s natural default to horizontal would be a welcome change. This would mean moving the FaceID sensor to the top when it’s docked to the keyboard. This change will make video conferencing much better. I’m not sure if this change makes sense for everyone, but unlike my phone where I’m typically holding it on a video chat, the iPad is always resting somewhere attached to the magic keyboard. Lastly, this might be pushing it, but having a USB-C port on either side of the device would be exemplary.
Cons
- smudgy material on keyboard
- no dedicated row of function keys
- not all apps have been optimized yet
- not really a solution to replace computer intensive tasks like 3D modeling
Things get trickier from here on out
If you are like me, and love your iPad Pro more now because of the laptop-like experience then, the choice between it and the upcoming ARM MacBook, will be a tough one. Even now, the decision to buy an iPad pro with a magic keyboard or MacBook Air is very debatable. With MacOS Big Sur coming soon, giving ARM MacBooks native access to all appstore apps, the Apple lineup will be even more complicated.
Do you have the magic keyboard? If so, what’s been your experience? What improvements do you want to see for the iPad Pro, and it’s magic keyboard? Do you think that the introduction of ARM MacBooks makes the product line more confusing? Maybe it’s too early to tell, but we’ll all know soon enough. Please feel free to comment below.
Originally published at https://www.techwewishwehad.com on July 7, 2020.
