I would say a kickstand is much more of a must have than a keyboard. Tough to go back to using the ipad without a kickstand once you're spoiled with a built in one.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad Pro 12.9-inch iPad Pro users: Is a keyboard attachment a must-have?
- Thread starter Yebubbleman
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The Logitech Combo is my second favorite - turns your iPad into a Surface Pro.
Yup. That's why I got one, for the kickstand. Well worth the money, though pricey. It's really the only option out there for built in kickstands. The rest are clunky or add way more bulk, I've spent a lot of time lookign and looking but Combo Touch is the only option for a quality kickstand that looks good.
With those Brydge keyboards being so cheap lately I gave it a try. Lessons learned:
- Laptop style keyboards are very handy as a stable ipad stand, you can actually use it as a laptop without balancing some hokey magnet system just right
- Adds significant weight when they’re aluminum, very prone to damage and denting. Slippery alum and an utterly unprotected ipad aren’t a great combo if you use your tablet for work/field/adventure activities.
- Keyboard certainly made me USE my ipad pro more, I found myself grabbing it when I needed to answer texts and short chats more often
- Ipad is very useful for being a near-computer device with its own SIM card. At a press junket sans wifi I noticed everyone on their laptops were fussing with getting some internet going. An all-in-one is handy when connectivity isn’t a given
- Trackpad makes editing text much easier than doing it by finger, but the cursor is still slower than a traditional mouse
- there is some irritation in constantly looking at your ipad and subconsciously thinking it’s got laptop functionality if your keyboard looks like a macbook. I’ve had no shortage of USB misadventures with it, trying to connect drives, peripherals, and studio gear that just didn’t want to work with the dongles on hand. Not really the ipad’s fault, but one of those little things
A coffee spill killed off my last keyboard so I snagged one of the brydge gen3 keys from the big boxer for all of eight bucks - not too shabby
- Laptop style keyboards are very handy as a stable ipad stand, you can actually use it as a laptop without balancing some hokey magnet system just right
- Adds significant weight when they’re aluminum, very prone to damage and denting. Slippery alum and an utterly unprotected ipad aren’t a great combo if you use your tablet for work/field/adventure activities.
- Keyboard certainly made me USE my ipad pro more, I found myself grabbing it when I needed to answer texts and short chats more often
- Ipad is very useful for being a near-computer device with its own SIM card. At a press junket sans wifi I noticed everyone on their laptops were fussing with getting some internet going. An all-in-one is handy when connectivity isn’t a given
- Trackpad makes editing text much easier than doing it by finger, but the cursor is still slower than a traditional mouse
- there is some irritation in constantly looking at your ipad and subconsciously thinking it’s got laptop functionality if your keyboard looks like a macbook. I’ve had no shortage of USB misadventures with it, trying to connect drives, peripherals, and studio gear that just didn’t want to work with the dongles on hand. Not really the ipad’s fault, but one of those little things
A coffee spill killed off my last keyboard so I snagged one of the brydge gen3 keys from the big boxer for all of eight bucks - not too shabby
This is just me, but using a mouse on a tablet just feels wrong. My favorite part of an iPad is the large touch screen - it's fun to do things on. When I'm away from my desk, my iPad is a tablet. However, when at my desk, I plug it into my monitor and treat it like a traditional computer then. Using a mouse on iPadOS on a monitor still doesn't feel great to me, but that's worth the tradeoff. To me, it's the closest I can get to getting the best of both worlds with one device.
I have had the Silver M1 12.9 iPad Pro w/White Magic Keyboard for nearly 3 years now, and use it every day. I love the the backlit keyboard at night. I love the integrated stand that just works, wheter in the office or sitting in bed. With Apple Maps, it makes a giant GPS screen in the car (5G iPad). It also allows charging the iPad while keeping an open Thunderbolt port open for other devices.
Lastly, I like that Applecare is available, because I have wasted so much money on Logitech solutions in the past.
Lastly, I like that Applecare is available, because I have wasted so much money on Logitech solutions in the past.
No, I use MDP or MBA for textual stuff. My iPad is for displaying videos to clients and watching video material in flight.
Honestly, going from my experience of trying out many keyboard cases and cases in general. You're better off using a bluetooth keyboard that doesn't attach to the ipad. I wish I had done this much sooner, not 2.5 years after I got my ipad.
For me the main benefit is that you don't have to worry about attaching or detaching or taking out the ipad to swap cases or what not. A separate bluetooth keyboard I find is the most convenient. It's just as quick to set up and pack up after as any other keyboard case....maybe even quicker because im not having to fiddle with taking the ipad out of a case or attaching a keyboard to it. I keep my Apple magic bluetooth keyboard in its travel bag. If I need it, I take it out, if I dont need it, I leave it in the case. I always keep it powered on since the battery life is so good on it.
So I don't even have to turn the thing on and off or have to link it to my ipad. It's honestly faster to set up and pack up than any keyboard case out there. Yes even quicker than the $400 Magic keyboard that everyone on here think its the greatest invention since the telephone.
Last edited:
Looking to upgrade to a 12.9 soon and I will most definitely get a keyboard.
Probably a kickstand type folio like I currently have with my Air.
The Magic Keyboard has too many negatives being expensive, lack of function keys, can't fold back the flap as I often use it for drawing.
Probably a kickstand type folio like I currently have with my Air.
The Magic Keyboard has too many negatives being expensive, lack of function keys, can't fold back the flap as I often use it for drawing.
Folio keyboard on my 12.9 as I write a lot with the pencil and it folds out of the way. But often it’s my only device with me (apart from my iPhone, but no MacBook or laptop) I use the keyboard a few times during the day.
the Magic Keyboard is not for traveling/ lots of meetings at work.
the Magic Keyboard is not for traveling/ lots of meetings at work.
My only issue with the Logitech is that if you want to take the case off for some reason, its tough. An already heavy iPad 12.9 is even heavier with the back kickstand on. The Apple Folio has a magnetic back, so its easy to switch between Magic Keyboard and the Folio, which can also be a kickstand - though not as cool as the Logitech and just popping off the magnetic keyboard.
Last edited:
I've actually gone in reverse, I've used separate keyboards for years, only tried out the single-piece laptop wannabes because brydge went out of business and they were going for dirt cheap.
It really comes down to work environment - I like the laptop style of keyboard because it's portable, I don't often have tables to rest my gear on when I'm looking to get some busywork typing in. Squeezing behind bulkheads, into jumpseats, or lazing around in bed doesn't lend itself too well to balancing a multi-piece contraption and tablet. Those ARE nice for having multi connects and hooking into phones, though, so it's a trade off. The majority of attached keyboards certainly add risk with the minimal protection they offer.... every time I look at my poor ipad I just know it's going to take a swan dive off the edge some time soon. Doesn't help that they're all so heavy and slippery!
So do you lay the iPad flat then? Or do you have a stand for it?
I’m glad someone has found a “great for them” solution but as someone who started with Bluetooth keyboards I try to avoid them like the plague. For my ipads. I have one, technically (use is below once per year), for my iPhone but that’s a dream that just never flew.
I still miss the original 30-pin keyboard and stand for the first gen iPad. Yes, it mounted in portrait but that’s 95%+ how I use iPads smaller than the 12.9”…
True but for me there's no reason to ever have to remove the Combo Touch. I'd rather have one that's super snug than one that's loose and easily pops off. It's awesome with the Pro 11. 12.9 is too big for me, the 11 is much lighter and more portable.
Yeah for me, I never use the ipad on the lap, it's always on a flat surface and if I do, I can just use my laptop. I don't find laptops used on laps all the comfortable to begin with regardless of the device. I just don't get paying $400 for the ipad magic keyboard with poor materials that deteriote the second you start using it and has to be cleaned daily. When you can get the exact same keyboard in the Magic bluetooth keyboard for 1/4 of the cost and use the money you saved for something like the Combo Touch (which is far better made than the Magic keyboard). Plus you get the kickstand functionality. And no having to attach or reattach. Combo touch with the apple bluetooth keyboard and it still costed me $100 less than buying a ipad magic keyboard.
No I never lay my ipad flat. I always use the kickstand from the Combo Touch case. I think it's the best combo. The materials on the Combo Touch is top notch. I wipe it down once a month and to this day it still looks brand new. Very low maintance case which I like. Apple should take some notes from Logitech on this one.
I switched from the Combo Touch to the MKB for my M1 12.9 as I found I liked the raised display that was also closer to me and the smaller footprint of the MKB. Just a matter of personal taste. I also had the older Combo Touch that had the problem of the edging near the speakers becoming stretched and loose (fixed in the new version).
I have a 12.9” M1 iPad Pro and do virtually everything I do on my MacBook Pro with it. And I do all that without an external keyboard. The exceptions are running specialized discrete event simulations and Xcode development and App Store publishing (though I do software prototyping on the iPad using Swift Playgrounds). The key to my iPad use is context: I use it (a) when I’m doing contemplative, “lean back” tasks such as ideating (exploring and “sketching” out ideas), brainstorming, exploring conceptual frameworks, drawing and graphics design, writing, note taking, planning, etc. or (b) when I’m away from a desk — in the car (parked of course), in a restaurant, sitting on the couch, laying in bed, etc.
I actually purchased the Magic Keyboard but quickly determined that it was not practical for my primary use cases and the only value it had for me was as a very good iPad stand — so I gave it to my nephew and never regretted. For my context-based use cases the soft keyboard is perfect as I’m not a touch typist and typing speed is not a priority. In contrast, the external keyboard is actually detrimental as the added complexity and weight is distracting for contemplative work and cumbersome when I’m away from a desk. I realize that others use the iPad and iPad Pro differently, but for me the device is perfect as-is for contemplative and away from my desk work.
Last edited:
Why are so many in this forum saying “$400 for the Magic Keyboard“ when the retail price of the 12.9 version is US$349? Are you all living in Canada?
Nobody cares to recall the price, I bet most of us recall some initial overpricing and it just sticks, or they're subconsciously rounding up to account for tax or something? For some reason I think of it as a $180 street price, since that seems to be the usual open-box tag
I shopped the magic keyboard, and still haven't ruled it out since it adds a redundant charging option to the pad. It's a nice little piece of kit, I just can't figure out how so many levels of apple bureacurats saw that $350 price tag and sent it out the door with a pat on the butt and a thumbs up. I have yet to see one out in the wild, it's exclusively a tool of the die-hards who adore the quality or the suckers who go accessory-crazy at the apple store.
I agree it’s overpriced for what you get. That’s why I bought mine “open box” from eBay for $180 (in 95% flawless condition). It’s totally worth it to me for that price.
eBay has them for even less now:
Apple Magic Keyboard for 12.9-inch iPad Pro 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th Gen White/ Black | eBay
Compatibility: iPad Pro 12.9"(2021, 5th Generation), iPad Pro 12.9"(2022, 6th Generation). The Magic Keyboard has a floating cantilever design, allowing you to attach iPad Pro magnetically and to smoothly adjust it to the perfect viewing angle for you.
www.ebay.com
I use mine out and about and am neither a "die-hard" nor a "sucker". No need to insult people here if it doesn't work for you.
And that’s the thing. We can say that for practically anything Apple sets a price to, but what most seem to gloss over is that there isn’t anything similar to the Magic Keyboard on the market.
Trust me, when I first seen the price… I immediately knew it wasn’t for me. I rode the bluetooth keyboard and trackpad/Magic Mouse wave for years. But when I realized I wanted something more compact (for portability)… the options were Brydge, Logitech and Apple.
Brydge issue was that it wasn’t tightly integrated for the iPad (only bluetooth, no pins) and with Combo Touch… I wasn’t feeling the case requirement aspect of it. I wanted something as seamless as the Magic Keyboard, no case needed. And I think that‘s the motivation behind setting the price… no accessory keyboard like the Magic Keyboard exist.
And @sparksd made a good point, the footprint is much better with the Magic Keyboard.
