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Best 10.5inch keyboard for lap typing?
- Thread starter TJ82
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I find the Apple Keyboard for my 12.9 Pro pretty good. But tbh sometimes it does slide a bit but overall I'm happy with it.
I have been SO tempted SO many times to try out a Brydge, but there are a few things holding me back:
1. I've seen/heard too many complaints about QC issues.
2. It requires me to leave the back of the iPad exposed with no protection on it unless I get some kind of wet apply skin or something.
3. I worry about those little clips marking up my hardware.
So it's still Apple Smart Keyboard for me right now.
1. I've seen/heard too many complaints about QC issues.
2. It requires me to leave the back of the iPad exposed with no protection on it unless I get some kind of wet apply skin or something.
3. I worry about those little clips marking up my hardware.
So it's still Apple Smart Keyboard for me right now.
I went back and forth on this for my 10.5, and ultimately decided to compromise great lap typing experience for all of the other benefits the Logitech Slim Combo has. The typing experience is fantastic, the backlit keyboard is sharp looking, and the 4 tilt positions are quite usefully adaptive for different settings. And, at $100 on Amazon, was substantially cheaper than the ASK. People complaining about the weight and bulkiness of the keyboard/case combo must be incredibly wimpy. It makes the device a hefty 2 lbs max...
And there were complaints about where the Apple Pencil is stored. At least it has a convenient storage slot for the Apple Pencil unlike Apple’s own ASK which I thought was odd.
And there were complaints about where the Apple Pencil is stored. At least it has a convenient storage slot for the Apple Pencil unlike Apple’s own ASK which I thought was odd.
Does that one have the problem that the larger ones do where it fails to put the iPad to sleep and starts up music while you're carrying it around? A friend of mine had that issue and kept accidentally draining his battery, so he switched to the Apple model.I went back and forth on this for my 10.5, and ultimately decided to compromise great lap typing experience for all of the other benefits the Logitech Slim Combo has. The typing experience is fantastic, the backlit keyboard is sharp looking, and the 4 tilt positions are quite usefully adaptive for different settings. And, at $100 on Amazon, was substantially cheaper than the ASK. People complaining about the weight and bulkiness of the keyboard/case combo must be incredibly wimpy. It makes the device a hefty 2 lbs max...
No, the case for the 10.5 does not do that. It is not perfect, but I have pleasantly surprised with how much I like this thing. Use case for me is premed/med student, so having the ability to type in Word/PowerPoint, quickly remove the keyboard and write notes in Notability is a very nice feature to have. The typing experience is very good. The ASK looks great and I wanted it but read far too may consistent reviews stating the ASK stops working after months to a year max. I can’t spend $150 on something to quit working that soon.
I do like the Smart Keyboard. Ironically I bought the pencil when I got the iPad Pro and I’ve barely used it. I kept putting off buying the Smart Keyboard and then this last Christmas I decided to buy it. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Can’t believe how much I hesitated over buying it because I always use it now.
I use 80% of the time the pencil from browsing on my ipad and doing about everything. To me it seems the most relaxed way when i am on my sofa. When on bed i use my fingers
I went back and forth on this for my 10.5, and ultimately decided to compromise great lap typing experience for all of the other benefits the Logitech Slim Combo has. The typing experience is fantastic, the backlit keyboard is sharp looking, and the 4 tilt positions are quite usefully adaptive for different settings. And, at $100 on Amazon, was substantially cheaper than the ASK. People complaining about the weight and bulkiness of the keyboard/case combo must be incredibly wimpy. It makes the device a hefty 2 lbs max...
Do you have a link? I tried to search but there seems to be 2 versions?
Absolutely. I got mine on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0753223KN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
You guys all got me thinking about keyboard options again yesterday, so I went over to Best Buy to check out the Logitech Slim Combo for my 10.5” Pro. I actually ended up buying one to try out and brought it home. I came away VERY disappointed. There are many reasons why:
1: The smart connector hinge had a VERY weak magnetic connection and kept popping off. And if you like folding the keyboard around the back without taking it off when using in full tablet mode, forget it with this keyboard. It just pops off.
2. The part that covered the iPad screen would not sit flush. It kept sliding around and felt unstable.
3. Unnecessarily thick and bulky. Not too heavy that I couldn’t carry it around, but the extra bulk felt unnecessary.
4. iPad is very deeply inset in the back case portion for some reason, and makes Pencil use or general use in tablet mode less convenient.
5. Packaging/QC seemed shoddy. I couldn’t find one unit at Best Buy that was not banged up in some way. The one I brought home would have been exchanged either way, because it had a huge scuff on it that I didn’t notice at the store.
6. The kickstand on the back doesn’t make it any more “lappable” than my Apple Smart Keyboard. It’s unstable and slippery and actually hurts my legs after a while.
7. The Pencil holder is flimsy and sure to rip, tear, or stretch out to the point of being unusable over time.
Needless to say, the Slim Combo was out of my life this morning, and with my exchange money burning a hole in my pocket, I started looking at some other options. I ended up trading for a Zagg Rugged Messenger and am using it right now. I am VERY IMPRESSED. This one wasn’t even on my radar until today and I hadn’t ever heard of it. Here are a few things I love about it right off the bat:
1. Design, design, design. The design is WAY better than what Logitech came up with. It is bulkier than the Apple Smart Keyboard + Tech21 back cover combination that I’ve been using, but it’s a very streamlined, attractive, and solid feeling design and eschews the “hump” that you feel when carrying the iPad around with the Smart Keyboard Cover.
2. Keyboard feels just as nice as the Logitech or ASK and very close to my Mac keyboard.
3. Angle adjustment on the back is via a magnetic flap that can be moved up and down rather than a spring loaded hinge. It’s like if the Apple Smart Keyboard and the Logitech Slim Combo had a baby, but throws out all the origami and instability of both of those.
4. It allows for connection to two different devices, so I can toggle back and forth between iPad and iPhone or iPad and Mac or whatever I want to do. Switching back and forth seems seamless so far.
5. Outside material is similar to what Apple uses on the Smart Keyboard—it’s very nice.
6. 7 or 8 different key backlight color options with three different brightness levels—not super important, but fun to fiddle with.
7. Even though the keyboard is Bluetooth and not Smart Connector compatible, it supposedly lasts 2 years on one charge. That’s nuts.
8. Unexpected bonus, and possibly one of my favorite parts: the back cover portion of the case fully covers up the speaker grills, but if you look from the front, it’s actually routing the sound so that it is pointing at your face, not out to the sides. Very nice design there.
I think I might keep this keyboard case! I might be in love! This was originally just supposed to be an experiment, but I have been wanting something with backlit keys and more “lappable” than my ASK, which I sometimes have to avoid using because it just doesn’t work well on some surfaces. I think this might fit the bill! I will still keep my other stuff just in case I want to switch back and also so that I have at least one accessory that’s Smart Connector compatible, but I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever use my Apple brand keyboard again!
1: The smart connector hinge had a VERY weak magnetic connection and kept popping off. And if you like folding the keyboard around the back without taking it off when using in full tablet mode, forget it with this keyboard. It just pops off.
2. The part that covered the iPad screen would not sit flush. It kept sliding around and felt unstable.
3. Unnecessarily thick and bulky. Not too heavy that I couldn’t carry it around, but the extra bulk felt unnecessary.
4. iPad is very deeply inset in the back case portion for some reason, and makes Pencil use or general use in tablet mode less convenient.
5. Packaging/QC seemed shoddy. I couldn’t find one unit at Best Buy that was not banged up in some way. The one I brought home would have been exchanged either way, because it had a huge scuff on it that I didn’t notice at the store.
6. The kickstand on the back doesn’t make it any more “lappable” than my Apple Smart Keyboard. It’s unstable and slippery and actually hurts my legs after a while.
7. The Pencil holder is flimsy and sure to rip, tear, or stretch out to the point of being unusable over time.
Needless to say, the Slim Combo was out of my life this morning, and with my exchange money burning a hole in my pocket, I started looking at some other options. I ended up trading for a Zagg Rugged Messenger and am using it right now. I am VERY IMPRESSED. This one wasn’t even on my radar until today and I hadn’t ever heard of it. Here are a few things I love about it right off the bat:
1. Design, design, design. The design is WAY better than what Logitech came up with. It is bulkier than the Apple Smart Keyboard + Tech21 back cover combination that I’ve been using, but it’s a very streamlined, attractive, and solid feeling design and eschews the “hump” that you feel when carrying the iPad around with the Smart Keyboard Cover.
2. Keyboard feels just as nice as the Logitech or ASK and very close to my Mac keyboard.
3. Angle adjustment on the back is via a magnetic flap that can be moved up and down rather than a spring loaded hinge. It’s like if the Apple Smart Keyboard and the Logitech Slim Combo had a baby, but throws out all the origami and instability of both of those.
4. It allows for connection to two different devices, so I can toggle back and forth between iPad and iPhone or iPad and Mac or whatever I want to do. Switching back and forth seems seamless so far.
5. Outside material is similar to what Apple uses on the Smart Keyboard—it’s very nice.
6. 7 or 8 different key backlight color options with three different brightness levels—not super important, but fun to fiddle with.
7. Even though the keyboard is Bluetooth and not Smart Connector compatible, it supposedly lasts 2 years on one charge. That’s nuts.
8. Unexpected bonus, and possibly one of my favorite parts: the back cover portion of the case fully covers up the speaker grills, but if you look from the front, it’s actually routing the sound so that it is pointing at your face, not out to the sides. Very nice design there.
I think I might keep this keyboard case! I might be in love! This was originally just supposed to be an experiment, but I have been wanting something with backlit keys and more “lappable” than my ASK, which I sometimes have to avoid using because it just doesn’t work well on some surfaces. I think this might fit the bill! I will still keep my other stuff just in case I want to switch back and also so that I have at least one accessory that’s Smart Connector compatible, but I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever use my Apple brand keyboard again!
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That is a good looking case. This is what makes these things so personal. I have thoroughly enjoyed the SLIM COMBO on my 10.5 and haven’t really found anything I don’t like EXCEPT I agree on the closing of the case. It does not close very securely but I carry it in my backpack between school/hospital/work and never find it open so it’s staying closed enough to provide some protection.
I'm using in warranty replacement ASK-I've sometimes wondered if it's either they keyboard or smart controller which intermittently stops working.
Maybe I'll try bridge next time if required.
When I had the Brydge for my 12.9, I never had any issues with missing keystrokes. The only issue I found is that when the keyboard has fallen asleep after some period of non use, it misses the first keystroke or two because it has to first wake up from sleep mode, and that takes 2-3 seconds. Once it is woken up, it was just fine.
But that issue seems to hold true for all Bluetooth keyboards, except the Apple Magic Keyboard.
But that issue seems to hold true for all Bluetooth keyboards, except the Apple Magic Keyboard.
I dunno. I may be in the minority, but i prefer to type on the ipad screen directly with my fingers. Even the 10.5” ipad. I have big hands and find typing with my thumbs while holding the ipad either in portrait or landscape mode quite easy. When my ipad is on a table or my lap, i just use the regular cover folded so the ipad is at a slight angle and type with all my fingers. I tried the apple smart cover at the apple store and just didnt like it. Much easier to type directly on the screen when i use an ipad. At least for me.
I’ve gotten quite good at typing on the screen with the 10.5, but still prefer a physical keyboard. I’m just so much faster that way.
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From what I’ve read on the Brydge keyboards, as long as you get a good one to begin with, you’re fine.
I debated on what key board to get. Even checked on WireCutter. I was considering the Apple keyboard but was afraid of having to buy a new one when I bought a new iPad.
I went with the Magic keyboard and some chingalettas that hold the iPad upright when sitting at a desk or table.
I went with the Magic keyboard and some chingalettas that hold the iPad upright when sitting at a desk or table.
I have to say—in reference to my posts above—I have been using this Zagg Rugged Messenger all weekend and I am obsessed with it. I can’t believe more people don’t talk about this particular case. It does add bulk and weight when you’re carrying it around fully assembled, but it’s so well designed and built you don’t mind that much. And when you detach the iPad to use as a tablet only, it’s so thin and light and pleasant to handle. My ASK plus back cover setup feels really janky compared to this. And I don’t say that lightly—I have been an ASK lover since they came out. Side benefit—it really freshens up my iPad. (I like to try new cases during generations that I’m not upgrading.)
So I'm planning on using a case to stand up my IPP and then using the camera connection kit to plug in a small mechanical keyboard. I'm curious why this isn't a more popular solution for people that are trying to do serious typing on the iPad?
Am I missing something other than the keyboard not being physically attached to the iPad?
Am I missing something other than the keyboard not being physically attached to the iPad?
I would guess because it’s a wired thing to plug in and bring with you separately. Bluetooth keyboards are so much better than they used to be—who needs more cables? Kind of defeats the purpose for me.
I did used to do what you’re doing back in the day though. Every Bluetooth keyboard I tried was terrible so I gave up and started using a desktop keyboard attached via the connection kit.