I used an ASK with my 10.5 iPad Pro for about 3 weeks before I returned it. It was convenient but I felt it made my iPad feel too bulky. Now I just keep my iPad in a third-party Smart Cover and use the onscreen keyboard when needed. If I need to do a lot a typing, I prefer using my MacBook Air.
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Ditching ASK For On-Screen Keyboard
- Thread starter spiderman0616
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I really like the Smart Keyboard....I am just realizing I don’t need it with me all the time. It’s a good problem to have I suppose.
I like, not love, my ASK. I really prefer more key travel and backlighting. Of course the backlighting is more me needing to learn to type better than anything else. I just find myself on to many overnight international flights where I needed backlighting. I know I could turn the overhead light on but I don't like disturbing the people next to me. I also use the Logitech combo case/keyboard. However, it also has its tradeoffs. It adds a lot of bulk and weight, but the key travel and backlighting are really nice. I also enjoy the different viewing angles that the kickstand offers.
I have an iPad 2017, and I essentially do the same thing. I use the iPad as a regular tablet on the go, and basically only use my separate Logitech K380 keyboard when I have a lot of typing to do at home or very occasionally at coffee shops. My belief is that: if I really need an attached keyboard all of the time, then I should replace my iPad with a laptop.
Down the road, I might get the base iPad with pencil for sketching and note taking, and continue to use the virtual keyboard.
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What a great topic, and I have the same thoughts as the OP. I like to travel with as little as possible. I truly love the ASK - its one of the lightest and most effective mobile keyboards I have ever used, and I actually prefer it to most laptop keyboards because it is quiet and and I has just the right amount of tactile feel.
However, I also have the normal Smart Cover, and it is so much better when carrying around. While I have not mastered the virtual keyboard, it probably is because I have not really given it enough time.
IMHO, the iPad was truly meant for use without a physical keyboard. I would really like to do without one. Your post has inspired me to try to get to know the virtual keyboard a little better.
However, I also have the normal Smart Cover, and it is so much better when carrying around. While I have not mastered the virtual keyboard, it probably is because I have not really given it enough time.
IMHO, the iPad was truly meant for use without a physical keyboard. I would really like to do without one. Your post has inspired me to try to get to know the virtual keyboard a little better.
The soft keyboard is really good if you put some time into practicing 10 finger typing on it.
I’d agree. I have an iPP, but only because I have to draw. Otherwise, a rMB would have been the more useful device for me, as I do a lot of typing.
I agree. It’s a tablet form factor, the whole point of which is to touch (or drawn on) the screen.
But the problem is iPad is supposed to be used for productivity, but a lot of productivity requires text entry, and text entry without a keyboard is a pain.
One might get decent at it, but for no-look typing, one would always be much better with a physical keyboard. Tactile feedback is critical and key travel adds to the accuracy as well as comfort.
I used to feel the same way. However, I actually prefer working with iOS and the touchscreen better than OSX. Don’t get me wrong I love my MacBook Pro too. I just prefer iOS for my work flow. So having an detachable keyboard on my iPad for creating longer lesson plans and papers works great for me. It could be that with my iPad I never have to think about connecting to WiFi. I have unlimited data. With my MacBook I have to work around WiFi.
I don’t use it early as much as I thought I would. I think partly because I tend to use the iPad in portrait mode which seems more comfortable to me. I’m also disappointed by the stand angle - for simply balancing on your lap it feels too upright - I preferred the Smart Cover angle
I’m toying with the idea of getting an iPad Pro 12.9 and I think I’ll live without the type cover for a while if I do - it’s so expensive to not use all the time
I’m toying with the idea of getting an iPad Pro 12.9 and I think I’ll live without the type cover for a while if I do - it’s so expensive to not use all the time
Same. I’m a super fast and accurate touch typist with a keyboard, and I like the ASK just as much as a “normal” keyboard, but I am pretty awful with onscreen keyboards. I’ve got the 12.9, but I want to upgrade my Air 2, and the main reason I’m holding out for the next generation of IPP is that I want the ASK and pencil on my “purse” device.
I bought an iPad Pro with the ASK but I’ve gradually ditched it, the ASK is not comfortable for typing on my lap, I’d need to sit at a desk, in which case I’ll pull out my laptop as that is ok to lap- or desk-type on. And as you say, the ASK adds quite a lot of bulk to the iPad.
I’ve tried the Smart Keyboard and really just don’t like how the keys feel. It just doesn’t feel very pleasant under my fingers for some reason that I can’t quite place. I have the Magic Keyboard and use that whenever I’m at my desk or doing any extended period of typing. I love how it feels nice and solid, just like my old MacBook keyboard. It’s thin and light enough for me to move around when I need to, but I usually just use it when I’m working, and therefore typing a lot, seated at my desk. When I’m not doing work there, the on screen keyboard is perfectly fine for me. I have a Smart Cover and just prop my iPad up at the lowest viewing angle and type away.
It’s definitely something that needs getting used to but after years of doing it, I’ve gotten pretty good at touch typing on the iPad. It’s even easier with the 10.5” screen. For me, it sure beats having a bulkier case or always having to carry the keyboard around with me.
It’s definitely something that needs getting used to but after years of doing it, I’ve gotten pretty good at touch typing on the iPad. It’s even easier with the 10.5” screen. For me, it sure beats having a bulkier case or always having to carry the keyboard around with me.
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I've been using the ASK since I got the Pro about a year ago, and it completely changed the way I saw/used the device. The combination of having a usable keyboard combined as a built in stand (the smart cover never worked as a good stand for me) added so much extra benefit that it completely offset the minor thickness/weight difference.
After reading this thread I think I might try going w/out the ASK for a bit just for fun. If nothing else it will at least refresh my memory on how much it improved my workflow. Of course the downside is that I no longer own the smart cover (or any front cover), so that will certainly alter my experience.
Also I'm curious, do any of you use cases on your iPad? Because I added one a few months back and the added thickness/weight hasn't seemed to bother me at all. If I try 100% naked for a while I wonder how my perception will change.
After reading this thread I think I might try going w/out the ASK for a bit just for fun. If nothing else it will at least refresh my memory on how much it improved my workflow. Of course the downside is that I no longer own the smart cover (or any front cover), so that will certainly alter my experience.
Also I'm curious, do any of you use cases on your iPad? Because I added one a few months back and the added thickness/weight hasn't seemed to bother me at all. If I try 100% naked for a while I wonder how my perception will change.
I sometimes use the older generation 12.9 case, and I do really like it, but of course the problem is it interferes with the mic. And I like the case more when that’s all I have on it. When I have case and ASK, the bulk starts to bother me. It starts to feel more like a laptop, which is what I was trying to move away from with the 12.9.
I type quickly with the iPad on screen keyboard in landscape mode, but I tend to make an awful lot of mistakes, since my fingertips don’t come to rest on the same spots like they can with physical keyboards. With all the mistakes, my overall rate of productivity is quite low. I also don’t like how the landscape keyboard covers so much of the screen, which defeats a lot of the purpose of using a tablet instead of a smartphone. I want to see the whole document.
I’ve gotten very good at typing with my thumbs on my iPhone plus, and I’m left with plenty of display area to see what I’m writing. I really like portrait mode in general, and that’s one reason why I dislike the ASK. Another is that, even though it lacks a trackpad, it still keeps the display too far from my face, when the resolution and size of the 10.5”, compared to a laptop or desktop screen, is really best for up close viewing, like a book or a piece of paper.
So I use my iPad Pro in portrait mode, held in my hands. The narrower bezels of the 10.5” make it a little less comfortable than my old Air was, but the lightness and thinness help make up for that. Typing on it is a tad slower than typing on my phone, since my thumbs have to move farther with each keystroke, and certainly slower than typing on a physical keyboard, but it is reasonably accurate, and still quicker than handwriting. One might argue that slow text input is a good thing, since it doesn’t then outpace our thoughts.
I just wish I could do the two finger cursor thing in the MS Office apps.
I’ve gotten very good at typing with my thumbs on my iPhone plus, and I’m left with plenty of display area to see what I’m writing. I really like portrait mode in general, and that’s one reason why I dislike the ASK. Another is that, even though it lacks a trackpad, it still keeps the display too far from my face, when the resolution and size of the 10.5”, compared to a laptop or desktop screen, is really best for up close viewing, like a book or a piece of paper.
So I use my iPad Pro in portrait mode, held in my hands. The narrower bezels of the 10.5” make it a little less comfortable than my old Air was, but the lightness and thinness help make up for that. Typing on it is a tad slower than typing on my phone, since my thumbs have to move farther with each keystroke, and certainly slower than typing on a physical keyboard, but it is reasonably accurate, and still quicker than handwriting. One might argue that slow text input is a good thing, since it doesn’t then outpace our thoughts.
I just wish I could do the two finger cursor thing in the MS Office apps.
Nope, no case on my 12.9 Pro. Just a smart cover or smart keyboard for the front, a clear skin to protect the back. That's it. The "clear skin" I use is nothing more than clear Con-Tact paper. Works great, looks great, very inexpensive ($4 for a roll that has covered 6 iPads and Android tablets and still have plenty left)
I feel like I would never be able to get that cut precisely enough and applied well enough to look good.
I guess that depends upon how much of a perfectionist one is. I consider myself a "reasonable" perfectionist.
If it looks presentable and not visually distracting, then it is good enough. If it looks like some home-schooler's craft project gone awry, well, that's another story. Con-Tact paper is very forgiving. I initially cut the piece larger than the back and apply it with an overhang all around. As I apply it, there may be some air bubbles so I simply back it off a bit, get rid of the bubbles and continue to apply. It's not finicky like screen protectors.
Once the oversized piece is applied and has no air bubbles, starting from the center at the Apple logo, I'll use my fingernail to evenly press the paper against the iPad, working my way to about 1/2" from the edges. Then working on one edge at a time, I'll lift the edge up and trim to a closer fit. Then press that side down...and work the rest of the sides.
It takes about 15 minutes or so for the whole process. No stress in this process since (as I mentioned) the Con-Tact paper is forgiving, and it's inexpensive so even if I mess up beyond recovery, I can start with a fresh piece.
It is also very durable. The original paper I put on the back of my 12.9 Pro is now over 2 years old and still as good as that 1st day.
Thanks for that info about the process— it makes sense!
[doublepost=1523290897][/doublepost]Oh— what do you do about the mic and camera?
[doublepost=1523290897][/doublepost]Oh— what do you do about the mic and camera?
I hope it has been helpful... at least enough of an encouragement to give it a try if you're so inclined.
Regarding the mic and camera, I trim around that area using curving cuts (not hard corners). I should add, that I only cover the back, not the edges. I've tried it with the edges and it works, but there is a bit more effort required to make the trimming more precise and have to leave an area exposed where the smart cover/keyboard connects.
I agree. In addition I want 4 arrow keys on the standard OSKBd. I find trying to place the insertion point just by touching the screen difficult and hence very annoying. I've taken to using PadKeys, an OSKb replacement which does have left and right arrows but don't like the risk and having to remember to switch out when dealing with secure info.