My guess is that Apple prices their products to maximise profits. So when they created the magic keyboard, they estimated that there would only be so much demand for said product, and then settled on a price intended to maximise the amount of money made from it. Yes, a cheaper keyboard would have had more sales, but less money made that way still. They are basically betting that there are enough people who value the integrated design of the smart / magic keyboard enough to pay for 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 as a laptop replacement
- Thread starter Omar Comin' Yo
- WikiPost WikiPost
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
The same thing used to happen to the Apple folio cases for their iPads. I had one with my first iPad and wouldn’t buy another as unsurprisingly the much cheaper third party alternatives seem to use better quality materials. These products really shouldn’t be chipping in the corners from just being slid into bags.
That is most likely true and profit over market impact really shouldn’t be so obvious. So many times on here I see prices questioned in threads and a certain contingent on here will immediately defend it by claiming ‘Apple need to do it to get extra profit’ like that’s important to the average consumer interested in purchasing an Apple product. As one of those consumers, I’d like to see the ‘just enough effort for maximum profit’ to be phased out and more options at more reasonable price points. Could a £100 keyboard be made available? Dump the charging port, give it a plain colour, and remove a couple of magnets and give people like students a chance at affording it. Fat chance I know, but wouldn’t it be nice if Apple started putting more effort into the affordable models across their product ranges again. The iPhone is another prime example.
Okay, but you took this out of context and totally glossed over the reason I posted it in the first place. It wasn't about storage or price, but Tim's viewpoint or belief that the iPad Pro could replace a traditional computer for many people.
I notice that Apple products (especially their accessories) have never been about being cheap. Rather, they seem to help set a price ceiling, and Apple relies on third party manufacturers to fill the gap with cheaper alternatives.
For example, I ended up picking up one of this over their magsafe duo, and it seems to be working well for me so far.
3 in 1 Magnetic Wireless Charger,Foldable Charging Station,15W Wireless Fast Charging Pad,Portable Charger,Compatible with iPhone 14/13/12/SE/11/XS/8/8 Plus, Galaxy S10/S20/S21, AirPods 2/Pro, iWatch
Product name : 3 in 1 magnetic wireless charger (foldable) Brand Name : BGPWST Product material : ABS + Silicone Product color : White Input : 9V/2A 9V/3A Output : 15W/10W/7.5W/5W/2.5W Interface type : USB-C Product size : 247 x 74.5 x 8.5mm Product weight : 128g Packing list : charger, USB-C cab...
www.amazon.sg
Apple either doesn't care, or they are determined not to get into a price war with competitors.
And your point? He still sells a ton of iPads 7 years later also, and a lot of people now use their iPads as their main mobile device instead of a laptop, just like he predicted.
Last edited:
Just that this vision of the iPad replacing everything else doesn't seem to have come true in any major way 7 years later. The "why would you use a PC" question has a lot of answers, even if you're being charitable.
- bigger screen
- better speakers
- I can install anything I want
- better battery life
- faster charging
- connect more than one monitor
- better window management
- less dead weight (keyboard cases necessarily have more dead weight than a laptop that is naturally balanced)
I don't see many of these reasons going away or equalising any time soon either, so to me the iPad has remained a distinct part of the lineup rather than some inevitable all encompassing future.
I'm not saying the iPad can't be a great laptop computer replacement, but since Apple silicon for Mac, the fervour behind that statement resonates less and less with me. Just food for thought.
Last edited:
Are there any major iPad/OS updates that are expected to be announced in the next year, or if I get a new iPP would I be good for 5ish years or so?
We really have no idea what iPadOS 17 will bring. For iPads, you really want an M1 at least, but it's also hard to say for certain how long it will continue to be supported for. I hope for another 5-6 years at least, though I have traditionally have had very bad luck with bets. 😛
As I stated earlier, anything new I'd get will be a major upgrade from my Air 2, but I'm also afraid I'll finally get something only for it to be nearly instantly outdated in 6 months time 😅
No one, including Tim ever claimed that the iPad would or even could replace the laptop or desktop for everyone, but said very plainly that, “Yes, the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people. They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones,” Cook argues.
This statement is true, even more so today than it was when he made it. My iPad Pro has completely replaced my MBP since Nov. 2021 and easily allows me to run both of my real estate businesses with it. I have read many posts here and elsewhere of "many, many" people being able to do the same thing, just like Tim predicted. No one has ever claimed that Windows or Mac machines would disappear and be totally replaced by the iPad, but more and more businesses, professions, and individuals are finding that an iPad fits their needs just as well or better as an "traditional" computer. As the iPadOS matures and adds more features and abilities, this will continue to happen more and more.
Last edited:
After thinking about and I went to Best Buy today wanting to see if they had the magic keyboard on demo, they did not unfortunately. The apple rep said theyre getting returns on them all the time due to the material and says they're not made to last. Plus I still see too much complaints online about the long term longevity of the material on the magic keyboard. I would much rather trust my combo touch. I just can't justify the cost, paying double for a product thats made of cheap silicon that will need to be babied like gold to minimize damage. I know you can always duct tape the edges to prevent it or use saran wrap but who wants to do that to a $400CAD keyboard?
So I opted out plus I still can't justify the cost 2x over my Combo touch that I got on sale. Since I would have to get a case for it too that is compatible with the magic keyboard and skins. It may be better in some ways but not twice as good. The cheap material is a pretty big deal breaker.
so Instead I got the bridge max plus! I had this one my list to try and was shocked to see one in stock so nothing to lose to try it out. $200CAD so cheaper than my combo touch and I'm going to try it and see which I prefer, this or my combo touch. I have 36 hours to decide as tomorrow will be my last day to refund my combo touch if I decide to keep the air max.
EDIT: Returned the bridge, it wasn't the all metal one with the magnetic cover but the plastic one.
Honestly if I'm spending $500CAD for a magic keyboard with a case and skins, I'd rather just pay a bit more and get a iPad mini 6 and use it strictly for home tablet use since I already have a ESR TPU case for it and I would drop all the weight of the combo touch case when used as a tablet. And then keep the iPad pro for on the go and use it at home only to write on at the desk. Now after thinking about it some more, this actually makes much more sense.
Last edited:
Yeah, that MKB price is painful (and I even got my 12.9 model on sale, $50 off). Be interesting to hear your feedback on the Bridge.
The MKB is vastly overpriced and since its release in 2020 many owners have complained about the poor quality material.
I actually returned it already as it wasn't the all metal one with the magnetic case. I didn't even know there was two models of the bridge max plus. This one at best buy was all plastic and all one piece. The keyboard was crap anyways, had tons of keyboard flex when typing on it and when I tried bending the keyboard it gave in way too much for a solid plastic board. The combo touch board feels better.
The weight on the brydge max plus is a downfall, it will add about half pound over the combo touch.
I'm actually learning towards just buying another iPad just to use strictly for home tablet use so I can put my ultra thin ESR TPU case back on it and then use my pro 11 with the combo touch for on the go and use it at the desk for notes. I think this actually makes the most sense and I could justify having two iPads. But I would get a mini 6 over another pro as the mini 6 is lighter, can one hand it and is obviously cheaper. I had the mini 6 last year and loved it as a handheld device, the best part of it is it's form factor. It gives a very different experience than a pro 11 does so I believe I could justify owning both.
Getting a mini 6 and keeping the combo touch would give me much more value than getting the MKB, case and skins for it. Like I said I love the combo touch, just two things I'm not a big fan of. One is how it's not as easy as it should be when opening the keyboard (have to use my fingernail) and two the added weight when used just as a tablet. But getting a mini 6 would allow me to enjoy the lighter weight again.
Apple should really consider releasing an updated model with much better materials and more connectivity. Go with aluminum, can't beat that for longevity. If they did this and it had multiple ports to remove the need for a standalone hub, I'd definitely be willing to pay the price.
I just did it, picked up a mini 6 in purple. Looks like I'm keeping the combo touch now.
Having had a mini 6 before, the biggest advantage the mini has over any of the larger iPads when used purely as a tablet and tablet only, is the on screen keyboard. Because of the minis size you can easily two hand thumb type on the mini 6 like you would a phone and it's far more comfortable to do than on a larger iPad because the larger iPads on screen keyboards are just too big and unless you have dinosaur hands the device is too big to hand hold it like you can with the mini.
I'll see how I find this combo and if I can't find it justified I have 14 days to return the mini.
Having had a mini 6 before, the biggest advantage the mini has over any of the larger iPads when used purely as a tablet and tablet only, is the on screen keyboard. Because of the minis size you can easily two hand thumb type on the mini 6 like you would a phone and it's far more comfortable to do than on a larger iPad because the larger iPads on screen keyboards are just too big and unless you have dinosaur hands the device is too big to hand hold it like you can with the mini.
I'll see how I find this combo and if I can't find it justified I have 14 days to return the mini.
I also have a Mini 6 - a great companion device to a larger iPad.
I can see that being the case too. The mini 6 is not great value though. But it makes an awesome reading device just from the size alone. Far more comfortable though to thumb type on the mini than it is on any other iPad.
I think so too but the cost will likely go up the more models they release. I took a look at the newest MB airs in Best Buy and they're quite light. They need to make the same keyboard in metal for iPads and I'd buy one as long as the price doesn't go up.
I'm perfectly fine with fabric material. Ive had many Surface pro type covers over the years and none have shown any wear from rips or tears. The material on the type covers is A+ and I rarely cleaned my Surface Pro type covers because they were so good in not showing fingerprints and dirt. No reason for Apple not using the same material.
So far the touch combo looks to be by far the better deal. Even me getting it on sale, paying $220CAD for it was hard for me to justify it at first. But I now think it's a pretty decent deal since it's both a keyboard and a case. I couldn't imagine paying double for the MKB.
There unfortunately isn't really a perfect setup in the Apple lineup (or anyone's lineup), as you're discovering. While the price of the MK does come close to another iPad, I'm not sure owning two iPads is really worth the hassle. The MK was worth the cost to me at the time as I used my 11" iPad Pro as my main computing device for almost two years, and I enjoyed the hell out of it. The MK certainly isn't built to last though - I had mine replaced just recently a bit after the two year mark. It was through Apple Care so no cost, except to my sanity while Apple support kept telling me over and over that it wasn't covered (it IS covered).
If I was still using an iPad Pro as a main computing device, honestly I'd probably still get the MK all over again, because it's just such a good experience vs everything else, and because I'm not that bothered about having every inch of my iPad protected all the time.
The 14" MacBook Pro that work got me has converted me back to the Mac for now, however, so I don't worry so much about the MK, and my iPad Pro spends its time in the smart folio these days. The MK is now reserved for those times I'm travelling light and I'm taking just an iPad with me. It's the perfect setup for a long flight.
But that statement has aged strangely, because while the iPad is certainly more capable than ever, the Mac has also had a renaissance with Apple silicon.
The iPad used to be faster, quieter, have a better display, better battery life, run cooler, and the Magic Keyboard had better keys than the majority of MacBooks people were using at the time. This is why I used it as a primary computing device.
None of that is true anymore, and the advantages I listed before of the Mac come into sharp focus now that the Mac has been modernised so completely.
I've seen quite a few people switching back to the Mac after mainlining an iPad, so while I don't think Tim Apple's statement is necessarily wrong, the general idea that the iPad is going to keep gaining more and more ground as a replacement to the laptop hasn't aged as well as I thought it would.
The dream device for me would probably be a reimagining of the 12" MacBook, with a touch screen that could run iPad apps. Apple could make a 12.5" MacBook tomorrow that was the same weight or even lighter than an 11" iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard. If you're talking about portability and simplicity, the extra dead weight of iPad keyboard cases is a factor, and that's why the original 12" MacBook was almost half a pound lighter than the 11" iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard.
The weight is the thing I keep coming back to when considering the iPad as a laptop replacement. At least where the Magic Keyboard is concerned, it's not lighter. The 12.9" iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard is not lighter than an M2 MacBook Air. The 11" iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard is not lighter than a 12.5" MacBook could be.
We use the apple folio's which is same material as the MGK, can't see it being any different in wear, some people just trash everything. The logitech combo takes up too much desk space, no good on the lap, is heavy even without keyboard, doesn't raise the height of the iPad. Sure the apple one is over priced but so is the logitech at full price imo.
I have tried both and returned both.
I have tried both and returned both.
Last edited:
For people who have very basic computing needs with their jobs, an iPad can probably act as a replacement. My iPad replaced my home laptop, but I only used it to browse the internet mostly anyway. I see iPads in the business World but mostly as additions for people when out on the road, not their main computer. It may be different for estate agents, hairdressers, mechanics or generally any business that just needs email and a device for uploading images and managing websites.
The iPad Magic Keyboard case despite its ultra slim profile has a keyboard that feels more solid and responsive than most laptop keyboards and that surprises me every time. Really needs an Escape key though.