All iPads Is Smart Keyboard Folio a bad design?

[kht410]

Steve Jobs once said that touch screens don’t want to be vertical. It makes great demo, but after awhile of interacting with the screen, your arm wants to fall off. Touch surface needs to be horizontal.
I know he was just referring to a touch screen mac, but ergonomically it still applies to iPads with keyboards.

Ironically, post-Steve Jobs era in 2015, Apple released the first Smart Keyboard with the first gen iPad Pro 12.9". When the iPad is propped up with the Smart Keyboard, the only way of interacting with it was with touch and touch only. Since then I've always wondered about the user experience with this keyboard. I've been using a Smart Keyboard with my iPad since 2015 and yet I still have mixed feelings about it.

Of course now we have a mouse/trackpad support with iPadOS and a Magic Keyboard with a built in trackpad. But if you just get a Smart Keyboard Folio without any external mouse/trackpad, you’re back to that touch-only navigation method.

Was Steve Jobs right? Is the Smart Keyboard Folio just a poorly design iPad keyboard?

 

[sorgo †]

For the money I’d say yes, the Logitech Combo Touch with trackpad, backlit keyboard, and myriad incline angles is a far better option (speaking with some experience—I’ve had the Smart Keyboard Folio, Magic Keyboard, and now the Combo Touch). Also seems to be one of the only—if not the only—third-party options somewhat-officially sanctioned by Apple.

 

[Fravin]

Was Steve Jobs right? Is the Smart Keyboard Folio just a poorly design iPad keyboard?

Do you remember the keyboard with a stand that was launched with iPad 1st gen?

iPads are made to be used whatever you need it. Or, perhaps, the way you feel better. Take it of the case, draw with pencil. Put it on Smart Keyboard and in seconds you will be typing. Take it off and have a comfy seat on a sofa to review it…

 

[va1984]

Do you remember the keyboard with a stand that was launched with iPad 1st gen?


View attachment 1991113

View attachment 1991115
iPads are made to be used whatever you need it. Or, perhaps, the way you feel better. Take it of the case, draw with pencil. Put it on Smart Keyboard and in seconds you will be typing. Take it off and have a comfy seat on a sofa to review it…

This is still my all-time favorite Apple accessory and I would pay $$$ for a decent version today that could keep the 12.9” in portrait orientation. (No, bluetooth is not the same, because when you move away from your keyboard, BT accessories remain connected creating all sorts of small annoyances, like when you need the virtual keyboard to pop up).

There will never be a touchscreen Mac laptop because it doesn’t make any sense to have a touchscreen surface that can only be vertical (or that you can put flat on the table only by having a keyboard legs up in the air like a dead bird).
But the iPad with keyboard is not the same as a laptop: any keyboard accessory must come off very easily, to let you use the iPad as an iPad (which is why 3rd party accessories that make it hard to take your iPad out are just wrong).

 

[kht410]

Do you remember the keyboard with a stand that was launched with iPad 1st gen?


View attachment 1991113

View attachment 1991115
iPads are made to be used whatever you need it. Or, perhaps, the way you feel better. Take it of the case, draw with pencil. Put it on Smart Keyboard and in seconds you will be typing. Take it off and have a comfy seat on a sofa to review it…

Nice. I almost forgot about these.

But the iPad with keyboard is not the same as a laptop: any keyboard accessory must come off very easily, to let you use the iPad as an iPad (which is why 3rd party accessories that make it hard to take your iPad out are just wrong).

Makes sense. Sounds like the Magic Keyboard may actually be the better way to go in terms of iPad design philosophy.

 

[Fravin]

Sounds like the Magic Keyboard may actually be the better way to go in terms of iPad design philosophy.

Just take a look at what Apple’s offering as iPad‘s accessories. All of them will allow you to easily disengage the iPad off.

 

[Fravin]

This is still my all-time favorite Apple accessory and I would pay $$$ for a decent version today that could keep the 12.9” in portrait orientation.

Me too!

 

[Zensō]

Steve Jobs once said that touch screens don’t want to be vertical. It makes great demo, but after awhile of interacting with the screen, your arm wants to fall off. Touch surface needs to be horizontal.
I know he was just referring to a touch screen mac, but ergonomically it still applies to iPads with keyboards.

Ironically, post-Steve Jobs era in 2015, Apple released the first Smart Keyboard with the first gen iPad Pro 12.9". When the iPad is propped up with the Smart Keyboard, the only way of interacting with it was with touch and touch only. Since then I've always wondered about the user experience with this keyboard. I've been using a Smart Keyboard with my iPad since 2015 and yet I still have mixed feelings about it.

Of course now we have a mouse/trackpad support with iPadOS and a Magic Keyboard with a built in trackpad. But if you just get a Smart Keyboard Folio without any external mouse/trackpad, you’re back to that touch-only navigation method.

Was Steve Jobs right? Is the Smart Keyboard Folio just a poorly design iPad keyboard?

I really like the Smart Keyboard Folio. It’s one of the only keyboard cases for the iPad that allows you to fold the keyboard around the back and use the iPad handheld in portrait orientation without having to remove it from the case. For this reason I prefer it over the Magic Keyboard. My only complaint is that the external finish is relatively fragile and it breaks down too quickly, which is true of all Apple cases that use this finish.

 

[kht410]

I really like the Smart Keyboard Folio. It’s one of the only keyboard cases for the iPad that allows you to fold the keyboard around the back and use the iPad handheld in portrait orientation without having to remove it from the case. For this reason I prefer it over the Magic Keyboard. My only complaint is that the external finish is relatively fragile and it breaks down too quickly, which it true of all Apple cases that use this finish.

Do you find in annoying to constantly reaching up with your hand to navigate the screen?

 

[Zensō]

Do you find in annoying to constantly reaching up with your hand to navigate the screen?

No, not at all. I mostly navigate using the screen and only use the keyboard occasionally. I don’t have an interest in converting my iPad fully into a laptop, which I think is the goal with cases like the Magic Keyboard and Logitech Combo Touch. It all depends upon individual needs.

 

[kht410]

No, not at all. I mostly navigate using the screen and only use the keyboard occasionally. I don’t have an interest in converting my iPad fully into a laptop, which I think is the goal with cases like the Magic Keyboard and Logitech Combo Touch. It all depends upon individual needs.

I agree. Everyone has different needs and sounds like the Smart Keyboard Folio perfectly suits your needs.

 

[kht410]

I guess I’m just curious about the design philosophy of the Smart Keyboard Folio from the ergonomics stand point. It's nice to read about everyone's experience with their iPad keyboards so thank you all for sharing!

 

[va1984]

No, not at all. I mostly navigate using the screen and only use the keyboard occasionally. I don’t have an interest in converting my iPad fully into a laptop, which I think is the goal with cases like the Magic Keyboard and Logitech Combo Touch. It all depends upon individual needs.

Don't know what the Logitech case is like, but with the Magic Keyboard, that is emphathically not the case. You can peel off the iPad easily, and as a result, I actually found that I use my iPad Pro 12.9" as a real iPad (that is, handheld, naked) more often these last two years with the Magic Keyboard than in the previous 3 years with the Smart Keyboard Folio. Between folding back the keyboard and peeling it off altogether, I prefer the latter (as long as it's instantaneous and easy, not like the Bridge keyboard cases and various imitations).

The one (and only) area where the SKF beats the Magic Keyboard is weight, and that alone is a valid reason to prefer it, depending on your needs. Actually, two: the Magic Keyboard significantly impacts battery life because of the backlighting, whereas the SKF does not.

 

[Zensō]

I guess I’m just curious about the design philosophy of the Smart Keyboard Folio from the ergonomics stand point. It's nice to read about everyone's experience with their iPad keyboards so thank you all for sharing!

Two things I think are sometimes overlooked when talking about ergonomics are tension and repetition. It’s true that navigating on a large touch screen in a non-horizontal position requires an outstretched arm, which could cause issues if the reach is too far. On the other hand, navigating with a tiny trackpad requires smaller, more precise movements, which may cause injury due to muscle tension and repetitive movements.

I believe this is a more complex issue than simply saying “all touch screens need to be horizontal”, which very likely was a statement that had some ulterior motives related to marketing and product differentiation.

 

[Zensō]

Don't know what the Logitech case is like, but with the Magic Keyboard, that is empathically not the case. You can peel off the iPad easily, and as a result, I actually found that I use my iPad Pro 12.9" as a real iPad (that is, handheld, naked) more often these last two years with the Magic Keyboard than in the previous 3 years with the Smart Keyboard Folio. Between folding back the keyboard and peeling it off altogether, I prefer the latter (as long as it's instantaneous and easy, not like the Bridge keyboard cases and various imitations).

The one (and only) area where the SKF beats the Magic Keyboard is weight, and that alone is a valid reason to prefer it, depending on your needs. Actually, two: the Magic Keyboard significantly impacts battery life because of the backlighting, whereas the SKF does not.

I tried to like the Magic Keyboard (purchased twice even), but I have zero interest in using my iPad naked. As another member here described it, a naked iPad feels like holding onto a slippery eel.

 

[darngooddesign]

There will never be a touchscreen Mac laptop because it doesn’t make any sense to have a touchscreen surface that can only be vertical (or that you can put flat on the table only by having a keyboard legs up in the air like a dead bird).
But the iPad with keyboard is not the same as a laptop: any keyboard accessory must come off very easily, to let you use the iPad as an iPad (which is why 3rd party accessories that make it hard to take your iPad out are just wrong).

The most common mistake when discussing touchscreen Macs is assuming that you would use touch for every single interaction. Based on my experience with the work Thinkpad I have, I use both touch and trackpad to operate it. Some things work better with a mouse/trackpad, and other things feel more natural and quicker with touch.

My iPad Pro in its keyboard case is fundamentally the same as a touch MacBook and I have no fatigue issues related to using that. There are several reason for this but the main difference is that when Apple originally did their testing, which was valid back then, operating a computer vis touch was a foreign concept; over the years we've become more comfortable with it. For example, when docked on the Smart Keyboard I don't scroll Safari with my hand floating in the air; my hand rests on the table and I flick the screen with my thumb. Additionally, the leisure activities people use their computers for are now more suited to touchscreens.

Of course MacOS would need to be designed to be touch friendly, with larger hit targets, but there is no reason why having a touchscreen Mac would inherently cause fatigue unless you tried to use touch for every interaction on an iMac. Bring on the MacTablet tho.

 

[Isamilis]

deleted

 

[xraydoc]

Do you remember the keyboard with a stand that was launched with iPad 1st gen?


View attachment 1991113

View attachment 1991115
iPads are made to be used whatever you need it. Or, perhaps, the way you feel better. Take it of the case, draw with pencil. Put it on Smart Keyboard and in seconds you will be typing. Take it off and have a comfy seat on a sofa to review it…

I had one of these. Used it with multiple iPads, including my 4th gen (2nd gen with retina display) with a lightning adapter.

A keyboard and portrait orientation is sometimes really nice.

 

[sracer]

I had one of these. Used it with multiple iPads, including my 4th gen (2nd gen with retina display) with a lightning adapter.

A keyboard and portrait orientation is sometimes really nice.

I had one too... ordered it on day-1 of ipad 1 pre-orders. I remember that there were slight changes to the iPad body after the 1st gen that caused those later iPads to not sit flush against the backrest. Apple's silicon case for the gen 1 iPad prevented it from working easily with the keyboard dock. I ended up with 2 silicon cases...one with a cutout to accommodate the keyboard dock.

edit:
To answer the OP's question....
Q. Is the smart keyboard folio a bad design?
A. No. It is an excellent design for those who will be typing for extended periods of time and want the most compact and transportable design. Is it for everybody? No. But for those who need it, there's no alternative that suits the need better.

At the time that the smart keyboard was initially released (2015 12.9" iPad Pro) iOS didn't support mice. Jump Desktop remote desktop software supported 2 mice (Citrix mouse was one) and allowed me to remote into my iMac and provided a macbook-like experience on the 12.9" Pro.

Now that iOS supports mice (kinda, sorta) there is greater reason to want a keyboard cover/case that includes a trackpad. I'm a big TrackPoint fan and always disable the trackpad on my ThinkPads.

I'll use a trackpad on an iPad keyboard case if I have to, but I would actually rather have just a keyboard if it means larger and better positioned keys (since it doesn't have to accommodate a trackpad).

 

[Abazigal]

I find that I don’t have to reach as far to touch the screen of the ipad, likely because the Smart Keyboard doesn’t have the function key row or the trackpad, which places my hands closer to the screen. It doesn’t solve the issues found with using a touchscreen laptop, but I feel apple has done what they can to ameliorate the issue.

 

[xraydoc]

I had one too... ordered it on day-1 of ipad 1 pre-orders. I remember that there were slight changes to the iPad body after the 1st gen that caused those later iPads to not sit flush against the backrest. Apple's silicon case for the gen 1 iPad prevented it from working easily with the keyboard dock. I ended up with 2 silicon cases...one with a cutout to accommodate the keyboard dock.

edit:
To answer the OP's question....
Q. Is the smart keyboard folio a bad design?
A. No. It is an excellent design for those who will be typing for extended periods of time and want the most compact and transportable design. Is it for everybody? No. But for those who need it, there's no alternative that suits the need better.

At the time that the smart keyboard was initially released (2015 12.9" iPad Pro) iOS didn't support mice. Jump Desktop remote desktop software supported 2 mice (Citrix mouse was one) and allowed me to remote into my iMac and provided a macbook-like experience on the 12.9" Pro.

Now that iOS supports mice (kinda, sorta) there is greater reason to want a keyboard cover/case that includes a trackpad. I'm a big TrackPoint fan and always disable the trackpad on my ThinkPads.

I'll use a trackpad on an iPad keyboard case if I have to, but I would actually rather have just a keyboard if it means larger and better positioned keys (since it doesn't have to accommodate a trackpad).

I had a 1st gen 12.9” iPad Pro and a Citrix mouse so I could remote in to my workplace via Citrix. Got tons of work done. That was the beginning of the end of my need for a laptop, essentially. I still have a laptop but it spends most of its time docked on a desk.

 

[lostPod]

I am disappointed with the iPad side protection. My iPad in the keyboard folio fell off my couch after I had fallen asleep and now its god a lil dent on the corner

 

[rmariboe]

Lack of Keyboard Folio is preventing me from getting the M4 iPad; I love the flexibility of keyboard stand/tablet mode and the reachability of the touch screen.
I haven't had a folio fray yet (got it when the M1 Pro launched), but I don't keep it with else in my bag so it's pretty well protected.