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Logitech Create Keyboard vs. Apple Smart Keyboard

circatee

circatee

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Nov 30, 2014
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I have a thread about using an iPad Pro, during meetings, to take Notes, etc.
Quite a few people have posted about using a Logitech Create Keyboard. Currently, I'm trying to decide do I simply continue with the onscreen keyboard, or add an attachment (another thing to keep up with).

To me it seems very similar to the Apple Smart Keyboard, and same price, too. Not sure if it makes sounds while typing.
What about it has so many using it, versus the Apple Smart Keyboard?

Thanks
 
Hi there! The Logitech Create is a nice keyboard case and a bit different from the Apple Smart Keyboard. The Logitech has a more traditional set of keys, comparable to the size and layout of the last generation MacBook Pro (before the Touchbar-models arrived recently). On top of that the keyboard is backlit and feeds directly of the iPad's battery for that light. On the downside some people have reported that the upper part of the screen/bezel scratches a bit when the Create keyboard is being used. Some people claim that this is no issue when using a screen protector. The Logitech version also comes with a very handy set of function keys which the Apple keyboard lacks. The Apple keyboard is a very different typing experience and has much less travel than a conventional keyboard. Some like this, some don't, I recommend to test both keyboards for a while before deciding. I'll be switching to a bigger iPad early next year myself (currently use an Air 2) and will most likely just use the iPad onscreen keyboard on the go and for home use I have an external Bluetooth keyboard in my writing corner that will be used. Since iOS devices can run Bluetooth keyboards without any problems, getting a great external keyboard for home or travel use might be another option for you. If your meetings and other work require you to put in lots of text on the go then one of these mobile keyboards we discussed here will surely be very helpful.
 
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I previously had a Logitech which I really liked for my older iPad. This time I got the Apple keyboard. I really like the lightness and feel of it. I have a clear skin on the back and the keyboard as the cover. The only complaint I have is that the edges of the keyboard are separating. Not totally noticeable yet or affecting the use of it. However, considering the price of the keyboard, I would have expected it to hold up better. I'm very careful with my stuff so just normal and careful use causing it to fall apart is surely discouraging.
 
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Nhwhazup said:
I previously had a Logitech which I really liked for my older iPad. This time I got the Apple keyboard. I really like the lightness and feel of it. I have a clear skin on the back and the keyboard as the cover. The only complaint I have is that the edges of the keyboard are separating. Not totally noticeable yet or affecting the use of it. However, considering the price of the keyboard, I would have expected it to hold up better. I'm very careful with my stuff so just normal and careful use causing it to fall apart is surely discouraging.
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I have the Apple keyboard as well s the Logitech. I also noticed the edge of the keyboard separating on the lower left corner. I used a bit of crazy glue to rejoin it, but I am surprised at the apparent lack of quality control that would allow this to happen.
 
Nhwhazup said:
I previously had a Logitech which I really liked for my older iPad. This time I got the Apple keyboard. I really like the lightness and feel of it. I have a clear skin on the back and the keyboard as the cover.
Click to expand...
THIS, IMO is the way to rock a 12.9 iPad Pro. I use mine in this fashion and it is extremely portable.

ericwn said:
I'll be switching to a bigger iPad early next year myself (currently use an Air 2) and will most likely just use the iPad onscreen keyboard on the go and for home use I have an external Bluetooth keyboard in my writing corner that will be used. Since iOS devices can run Bluetooth keyboards without any problems, getting a great external keyboard for home or travel use might be another option for you. If your meetings and other work require you to put in lots of text on the go then one of these mobile keyboards we discussed here will surely be very helpful.
Click to expand...
That's a good plan. One challenge you may experience with using the onscreen keyboard is that if you are making full use of split-window on the 12.9 iPP, you will find the intrusion of the onscreen keyboard distracting. Once you get accustomed to having two full-sized apps side-by-side, you'll see what I mean. :)

Regarding keyboards for travel, it greatly depends upon HOW you travel. If you will simply transport the iPP from one location to another (eg. home to office) then a bluetooth keyboard in each location works well. If you will take it work and go from meeting venue to meeting venue then carrying a separate unattached keyboard in addition to the iPP can be a bit inconvenient.

Having the ASK attached to the iPP is VERY convenient. When I want to use the iPP in "tablet-mode", I simply detach the ASK, flip it around and reattach it so that it is covering the back of the iPP. This ensures that the microfiber side of the ASK is facing the back of the iPP rather than outside. (that's a trick that I used with my Surface and Typecover)

The price of the ASK is indeed a hard pill to swallow, but having owned the iPP/ASK combo for nearly a year, I can easily say that it is worth it.
 
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For what its worth I have the ASK for the 12.9 and just bought an Anker rechargeable keyboard for my mac mini. I paired it with the 12.9 IPP and I really like it. For $20 its a great buy and a great accessory for the IPP. I wish I tried this a year ago when I bought the ASK. I could have saved $140.
 
sracer said:
THIS, IMO is the way to rock a 12.9 iPad Pro. I use mine in this fashion and it is extremely portable.


That's a good plan. One challenge you may experience with using the onscreen keyboard is that if you are making full use of split-window on the 12.9 iPP, you will find the intrusion of the onscreen keyboard distracting. Once you get accustomed to having two full-sized apps side-by-side, you'll see what I mean. :)

Regarding keyboards for travel, it greatly depends upon HOW you travel. If you will simply transport the iPP from one location to another (eg. home to office) then a bluetooth keyboard in each location works well. If you will take it work and go from meeting venue to meeting venue then carrying a separate unattached keyboard in addition to the iPP can be a bit inconvenient.

Having the ASK attached to the iPP is VERY convenient. When I want to use the iPP in "tablet-mode", I simply detach the ASK, flip it around and reattach it so that it is covering the back of the iPP. This ensures that the microfiber side of the ASK is facing the back of the iPP rather than outside. (that's a trick that I used with my Surface and Typecover)

The price of the ASK is indeed a hard pill to swallow, but having owned the iPP/ASK combo for nearly a year, I can easily say that it is worth it.
Click to expand...

Thanks much for the summary. I'll wait til March anyway to see what happens in terms of new models and will make my mind up then.
I tested the current ASK in some retail stores but I just don't like it (typing feel, key travel, missing backlight, missing shortkeys), especially not for that money. Besides, multiple units that I played with were sitting rather wobbly on their display surfaces, and overall that's just not a good enough product for my liking.
 
afctee said:
Currently, I'm trying to decide do I simply continue with the onscreen keyboard, or add an attachment (another thing to keep up with).
Click to expand...

1. If you don't mind carrying more than the ipad and are considering it I'd say get a keyboard
2. If you want a keyboard that reproduces the laptop experience, down to backlit keys, get the logitech create.

Bonus it also holds the apple pencil if you have one.
 
I bought the Logitech Create immediately after purchasing my 12.9'' iPad Pro. I really liked the typing experience along side the obvious benefits everyone has has mentioned with it. Backlit keys, function row, etc.. However with mine, I had a defect in the backlighting on 2 different models. The refund process through Logitech was one of the worst experiences ever. It took a good 6 weeks or so to see it posted back to my Discover. Opted for the ASK, and I must say, it did take me some time to get used to the typing experience on it. It felt like such a downgrade from my MacBook Pro, and just a step back in general for an Apple product. Then you throw in the silicone back piece if you want all the protection. It became one hell of an expensive accessory for such a step back in my opinion. However though, after a few days and my wallet stopped weeping, I did become used to it. I must say, Now I am able to type equally as fast as I can on my MacBook Pro. My opinion on the experience changed slightly, but only in terms of typing. I did get used to it, and I do enjoy it. However on the other side, It is very pricey by itself, but when you throw in the back silicone piece, on top of the lack of function keys, no backlighting, and a much smaller key travel. It is still hard for me to 100% recommend it with no regrets. Unfortunately though, the 12.9" model really doesn't have much to choose from in the ways of top notch keyboards. It really does come down to ASK or the Logitech Create. The Create for me, added way to much bulk. In that aspect, I am just better off to throw my MacBook Pro in my bag and call it a day. The one thing that the ASK excels at is portability.
 
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Swisspo said:
I bought the Logitech Create immediately after purchasing my 12.9'' iPad Pro. I really liked the typing experience along side the obvious benefits everyone has has mentioned with it. Backlit keys, function row, etc.. However with mine, I had a defect in the backlighting on 2 different models. The refund process through Logitech was one of the worst experiences ever. It took a good 6 weeks or so to see it posted back to my Discover. Opted for the ASK, and I must say, it did take me some time to get used to the typing experience on it. It felt like such a downgrade from my MacBook Pro, and just a step back in general for an Apple product. Then you throw in the silicone back piece if you want all the protection. It became one hell of an expensive accessory for such a step back in my opinion. However though, after a few days and my wallet stopped weeping, I did become used to it. I must say, Now I am able to type equally as fast as I can on my MacBook Pro. My opinion on the experience changed slightly, but only in terms of typing. I did get used to it, and I do enjoy it. However on the other side, It is very pricey by itself, but when you throw in the back silicone piece, on top of the lack of function keys, no backlighting, and a much smaller key travel. It is still hard for me to 100% recommend it with no regrets. Unfortunately though, the 12.9" model really doesn't have much to choose from in the ways of top notch keyboards. It really does come down to ASK or the Logitech Create. The Create for me, added way to much bulk. In that aspect, I am just better off to throw my MacBook Pro in my bag and call it a day. The one thing that the ASK excels at is portability.
Click to expand...

I think the Razer mechanical keyboard looks like a decent typing experience too, but I haven't tried it out myself yet.

Here's a link: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-mechanical-keyboard-case-ipad-pro
 
ericwn said:
I think the Razer mechanical keyboard looks like a decent typing experience too, but I haven't tried it out myself yet.

Here's a link: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-mechanical-keyboard-case-ipad-pro
Click to expand...

I have thrown it in the air several times regarding this keyboard. I use the Razer Black Widow keyboard for my gaming desktop PC, & I fell in love with it as soon as I took it out of the box. Knowing Razer, I would imagine the typing experience would be just as great on their iPad Pro keyboard.
 
Working on a project at work, and with that I have an iPad Pro 9.7, with an Apple Keyboard.
Does it work, certainly. Albeit, I don't like that when the unit is sat in a typing position, the keyboard tilts up, almost as if the weight of the iPad is too much for it (and yes, the iPad is sitting in the groove of the keyboard).

I've watch countless iPad Pro/Apple Keyboard videos, and in no video do I see the device (well, the keyboard), tilting.

Weird.
 
afctee said:
Working on a project at work, and with that I have an iPad Pro 9.7, with an Apple Keyboard.
Does it work, certainly. Albeit, I don't like that when the unit is sat in a typing position, the keyboard tilts up, almost as if the weight of the iPad is too much for it (and yes, the iPad is sitting in the groove of the keyboard).

I've watch countless iPad Pro/Apple Keyboard videos, and in no video do I see the device (well, the keyboard), tilting.

Weird.
Click to expand...

When I first purchased my ASK, it also had a tilt to it. Exactly as you described. This was around February of last year. I recently contacted Apple, a month or so ago, and finally questioned them on it. I was told there should be no tilt to it, and it should rest perfectly flat on any solid surface. They swapped it out for me no issues. My new one does sit perfectly flat now and has no tilt whatsoever.
 
I was concerned about the lack of backlighting with ASK but in real world use I've found, regardless of brightness, the screen provides enough light for me to find what I'm looking for in a dark environment.
 
afctee said:
I have a thread about using an iPad Pro, during meetings, to take Notes, etc.
Quite a few people have posted about using a Logitech Create Keyboard. Currently, I'm trying to decide do I simply continue with the onscreen keyboard, or add an attachment (another thing to keep up with).

To me it seems very similar to the Apple Smart Keyboard, and same price, too. Not sure if it makes sounds while typing.
What about it has so many using it, versus the Apple Smart Keyboard?

Thanks
Click to expand...


The LCK is a Case/Cover/Stand all in one. It's very quick to open/close. It can slide down onto itself in table mode as well. It's very functional.

The ASK is an origami nightmare (IMHO) and disconnects to easily and provides no protection and not much stability in stand mode.

It's really not even close...
 
kevroc said:
The LCK is a Case/Cover/Stand all in one. It's very quick to open/close. It can slide down onto itself in table mode as well. It's very functional.

The ASK is an origami nightmare (IMHO) and disconnects to easily and provides no protection and not much stability in stand mode.

It's really not even close...
Click to expand...
Right, it's NOT even close. They serve two very different purposes.

The ASK is for those who want to keep their 12.9 iPad Pro as light and thin as possible and need the flexibility of switching between a notebook-type of experience and tablet. The ASK can be easily detached, reversed, and reattached when needing to use the iPP as a tablet.

The LCK is for those who want to use their 12.9 iPad Pro as more of a touchscreen notebook. It adds considerable weight and thickness and doesn't allow for easy removal for using it as a tablet. For those people, the LCK is indeed superior.
 
sracer said:
Right, it's NOT even close. They serve two very different purposes.

The ASK is for those who want to keep their 12.9 iPad Pro as light and thin as possible and need the flexibility of switching between a notebook-type of experience and tablet. The ASK can be easily detached, reversed, and reattached when needing to use the iPP as a tablet.

The LCK is for those who want to use their 12.9 iPad Pro as more of a touchscreen notebook. It adds considerable weight and thickness and doesn't allow for easy removal for using it as a tablet. For those people, the LCK is indeed superior.
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I disagree.

Both add a considerable amount of heft and weight especially using the 12" version.
Both can be put into "tablet mode"

The main difference is that the ASK is easier to detach and reattach the ipad from.

If you're looking strictly to use a keyboard with your ipad and not use it as a touchscreen notebook there are a long list of better keyboards not listed.
 
eyeseeyou said:
I disagree.

Both add a considerable amount of heft and weight especially using the 12" version.
Both can be put into "tablet mode"

The main difference is that the ASK is easier to detach and reattach the ipad from.

If you're looking strictly to use a keyboard with your ipad and not use it as a touchscreen notebook there are a long list of better keyboards not listed.
Click to expand...
You are free to disagree but when you compare the ASK to the Smart Cover, "considerable" is not an adjective that I would use. To claim that BOTH add considerable weight and heft is to imply that both ASK and LCK are comparable in those areas... they are not.
 
sracer said:
You are free to disagree but when you compare the ASK to the Smart Cover, "considerable" is not an adjective that I would use. To claim that BOTH add considerable weight and heft is to imply that both ASK and LCK are comparable in those areas... they are not.
Click to expand...

I'm not comparing the ASK to a smart cover.

Ask far as comparing the ASK to the LCK, aside from being heavier and not as easy to detach an re-attach as easily as the ASK, feature for feature you get a lot more if you go with the LCK not to mention its also cheaper.
 
I really like the Brydge Keyboard. It has the advantages of the LCK such as the keyboard quality, shortcut keys, backlighting, the structural stability to work with it on your lap. It also is very easy to detach, just like the ASK. The only disadvantage is that it doesn't use the smart connector.
 
Eric5273 said:
I really like the Brydge Keyboard. It has the advantages of the LCK such as the keyboard quality, shortcut keys, backlighting, the structural stability to work with it on your lap. It also is very easy to detach, just like the ASK. The only disadvantage is that it doesn't use the smart connector.
Click to expand...

I like the Brydge Keyboard also but I just wish it was compatible with a smart cover or case.
 
I am really surprised/bummed that hardly any companies utilize the smart connector. I thought it was a wonderful idea when it was presented at the keynote. It's really the main reason I have stuck with the ASK instead of opting for a 3rd party keyboard.
 
I think I've tried all the major keyboards and always come back to the ASK. Not only can I type incredibly fast on it (I wish there was a bluetooth version I could use on my desktop!), but it's so much slimmer and easy to deal with. Honestly the origami argument is silly, as after you've used it a few times it's a quick motion to setup. Not to mention the fact that if you don't want to use a keyboard you just take it off and set it quickly aside.
 
mhoepfin said:
I think I've tried all the major keyboards and always come back to the ASK. Not only can I type incredibly fast on it (I wish there was a bluetooth version I could use on my desktop!), but it's so much slimmer and easy to deal with. Honestly the origami argument is silly, as after you've used it a few times it's a quick motion to setup. Not to mention the fact that if you don't want to use a keyboard you just take it off and set it quickly aside.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. I am not real crazy on the design of it. However, the typing experience on it to me is wonderful. I can type equally as fast on it as I can to my MacBook Pro. The fact that it is a breeze to detach and reconnect is just an added bonus.
 
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