What's Next for the iPad Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil

[darngooddesign]

This means you annoy half of your users by not letting them charge in the direction they’re used to, as well as make the pencil less stable when it’s attached.

It makes sense that left and right handed people charge the Pencil 2 in opposite directions; without supporting that Apple would be accused of bias against one of those groups. The Pencil 3 will likely have split magnets on either side of the camera to solve this.

 

[jlc1978]

If you take the laptop with you in your travels, it's very easy to scratch the screen with the keys, because the laptop is always next to other things in the bag or backpack that causes the pressure on the display surface to increase, hence making the inside part unkindly touch the keyboard.
On the other hand, if you only use the MacBook at home you might not have the same issue.

I've dragged MacBooks in my travels domestically and internationally, with them just tossed in my bag, and never had a screen issue either.

Not saying some do, but it doesn't appear to be widespread.

This means you annoy half of your users by not letting them charge in the direction they’re used to,

I suspect they'd simply get used to it, it's not like charging only one way is an earth shattering event; even so I suspect Apple could engineer a magnet on one side of the iPad and a pencil like the current layout of one on each end to allow dual pencil positioning and a landscape camera setup if they wanted.

as well as make the pencil less stable when it’s attached.

True, but it's not exactly stable currently unless the iPad is on a surface and not moved. The whole idea of magnets as a way to keep it attached when not in use but in a bag etc. needs work.

Of course the power users who want to do all their Mac heavy lifting on the iPad are going to quickly encounter the thermal throttling joys of a thin, sealed device with no vents (even the MacBook Air has vents in the hinge) and a heat generating screen on one surface.

Considering the iPad is not really sold as a power user's replacement for a powerful Mac I suspect most users don't run into this issue even as they do real work on it.

 

[darngooddesign]

Considering the iPad is not really sold as a power user's replacement for a powerful Mac I suspect most users don't run into this issue even as they do real work on it.

Not yet but people who want MacOS and their desktop apps will be encountering those issues when they try to use it like a MacBook Pro.

 

[sracer]

If Apple were to make a way to re-introduce the Apple Smart Keyboard Cover to any of their iPads (except the 9th gen that has it and I already own), then they could convince me to buy another iPad.

C'mon Apple, I thought making things as thin and lightweight as possible was your thing... this is right up your alley.

 

[jlc1978]

Not yet but people who want MacOS and their desktop apps will be encountering those issues when they try to use it like a MacBook Pro.

True, but it isn't a MacBook Pro and users need to realize that; that's like expecting a base 3 Series to perform like an M3 because they share some common components.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

how sheltered from the real world would you have to be to continue to use Magic Mouse or keyboard?
I'm being serious here, they are lackluster and way behind even mid tier mouse and keyboards.

I agree that the Magic Mouse is an inferior mouse, I use a Logitech MX, but Apple's Magic Trackpad is great and I prefer it to any mouse (it works as well on Linux as it does on a Mac or iPad too).

 

[TheNewLou]

Of course the power users who want to do all their Mac heavy lifting on the iPad are going to quickly encounter the thermal throttling joys of a thin, sealed device with no vents (even the MacBook Air has vents in the hinge) and a heat generating screen on one surface. #ipadthrottlegate #whycanti3drenderonanipadmini

The only thing that has ever made my iPad Pro get warm is crappy, cross-platform games

Under any normal usage iPads don’t heat up

 

[Surf Monkey]

Sure, but you said that better file management is the thing which will stop people from also buying a Mac, which is simply not true. Even if the iPad had the MacOS Finder, people who need a Mac would still need a Mac to run their Mac apps. However, running all your Mac apps even with the existing Files app would reduce Mac sales. Of course you cant run Mac apps without a menubar which is something iPadOS doesn't have.

Having the iPad run what amounts to MacOS (what it would be if it had a real file management system) would drastically cannibalize laptop sales. You’re splitting hairs by shifting focus to the menu bar.

 

[farmboy]

I love this site, but please stop stating rumours as if they were facts.

“Apple is overhauling the Magic Keyboard…”

This is a rumour, not a fact. Please present it as such - throughout the article.

The site is "Macrumors". The content would seem obvious.

 

[darngooddesign]

Having the iPad run what amounts to MacOS (what it would be if it had a real file management system) would drastically cannibalize laptop sales.

MacOS isn’t just full management; better file management wont cannibalize anything.

You’re splitting hairs by shifting focus to the menu bar.

No I’m not, I’m correctly shifting focus to being able to run any desktop app. To quote Agent Smith, “Tell me Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call if you are unable to speak.”

 

[rjjacobson]

Strange, I've had MacBooks since 2017 and not a mark on either 😏

Same here

 

[rjjacobson]

The magic keyboard is what made me realize how much i prefer the Macbook over the iPad. I started using the Keyboard with the iPad pretty much every time, because i preferred it, but then it just felt like a limited macbook to me. Especially since i mostly used it on my lap, which just feels a bit awkward.
Which ended my iPad Pro story.

I love mine I got it with original gen 1 12.9 iPad Pro, through the 3rd gen 12.9 iPad Pro. And it is now running on my newest 6 gen 12.9 iPad Pro. I use either on kitchen table or on a nice pillow on my recliner couch. Works great as a video streaming device, way to communicate with FB groups I manage or use, and other places (like here ) My MacBook now a M2 Pro 16 incher, is in other room for heavier tasks that I got it for. Good combo along with my15 Pro Max.

So I love my iPad Pro’s and this keyboard wonder if the new one will work with 6th gen models of the 12.9 incher? My trusty old Magic Keyboard getting a bit frayed on one edge and every once in awhile the magnetic contacts fail and I have to reseat it to make keyboard work again. Not sure if the next 12.9 iPad Pro will require different keyboard and age my recent 6th gen 12.9 in terms of using a keyboard/case.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Better file management wont cannibalize anything.

No I’m not, I’m correctly shifting focus to being able to run any desktop app. To quote Agent Smith, “Tell me Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call if you are unable to speak.”

It’s a hair splitting defense. Point stands. iPad needs a real file management (and windowing) system. But Apple will never add them because they want you to buy a laptop too.

 

[rjjacobson]

If you take the laptop with you in your travels, it's very easy to scratch the screen with the keys, because the laptop is always next to other things in the bag or backpack that causes the pressure on the display surface to increase, hence making the inside part unkindly touch the keyboard.
On the other hand, if you only use the MacBook at home you might not have the same issue.

I only travel with my M2 Pro 16 incher rarely (retired) but have a special backpack to protect it and keep other stuff from pushing against directly (has a nice padded sleeve) wonder if that will protect it from this issue?

 

[darngooddesign]

It’s a hair splitting defense. Point stands. iPad needs a real file management (and windowing) system. But Apple will never add them because they want you to buy a laptop too.

Wait…you think the difference between ‘being able to organize files’ and ‘running any Mac app’ is splitting hairs? Let me ask it this way. How would being able to run iPadOS apps with a Mac-like window and file system reduce Mac sales in a meaningful way?

Dex is a computer-like windowing system but no one is able to run desktop applications in it; therefore it isn’t cannibalizing Windows computer sales in any meaningful way. Now if you want to move the goalpost by saying that an iPad which can run any desktop app in a MacOS environment will cannibalize Mac sales I would agree with you. But that’s a lot more than just a better file management and windowing.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Wait…you think the difference between ‘being able to organize files’ and ‘running any Mac app’ is splitting hairs? Let me ask it this way. How would being able to run iPadOS apps with a Mac-like window and file system reduce Mac sales in a meaningful way?

Dex is a computer-like windowing system but no one is able to run desktop applications in it; therefore it isn’t cannibalizing Windows computer sales in any meaningful way. Now if you want to move the goalpost by saying that an iPad which can run any desktop app in a MacOS environment will cannibalize Mac sales I would agree with you. But that’s a lot more than just a better file management and windowing.

You’re working overtime to create a rebuttal that isn’t proving anything.

It’s clear that Apple refuses to merge features across iPadOS and MacOS. This isn’t a radical or outrageous thing to say. A full fledged file system is one of the things Apple doesn’t want to add to iPad.

So hair split all you like. My point stands. iPad won’t be getting a full fledged file system or a mature winding schema. Having those would impact laptop sales.

 

[tweaknmod]

The site is "Macrumors". The content would seem obvious.

Yes, they report on rumours; they also report facts. Distinguishing one from the other is not a lot to ask, in my opinion.

 

[BuffaloTF]

Hope it’s lighter. Even marginally. Other than that all I want is support for shortcuts… but I’ll settle for Cmd+Q to start.

 

[TruthAboveAllElse]

It's obvious this isn't a fact. This site is quite literally called macRUMORS. If you love this site, surely you're familiar with the constant speculation.

It’s taken as read that this is a rumour because this is a rumour site. The fact is that this is a rumour.

Yeah this behaviour does not honour the website’s title: “MacFacts”

In case you didn’t notice, MacRumors also reports factual articles. And many of the editors here do write more clearly, so it is a valid criticism to want it to be clear what is factual and what is expected.

 

[CarAnalogy]

No one asked for a 'better Magic Keyboard' but a majority of people asked for a better file management browser, better multitasking, user profiles, and a host of other usability enhancements but no you give us some new Magic Keyboard that will cost more than a base iPad.

I agree that the price of the keyboard is just absolutely insane. I don't know why anyone would spend that much to give an iPad a keyboard. iPad Pro with the keyboard is more expensive than a MacBook Air. I just don't get it.

And yeah, it does relate to the software aspect because once you spend all that money, you get to use a toy operating system instead of an actual Mac.

But the display on the iPad is better. Only because they refuse to put high refresh rate displays on any computer that costs less than $1600.

 

[CarAnalogy]

It can be both. The “Magic Keyboard” is no great shakes. There have been plenty of complaints about it since it was introduced.

But yeah. Giving iPad a real file management system? That should have happened YEARS ago. Apple won’t do it because they need you to buy a laptop too.

Exactly. I honestly do not understand what the iPad Pro is for except as a drawing pad and a nice video player.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Yes, they report on rumours; they also report facts. Distinguishing one from the other is not a lot to ask, in my opinion.

MR has a decent record. They disclose when the articles are about rumors.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Exactly. I honestly do not understand what the iPad Pro is for except as a drawing pad and a nice video player.

It’s a Safari platform that’s also a drawing pad and an e-reader.

 

[O.N.Y.X]

Finally you can turn your iPad into an actual laptop that can only run programs approved by Apple.

… only that the actual Macbook will be cheaper than this iPad/Keyboard/Pencil combo.

 

[darngooddesign]

Exactly. I honestly do not understand what the iPad Pro is for except as a drawing pad and a nice video player.

I also use it for Photo Editing and DJing. Other people on here use it for music creation.