by Jason Snell
Viticci on the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro
Let’s face it, Federico Viticci is the one we need to hear from about Apple’s first laptop-level input accessory for iPad Pro:
The Magic Keyboard is an accessory that fully embraces Apple’s modular approach to the iPad Pro: it enables a reliable, functional laptop mode while at the same time encouraging you to detach the iPad at any time and use it as a tablet when you no longer need a keyboard and trackpad. This is, I believe, the key differentiator for the iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard: when paired together, you have a useful, credible laptop mode for your iPad; pick up the iPad – which you can even do with one hand by just pulling it from the cover without knocking it loose – and you still have a fantastic tablet with a vibrant ecosystem of tablet-optimized apps and a multi-touch OS. For the same price and weight, yes, you could get a MacBook Air (or even a MacBook Pro) instead of an iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard; however, I wouldn’t recommend trying to pull a MacBook’s display away from the keyboard when you’d like to use a tablet instead.
The ability to choose your preferred working style moment to moment, with the ability to switch it up on a moment’s notice when your needs change, is really the killer feature of the iPad.