A keyboard, a trackpad, and a display stand. These are not three different devices!

Hah! For those who don't get it, this is an homage to how Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone.

He said (a few times): "An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator... these are NOT three separate devices!"

For us Apple nerds, his voice suddenly pops into your head when you read the sentence.

Cant believe it has been 9 years.

My wallet will hurt but damn this makes my 2018 keyboard folio look like a joke, much like how “a phone, an iPod, an Internet communication device” made previous phones look like a joke.

I've heard of display stands worth up to $1,000 - what a deal!

To be honest, even though it is extremely overpriced, it will be a great addition to my (new) iPad Pro.

This 11 inch iPad Pro has been my main machine since it was released in November 2018, and as such it has been great value for money.

I am a bit of an unusual case since I’ve been using iPads to cover (almost all of) my computing and workflow needs since the release of the first iPad in 2010. iPadOS has given the platform an enormous boost in utility. The new keyboard brings is a step closer to being a zero-regrets laptop alternative (i.e., an option orthogonal to as opposed to in replacement of) a laptop.

As pointed out by another, it is also a stand. Now I expect the mechanical work has to be pretty superb to guarantee it can keep the iPad at the angle you choose. I cannot wait for a tear down of the stand.

I am a bit confused by the usb-c port for pass through charging. I would have thought a great opportunity would be to have the stand be able to wireless charge the iPad while in use but I expect the power requirements of an iPad in use would exceed current standards.

Regardless, the interesting point to me is with keyboard, pencil, and such, the price point overlap with their laptop line makes we wonder about rumors of an ARM chipped line of Macs. Without the processor difference price comparisons are going to be much more difficult to blow off

> I am a bit confused by the usb-c port for pass through charging. I would have thought a great opportunity would be to have the stand be able to wireless charge the iPad while in use but I expect the power requirements of an iPad in use would exceed current standards.

Looking at the published photos, there doesn't appear to be a mechanical interface along the edge of the ipad to the stand.

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MXQT2LL/A/magic-keyboard-...

I've never laid hands on an iPad Pro but photos show it has 3 pogo pads on the backside, is that enough to do data and power? I was under the impression that USB-3 required multiple pairs of data wires. Some sort of proprietary signaling?

Maybe it is using wireless power?

On the previous iPad Pro keyboard page, they had this text: "The Smart Connector transfers both data and power between iPad Pro and the Smart Keyboard Folio — no batteries or charging required"

It's the same connector since the new one is backwards compatible with the old iPad Pro.

If you google "iPad Smart Connector pinout" you find previous discussion/speculation on the protocol

edit: the announcement specifically says the stand supports "pass-through charging, keeping the USB-C port on iPad Pro free for accessories including external drives and displays". So the pogo pins only have to have enough data bandwidth to send keystrokes, the stand won't give you USB 3 data

I’m wondering whether the USB-C port will support data as well. I’m hoping, but Apple is... quixotic.

When Apple switched to Intel they rented developers a custom dev kit machine before the consumer products launched. If they change over to ARM, this could very well be the dev kit hardware.

Exactly my thought. This is pretty much a Macbook.

With a much much faster processor. And macrumors is reporting that they all have 6 GB of memory (this was previously an unadvertised upgrade that game with 1 TB storage). Would be a bit less cramped to run macOS on compared to 4 GB in most of the 2018 models.

>Now I expect the mechanical work has to be pretty superb to guarantee it can keep the iPad at the angle you choose.

/s?

Apple cost more yes. I get that. They also provide a lot more than other companies. Despite its flaws iPhone os is very stable with minimal issues.

> Wow. This must be one hell of a keyboard..

Kind of have to look at it as the whole package. You aren't buying an iPad and a keyboard, you are buying a 10.5" laptop for $1,100.

I went cheap on my older iPad Pro and just use an aftermarket bluetooth keyboard, but I've kept this guy for 4+ years now and spending a bit (Ok a LOT) more and having a really nice keyboard/ case/ trackpad affects the usefulness of the device for the entire time.

Still debating it, still not sure I'm upgrading my iPad yet, but I'm a lot more likely to pay the extra for the nicer setup this time around.

At that point why not just get an actual laptop - MacBook air for $1k ?

Macbook Air for $1k is not a very good tablet, battery life and screen are not as good.

It's not immediately clear which one is better. Depends on how you expect to use it.

For me, I need developer tools, multiple browser engines, and spreadsheets, so I'm going to be on a laptop or desktop as my main computer for a while yet. That's not true of everyone. Many people can use this as their main machine and there are certain advantages to it.

The CPU, speakers, cameras, and display on the iPad Pro are much better. You can also detach the iPad from the base instantly and have the best tablet on the market.

Seems like every generation of iPad & iPad OS makes the Mac a little less relevant. That said... if you need MacOS—for example you are a developer—you get a Mac.

It'll be interesting when Macs with ARM CPUs hit the market. Or for that matter... if they were to release MacOS for the iPad.

What does Apple have against the Escape key? That's a deal-breaker right there.

Cmd + . actually acts as Escape key on iPadOS. It’s not a replacement for a physical escape key, but I don’t find it too hard to adopt.

Wow, thank you. This isn't very discoverable but will be super useful for me.

What about on MacOS? The trackbar escape key is super flaky...

There's a setting to convert caps lock into escape.

Their new models are reverting that design.

Ctrl + [

I am always baffled, when the keyboard + iPad issue is brought up, perhaps my use-case is unique. I use a Apple A1314 Keyboard, which has an ESC key, it is Bluetooth enabled with decent key travel, and cheap to acquire. It is just a matter of popping the iPad Pro 10.5 (2017) on an after market stand and/or propping it atop a stack of books if required, it is a good solution and works well, even for a touch-typist like myself.

However, I would appreciate better support for MX Master as opposed to the current solution via Accessibility.

I use the Magic Keyboard myself, or the Kanex MultiSync https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MZ2TKIR/ that has support for 3 devices and keyboard backlighting. What I really want is a proper mechanical keyboard with good BT support, hopefully the Keychron K6 I have on order will be the ticket.

What would the escape key do in iPadOS though? There isn't one on the on screen keyboard, never has been.

Clear the current field. Close the current dialog.

How else are you supposed to use VIM?

Ctrl [

Support outside vim (actually a terminal) is a bit less reliable.

It's a lot more widespread than I would have expected. It seems to work most places where I've tried it.

With the caps lock remapped to escape.

Inside SSH sessions, e.g. Emacs.

iPadOS 13.4 will let you remap the useless capslock key to esc:

https://www.idownloadblog.com/2020/02/06/ipados-13-4-hardwar...

I prefer to remap it to Control_L, that's where I have it in muscle memory. But I also need a Meta key for Emacs.

You could put esc on control and control on caps?

Completely off-topic, but for everybody that maps Caps Lock to esc, how do you ctrl-tab? That's what my Caps Lock is mapped to, and I cannot understand how ctrl-tab can be any sort of comfortable to reach on a standard layout?

The best solution I've found is mapping caps lock to control on hold, and escape on press.

You can do this with Karabiner on OS X, ililim/dual-key-remap on Windows, and alols/xcape on Linux.

> The best solution I've found is mapping caps lock to control on hold, and escape on press.

wow. just wow.

I haven't mapped my caps lock to anything else, but on my Mac I ⌘-tab, which is pretty natural for my thumb and fourth finger given the position of the ⌘ key next to the space bar.

To be honest it never really bothered me once I realised that a lot of iPad apps let me rebind the caps lock key to work as escape. I'd just love for them to make that option available globally like it is on the Mac.

The forthcoming beta of iOS adds global keybindings for caps lock.

Not only that, but also native KeyUp and KeyDown events[1] without needing a JavaScript hacks! This means keychord-type shortcuts are now also possible in an app that wants to use it (e.g. an IDE, if someone is building one), or app-specific key remapping (e.g. Blink.sh, which currently uses JavaScript to detect and remap the key)

[1]: https://twitter.com/johnsundell/status/1225177084965851137

People who value the Escape key were never going to make an iPad their primary computer anyways.

Speak for yourself. I value the Esc key and I spend at least 4 hours a day on my iPad, more than on my Mac or Linux laptops.

I value an Escape key (being emacs/evil user) and use iPad Pro as my primary computer for the past 2 years. The trick is you just use a real keyboard with it (HHKB-BT in my case) :-)

How do you know if someone uses a mechanical keyboard?

Don't worry, they'll tell you.

(I hailstormed this message on Cherry MX Blues.)

Hey, HHKB uses Topre so technically it’s not quite mechanical either! ;-)

Still envious. :) I have a HHKB Lite PS2 sitting around somewhere. Every now and then I think about digging it out.

I couldn't find any weight specifications for the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. For reference: the 12.9-inch Smart Keyboard Folio, without a trackpad and without scissor switches, weighs 407 grams. So, lets speculate the new keyboard, as a blind guess, weighs 500 grams. Adding this to the new iPad 12.9"'s weight of 642 grams, the total weight is over 1.2 kilograms, which already is in the range of the new MBA2020 with 1.29 kilograms. Why not take the full laptop instead, then?

because weight isn't everything and it is optional (i.e. i can put the keyboard in my bag): Pencil support, proper portrait support, reading on the ipad is easier once you remove the optional keyboard, much easier to hold on a commute

It's an Apple keyboard, just like the Apple screen stand or the Apple wheels for the Mac Pro

Why is this being downvoted? Apple does price its products as luxury items. It's part of the brand.

I have a $100+ Logitech keyboard for my existing iPad. It supports only one position; is not backlit; and has no integrated trackpad.

There's definitely an Apple tax here, but it's also a premium item, so that pricing doesn't seem ridiculous to me. Also, the existing Bluetooth options will still work, and the Apple Smart Folio keyboard is still an option at a lower price point.

Even the current one that's literally just a run-of-the-mill keyboard is £159 (£199 for the bigger iPad!). A plain keyboard should not cost more than the Pencil.

I remember when the iPhone X broke the $1000 barrier and made phones that cost even more than that suddenly acceptable. It seems Apple is successfully pushing up the acceptable price for things.

Well it's also a display stand, to raise the iPad Pro up (insert joke about Apple's 20K stand here). Anyone with a current Mac who's been using it for a while want to tel us how the keyboard is? I'm typing this on one of 2018 ones and it feels like I'm typing directly on a desk.

I have a current Macbook Pro that's mine and a butterfly-switch MBP from work. The butterfly is acceptable, although I've finally gotten a doubling key, x, which is a problem for doing cmd-x.

The new MBP keyboard is noticeably different in feel from the old scissor-switch keyboard, but not especially so. It's comfortable to type on and I'm happy with it.

And of course my doubled key happens right when my only option for going to an Apple Store is to go to China.

Correcting self, the stand mentioned is 1K.

And I thought the $100 Surface Pro keyboard is expensive.

That's more than even high end mechanical keyboards cost.

It's only about $40 more than a Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2. Toss in a cover which can act as a stand, and you're probably close to the same price.

Input accessories are getting pricy.

Don't forget that it is backlit and because it has power in also adds effectively an additional USB C port, thow in a case and you are well over the top. The current Smart Keyboard Folio + Magic Trackpad 2 is $310.

I guess. I mean but at this point, why not just by a macbook?

Because you can't rip the display off your macbook when you want to browse HN in bed? The convertibility is the point.

Why not just buy a Surface laptop instead of a Surface? I think it's just a transition over time.

"Pricey" is one thing, but this is ridiculous!

Mechanical keyboards can get terrifyingly expensive--but you're right. That's about the cost of a Topre RealForce.

And this isn’t even mechanical.

No, it's Apple's scissor switch keyboard which is considered one of the best low-profile keyboards around. Lugging around even a compact mechanical keyboard for use with an iPad is a hassle.

a scissor keyboard? so it is a common chiclet which most of the cheap keyboards use https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiclet_keyboard with very mild "clicking" feedback/feel. Well, it's been used in the industry for 30+ years because it actually works, in contrast to "batterfly". But it's nothing special to justify the price.

> But it's nothing special to justify the price.

It's rich hearing mechanical keyboard fans panning Apple keyboards on price.

The sole reason mechanical keyboards are still sold is because some people prefer the feel of them and are willing to pay extra for that finger feel. Similarly, the reason people pay a premium for Apple's keyboards is because people prefer the feel of them. Prior to the butterfly keyboard, it was one of the big reasons people preferred Apple laptops.

Since few of the most die-hard mechanical keyboard fans are willing to haul around their bulky keyboards with sweet Cherry Blue switches, choices for good quality keyboards on the go is fairly limited and the Apple Magic keyboard is high on the list, and yes, people are willing to pay for that experience.

I can get behind the lightweight and simple design, but my main problem is if I own a laptop, I lug around 1 item. If I have an ipad with a keyboard, I now have 2 items.

It would be different if this was a device that could switch between MacOS and IpadOS. But it's not. So it really seems like Apple is continually reinforcing the fact that we should be carrying around 30 separate items with us all at once to be prepared when we need to do one particular thing.

I can't wait until Apple gets this stuff sorted around because frankly I"m sick of them doing this stuff. The past 5 years they've been doubling down moving us toward USB-C but also making sure we need like 10 dongles or separate devices for their machines. Whoever is currently in their design team clearly is getting more say in the manufacturing of the devices than anybody in engineering I can say that. They need to make something that saves me time, not something that annoys me just like a PC.

I wish someone would at least try to come up with a portable mechanical-like solution.

Nah Apple takes advantage of their walled off system. They know they have users and changing to an alternative is too difficult.

It is not my experience that keyboards are part of their garden wall. I have used bluetooth keyboards with my iPads going back to the first generation of iPad Mini.

What their keyboards do offer is tighter integration. That’s not a wall, it’s more like growing enticing apples in the orchard within the garden.

Not much different than the situation with upgrades for my Volvo. The Volvo stuff is tightly integrated. OEM stuff sometimes involves compromises, like plugging things into the port and fiddling with bluetooth.

I'm not sure what you're getting at here, bluetooth & USB keyboards all work fine. I've used aftermarket keyboards exclusively for the past... 6 or so years on the iPad.

You can use any Bluetooth keyboard with it.

And I’ll bet my Bluetooth trackpad works with this now too.

To follow up, yes, it does. But because iPadOS doesn’t support all the swipe gestures on my first generation Magic Trackpad that my Mac does—notably scrolling—I’m disconnecting it. If I’m going to have to touch the screen to scroll, why have the cursor?

Standard bluetooth mice already work, they've just buried mouse/trackpad support under the accessibility settings in iOS13.

It probably does. I have a $20 no-name Bluetooth KB + Trackpad. It works perfectly with the current iPadOS.

Take a notice: it doesn't seem to be any contact pads on the new ipad.

If there is indeed no contact pads, then it's likely they had to develop some custom rf connection just to support the type-c without contact pads (usb 3.0 needs a ton of bandwidth,) and that ain't cheap.

They’re on the back.

Can you point to a picture?

Here’s some at the top of the page: https://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/specs/

Three dots on the bottom? Just 3 conductors? Then, very likely some custom IC is still involved to send 3.0 over them.

I wouldn't expect that port to support USB data at all unless explicitly stated. They call it out as "a USB‑C port for passthrough charging."

Aaah, then everything is clear