I ordered the Magic Keyboard from Apple directly early on 4-15-2020 and it is now late evening on the 25th. My order is still in the “processing” stage, supposedly preparing to be shipped.
Out of frustration and a little impatience I ordered the same Magic Keyboard from Verizon late on the 22nd. I have now been using it for two and a half days and my Apple order is still “processing.” Obviously, I contacted Apple to cancel the order. We’ll see how smoothly that goes as they claim they cannot cancel it. My guess is they charge me, ship it, and I’ll have to return it.
Aside from all the fun stuff mentioned, I love this keyboard. It is not perfect, but it is the best tablet keyboard I remember having used thus far. It is a pleasure to type on, comparing very favorably over my Surface Pro keyboard, as it feels more solid to type on whether on my desk or my lap. Every key feels good as I tap it and it made me pull out my old MacBook Pro (2011 model...hasn’t been charged or even used since 2018) just to see how it compares. It was a genuinely close comparison, with the MacBook Pro being the better of the two, but it is not such a distinct advantage as expected.
The trackpad is a fantastic addition to the iPad and the trackpad included with the Magic Keyboard for the iPad is almost everything I might have expected. While it does not have all of the gestures I recall using on my MacBook, or even those from my Surface Pro (surprisingly good, btw), it manages everything I would expect it to on the iPad very well.
Surely, the keyboard has some good weight to it, and if you have been reading some of the reviews, or watching the video reviews on YouTube, the iPad Pro 12.9 attached to the Magic Keyboard weighs more than the latest MacBook Air. Together, they are barely a few grams heavier. If you notice this difference yourself, even holding the two side-by-side, I highly suggest a gym membership. You need it.
The base of this keyboard case could stand to be a bit heavier than it is, to compensate for the weight of the iPad Pro when attached, as the current design leaves this combination feeling somewhat top heavy. Some form of weight at the base, especially closest to the user, would be very welcomed.
Also, the more I use the Magic Keyboard, the more I miss the function key row on other computers. It is really only the audio and brightness controls to which I miss having easy access. Both are deep inside Apple less than organized Settings menu and settings that affect the Magic keyboard are found in at least four different places within the overall Settings menu. It’s a cluster.
The overall size will be beneficial once we getting back traveling for work again. Whereas the Surface Pro computer needs too much surface area to spread out on most airline tray tables, the iPad with Magic Keyboard will fit just fine.
Here is the short and sweet...The Magic Keyboard is easily the best keyboard available for any tablet. It’s features, feel, weight, keyboard, trackpad, and overall size make the iPad with the Magic Keyboard my favorite laptop/tablet hybrid available. For most of us, this setup can easily replace a laptop.
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