Next up, the Smart Connector on the iPad Pros really should be able to do USB3.2, so that this style of keyboard cover can have ever more functionality, including more ports, batteries, so on and so forth.
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I would say that the smart connector, if they are to use it, would be better modeled after the bottom connector on my Thinkpad. It enables ALL functions to be ported through a dock with multiple ports coming out of that dock: USB ports, ethernet, power, display ports, etc., etc., etc.... Essentially, the dock is connected to all of the peripherals (keyboard, mouse, display, external storage, ethernet, etc.) and all you do is lay the computer on the dock and it is connected. When you need to leave, press a button to unlock the computer and stick it in your bag and away you go -- you do not have to unplug a thing.
In other words, such a connector should be capable of doing much, much more than simply driving a keyboard and trackpad.
Kinda like a USB 3 connector?
I don't know if it would be technically feasible to make the start connector USB 3 but that would be a cool feature and instantly give a ton of flexibility.
Yeh, USB-3 and Thunderbolt cover a lot of territory -- but I would still like to see at least a few legacy ports as well.
If you are going to bash Apple for a keyboard that is also a stand/case/hub/mouse. Might as well find a Blackmagic forum to complain about this too.
I for one would love to get a iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard. Looks like an awesome combo.
It's a completely irrelevant comparison. You're looking at a specialized, niche editing keyboard with many additional features vs a general keyboard/trackpad.
Just because you can find a more expensive keyboard doesn't mean that the price for Apple's keyboard is reasonable. I can get a MacLaren P1 for $1.1M or a Bugatti Chiron for $3M. Does the fact that the Bugatti costs $3M make the MacLaren reasonably priced?
I've seen no one here say the Magic Keyboard Folio is a crappy keyboard. It is entirely possible for it to be a good keyboard and overpriced at the same time.
Next up, the Smart Connector on the iPad Pros really should be able to do USB3.2, so that this style of keyboard cover can have ever more functionality, including more ports, batteries, so on and so forth.
...
I would say that the smart connector, if they are to use it, would be better modeled after the bottom connector on my Thinkpad. It enables ALL functions to be ported through a dock with multiple ports coming out of that dock: USB ports, ethernet, power, display ports, etc., etc., etc.... Essentially, the dock is connected to all of the peripherals (keyboard, mouse, display, external storage, ethernet, etc.) and all you do is lay the computer on the dock and it is connected. When you need to leave, press a button to unlock the computer and stick it in your bag and away you go -- you do not have to unplug a thing.
In other words, such a connector should be capable of doing much, much more than simply driving a keyboard and trackpad.
Kinda like a USB 3 connector?
I don't know if it would be technically feasible to make the start connector USB 3 but that would be a cool feature and instantly give a ton of flexibility.
Yeh, USB-3 and Thunderbolt cover a lot of territory -- but I would still like to see at least a few legacy ports as well.
At the risk of being a bit sarcastic - "you can use the USB C port for everything, just because you have a 'specialized use case' for a different connector doesn't mean Apple should include it!" Just look at the MacBooks...
If the smart connector contained USB 3 functionality, that would cover a lot, though, and a clip on folio could easily expand the number of ports. At this point that's a ways off, though. Apple needs to develop and expand iPadOS so that people can truly use it as a replacement for a MacBook. Once iPad Pros come into their own as 'real' computers (not just in capabilities but in the public's mind and usage patterns) we'll start to see more expansion of things like docks, keyboards, etc.
If you are going to bash Apple for a keyboard that is also a stand/case/hub/mouse. Might as well find a Blackmagic forum to complain about this too.
I for one would love to get a iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard. Looks like an awesome combo.
It's a completely irrelevant comparison. You're looking at a specialized, niche editing keyboard with many additional features vs a general keyboard/trackpad.
Just because you can find a more expensive keyboard doesn't mean that the price for Apple's keyboard is reasonable. I can get a MacLaren P1 for $1.1M or a Bugatti Chiron for $3M. Does the fact that the Bugatti costs $3M make the MacLaren reasonably priced?
I've seen no one here say the Magic Keyboard Folio is a crappy keyboard. It is entirely possible for it to be a good keyboard and overpriced at the same time.
Next up, the Smart Connector on the iPad Pros really should be able to do USB3.2, so that this style of keyboard cover can have ever more functionality, including more ports, batteries, so on and so forth.
...
I would say that the smart connector, if they are to use it, would be better modeled after the bottom connector on my Thinkpad. It enables ALL functions to be ported through a dock with multiple ports coming out of that dock: USB ports, ethernet, power, display ports, etc., etc., etc.... Essentially, the dock is connected to all of the peripherals (keyboard, mouse, display, external storage, ethernet, etc.) and all you do is lay the computer on the dock and it is connected. When you need to leave, press a button to unlock the computer and stick it in your bag and away you go -- you do not have to unplug a thing.
In other words, such a connector should be capable of doing much, much more than simply driving a keyboard and trackpad.
Kinda like a USB 3 connector?
I don't know if it would be technically feasible to make the start connector USB 3 but that would be a cool feature and instantly give a ton of flexibility.
Yeh, USB-3 and Thunderbolt cover a lot of territory -- but I would still like to see at least a few legacy ports as well.
At the risk of being a bit sarcastic - "you can use the USB C port for everything, just because you have a 'specialized use case' for a different connector doesn't mean Apple should include it!" Just look at the MacBooks...
If the smart connector contained USB 3 functionality, that would cover a lot, though, and a clip on folio could easily expand the number of ports. At this point that's a ways off, though. Apple needs to develop and expand iPadOS so that people can truly use it as a replacement for a MacBook. Once iPad Pros come into their own as 'real' computers (not just in capabilities but in the public's mind and usage patterns) we'll start to see more expansion of things like docks, keyboards, etc.
Unless there is some benefit to excluding legacy ports (like there was for the headphone jack on the iPhone) there is no benefit to exclude them. While that reasoning may sound circular, it remains true.
And, at this point, for casual and main stream users, the iPad Pro is already a pretty decent MacBook replacement. It's biggest constraint being screen size -- but then when it is flipped into being a tablet that is one of its strengths. Apple has been gradually expanding its capabilities by adding split screens, a file system, etc.... No, it's not on par with a MacBook -- but for casual and mainstream users it should get the job done.
Comments
Yeh, USB-3 and Thunderbolt cover a lot of territory -- but I would still like to see at least a few legacy ports as well.
If you are going to bash Apple for a keyboard that is also a stand/case/hub/mouse. Might as well find a Blackmagic forum to complain about this too.
I for one would love to get a iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard. Looks like an awesome combo.
At the risk of being a bit sarcastic - "you can use the USB C port for everything, just because you have a 'specialized use case' for a different connector doesn't mean Apple should include it!" Just look at the MacBooks...
If the smart connector contained USB 3 functionality, that would cover a lot, though, and a clip on folio could easily expand the number of ports. At this point that's a ways off, though. Apple needs to develop and expand iPadOS so that people can truly use it as a replacement for a MacBook. Once iPad Pros come into their own as 'real' computers (not just in capabilities but in the public's mind and usage patterns) we'll start to see more expansion of things like docks, keyboards, etc.