jmgregory1

I’ll order one for my 2018 12.9” once I have to get back on the road for work.  It looks like a brilliant product, addressing all the shortcomings of the Keyboard Folio.  Now that I’m stuck at my work desk, I’m using my iPad Pro out of a case, with my old Apple BT Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2, plus Pencil and it’s been fantastic with the latest iPadOS.

Plus I really like using the iPad out of a case (I do have a film screen protector and vinyl wrap on the back for protection), as it feels like I’m using an all new device now.  I was also getting tired of constantly having to clean the screen of fingerprints and smudges and between the screen protector and the new trackpad connectivity, I’m not hardly messing up the screen anymore.

If I could make one suggestion to Apple, especially now that Jony Ive is gone, is to create a better looking Home Pod, and one that doesn’t need to try to be a 360 degree speaker.  For a lot of people, myself included, speakers get placed on a bookshelf, counter, or the like, where you want / need a soundscape that is maybe 270 degrees, and less for lower frequencies.

I’d love to see something more akin to a conventional speaker design, sold in pairs, that would be great for stereo sound and even television or iPad movie watching use.

I have this feeling that Apple over-designed the current Home Pod (not surprising given Mr. Ive’s propensity for making things more complicated than they need to be), requiring too much processing power, mics, and complex speaker array.  It’s definitely overly complex for a smart speaker, which drove the price up beyond what most people wanted to spend, and it’s not quite up to par as a mid-range hi-fi speaker.

For those complaining about the price of the new Magic Keyboard folio, if you were to buy an Apple Keyboard ($99), Magic Trackpad ($129) and Folio ($99), you would be spending $330.  So for the additional $20 you would spend on the Magic Keyboard Folio, you’re getting a backlit keyboard and an additional USB-C port.  I can guarantee that this is how Apple looks at the pricing.  The value is there, if you’re simply comparing it to Apple’s other products that could serve a similar function.

And it’s not like Apple makes 80% gross profit from their products - I’ve not looked lately, but I think their average margin is somewhere in the mid to upper 30% range?

It will be interesting to see if Apple offers the keyboards at a discount for the Education market, or if a place like Costco will be able to sell it slightly below Apple’s MAP.  I may wait to see what deals pop up, but I’m definitely getting one, even if I end up paying full retail.

I am a subscriber to everythingapplepro on YouTube, but just like with Zach’s jerryrig channel, I won’t watch any of the “watch me destroy this xyz product” videos.  I think it was funny, back in the day, when people were tossing phones into a blender, but I think these types of videos have had their day in the sun and now they’re just mindless wastes of time to watch.  Gee, what do you think will happen when you forcibly bend a glass and thin aluminum device in half?

If any of them really wanted to show something useful, why not set up a series of situational tests, like sitting on a phone in your back pocket, placing an iPad in an overfilled backpack and stuffing it under a chair (like what those of us who travel for work do) - things that would show what may or may not happen to devices in real world-similar situations.

22july2013 said:

I found the clip of Steve Job saying they would never introduce that: but why has Apple changed its mind now? Are those "tons of user testing" out the window?

Apple didn’t change.  They in fact are sticking to their guns and eliminating the one negative thing of using the iPad with a separate keyboard - which is that you have had to move your hands from the keyboard up and away from you to interact with the screen for certain situations.  That is a horrible way to interact with any computer - it was a bad idea when Microsoft pushed it in PC laptops and Steve recognized that, as any human who actually has to do real work that involves typing on a keyboard recognizes.  

Now making the iPad Pro something that is both perfect as a fully touch interaction device, as well as a keyboard and trackpad driven device is ideal.  At least it is for me, and I would bet it’s true for a lot of other people.