[ad_1]
It’s around that time of year when we start to think about what Apple will release throughout the year on a hardware and software level, so being in education, I naturally start to think about what I want to see Apple do with the iPad in 2021. The more I think about it, the more I think Apple’s next act with the iPad has nothing to do with the iPad itself. This week I want to talk about the need for a low cost Magic Keyboard.
About Apple @ Work: Bradley Chambers has managed a corporate IT network since 2009. With his experience in the deployment and management of firewalls, switches, mobile device management system, professional Wi-Fi, hundreds of Macs and hundreds of iPads, Bradley will highlight the ways in which Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, create networks to support them, and educate users, in addition to stories from the trenches of IT management and ways in which Apple could improve its products for IT services.
One of the most significant changes Apple has made to iPadOS in memory recently is the addition of mouse support and the release of the Magic Keyboard. I was initially hesitant about how mouse support would translate into iPadOS, but after many months of seeing it in action, it’s clear that this opens up new use cases to make iPad work for more. of people. The problem is, the Magic Keyboard is quite expensive when you buy one, but the cost is prohibitive when buying a fleet of devices.
iPad Air with Magic Keyboard vs MacBook Air
The Mac experienced a kind of rebirth with the Apple Silicon transition. The Macbook Air was the 9to5Mac Product of the year in 2020. Battery life is exceptional. It performs almost any task that you could easily throw at it. It’s been moved to a hardware-like location on the iPad for years. Instead of finding the balance between loving macOS, hating the processor, or struggling with iPadOS, but loving the processor, these are peers. Now the MacBook Air can go hand in hand with the iPad Air on hardware speed, so it becomes a software versus software match.
I’m not here to argue about doing real work on iPadOS, because you can. I will argue that the iPad is a best device with the smart keyboard, however. Some tasks are just easier to do with a slider, and for long periods of time it’s much more ergonomic to use a device that you can use a slider on.
The problem with the Magic Keyboard is that it is expensive. It’s a $ 200 accessory for a device that costs $ 599 (iPad Air). For schools and businesses that buy wholesale, adding a $ 200 accessory to an iPad will cost a lot. Most schools and businesses will choose the cheapest iPad for their deployments. Apple is expected to pair a low-cost Magic Keyboard with the low-cost iPad as a successor to the Smart Keyboard.
Will Apple release a Magic Keyboard for the iPad at a low price?
I’d love to see Apple release a cheaper Magic Keyboard for the cheaper iPad. That price would put the full package for a Magic Keyboard, iPad, and Apple Pencil under $ 500. If an organization wanted to skip the Apple Pencil, it would be less than $ 400. An iPad with a magic keyboard is a powerful device at this price.
Will Apple release a low-cost Magic Keyboard for the entry-level iPad? I haven’t seen any rumors, but I think it should be a priority. A Magic Keyboard is the best iPad accessory to make it a permanent “computer”. What do you think? Leave a comment below!
FTC: We use automatic income generating affiliate links. After.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more information on Apple:
[ad_2]
Source link