Aside from the keyboard cases that come from third-party case makers, you have two Apple keyboard case options for the iPad Pro. In contrast to the Surface Pro 8’s add-on keyboard, which is on a par with those of many laptops, the lack of a great matching iPad keyboard is one of the reasons we don’t recommend the iPad Pro for anyone who does a lot of typing work. But they’re well built, and they integrate seamlessly with the tablet. Microsoft also nailed the little details, such as placing the webcam above the screen when you use the tablet in landscape mode so video calls look more professional.īecause Microsoft sells this device as a tablet first, you must also buy Surface accessories, such as the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard ($180) and the Surface Slim Pen 2 stylus ($130), to type or draw proficiently. Like previous versions, the Surface Pro 8 has a kickstand for you to prop it up, and its hinge is perfectly tuned to hold the tablet at any angle. It ticks all the boxes and offers everything we look for in a great computer, including a fast, high-resolution display, a capable processor that can handle a bunch of applications at once, and enough ports for you to charge and attach peripherals. The base model 12.9-inch iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard costs substantially more than a MacBook Air $1349 vs $999.The Surface Pro 8 is the laptop replacement that Microsoft has been attempting to build since its first Surface tablet in 2012.
However, if a keyboard and trackpad is seen as essential to making the iPad Pro a productivity computer, the fact that it weights more than its MacBook sibling does deserve questioning. One nice thing about the iPad of course is you can quickly detach it from the stand and use it as a pure tablet. The respective iPadOS and macOS operating systems enable very different things, with different pros and cons. Obviously, you can’t cross compare the experiences of using an iPad and a MacBook. For those interested in the 11-inch model, its Magic Keyboard weighs 601 grams for a combined machine weight of 1072 grams. The 701 gram figure is right inline with our 700 gram estimate from earlier this month. The iPad Pro configuration actually closes in on the weight of a 13-inch MacBook Pro (1370 grams).
Plus, the Air would feature a full size Force Touch trackpad compared to the smaller physical version on the iPad’s Magic Keyboard. A 13-inch MacBook Air actually weighs less, coming in at 1290 grams. The combined weight of 12.9-inch iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard is 1351 grams. The design of the Magic Keyboard requires it to be heavy a counterbalancing stand needs enough of its own mass to support the iPad securely in place. The question is whether it is worth it to carry around a laptop-convertible iPad versus a standard MacBook.
This keyboard/trackpad case takes advantage of the new mouse cursor features introduced in iPadOS 13.4, which any iPad users can experience using a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad. The Magic Keyboard is Apple’s first-party accessory which combines a clever counterbalancing stand, a backlit keyboard and a multitouch trackpad in one integrated laptop-like package. Combined, the weight of the iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard is more than the MacBook Air, and close to 13-inch MacBook Pro territory.
This is heavier than the 641 grams of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro on its own. A MacRumors reader weighed theirs, and it comes in at 710 grams. People expected it to be heavy, and it is. One of the big questions about the product was how much does it weigh, as Apple declined to reveal weight information earlier. As the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro starts getting to customers, the looming questions around the accessory are being now resolved.