What makes a tablet keyboard great?
Smart Keyboard Folio compared to Magic Keyboard
Aug. 11, 2020 - Willem L. Middelkoop
The tablet is at the frontier of mobile computing and its hardware form factor is evolving. This year Apple introduced a new Magic Keyboard for iPad that includes a trackpad. Everybody is raving about it, yet I think there is something to be said for the "mouse-less" Smart Keyboard Folio. Read along for some key differences.
Continue reading![Precisely adjusting sliders and immediately see their effects, zoom in with a simple pinching gesture while trying different settings.](/blog/2020-08-11_the-best-keyboard-for-ipad/images/i_11_Precisely-adjusting-sliders-and-immediately-see-their-effects-zoom-in-with-a-simple-pinching-gesture_500px.jpg)
![The Magic Keyboard is made like a laptop keyboard (with distinct keys and ditto mechanisms) - the Smart Keyboard Folio is made with a woven fabric from a single piece of material](/blog/2020-08-11_the-best-keyboard-for-ipad/images/i_05_The-Magic-Keyboard-is-made-like-a-laptop-keyboard-with-distinct-keys-and-ditto-mechanisms-the-Smart-_500px.jpg)
![Don't underestimate the powers of the CMD / OPTION / Arrow / Shift keys: I bet I am faster than most folks using a mouse](/blog/2020-08-11_the-best-keyboard-for-ipad/images/i_15_Don-t-underestimate-the-powers-of-the-CMD-OPTION-Arrow-Shift-keys-I-bet-I-am-faster-than-most-folks-_500px.jpg)
![Smart Keyboard Folio (11-inch) with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil weighs 528 grams](/blog/2020-08-11_the-best-keyboard-for-ipad/images/i_01_Smart-Keyboard-Folio-11-inch-with-iPad-Pro-and-Apple-Pencil-weighs-528-grams_500px.jpg)
![Reveal available keyboard combinations by long-pressing the CMD-key in any app](/blog/2020-08-11_the-best-keyboard-for-ipad/images/i_14_Reveal-available-keyboard-combinations-by-long-pressing-the-CMD-key-in-any-app_500px.jpg)
![iPad Pro Magic Keyboard as seen from the side, it is thicker and it has a dark aluminium hinge sticking out (on the left side)](/blog/2020-08-11_the-best-keyboard-for-ipad/images/i_04_iPad-Pro-Magic-Keyboard-as-seen-from-the-side-it-is-thicker-and-it-has-a-dark-aluminium-hinge-sticki_500px.jpg)