iPad Air and Magic Keyboard

My most recent purchase (yesterday in fact) is the 2020 iPad Air (4th generation) and Magic Keyboard.

My last iPad was an iPad Air 1st Generation and purely used for media consumption. I tried various keyboards and apps over the years, but in the end, it felt like a larger phone and found its way to the shelve, unused, for periods of time. It was also stuck at iOS 12.5

Will that trend continue with this model and keyboard?

As I write this using the current model iPad Air and keyboard, it feels different. The keyboard is fantastic. The touch pad is so useful in correcting my typing mistakes. No more trying to find that perfect spot in the word or sentence for the cursor, giving up, and retyping more than I needed to. Split screen made adding media to this post a dream. Removing the split screen to have my editing screen back, simple. OMG!!! Mac shortcut keys work!!! The TouchID sensor is in the perfect place for using with the keyboard. I am finding more usages by the sentence.

I was torn between a MacBook Air and this iPad. I didn’t want another iPad if only for browsing and media, but I detest laptops. Adding the Magic Keyboard was the right choice for me. I feel the iPad has more to offer from an app standpoint. Over time, more and more iOS apps will migrate to MacOS so the lines will blur even more. I have yet to try some more advanced productivity usages like photo editing or publishing documents, but given the wide array of applications for the iPad I have little doubt I will find this setup useful. In the past, I did not use my iPad but would switch to my Mac Mini for anything big. I am hoping I don’t regret the Mac mini purchase now.

The MacBook Air and IPad w/Magic Keyboard are about the same price. Either is a solid choice for needing something more than your iPhone on the go.