iPad – MacBook Air hybrid thoughts
Monday, May 10th, 2010
After using the iPad for a few days including a lot of on-screen typing I’m convinced that for me, the ideal tool would be an iPad with a built-in hardware keyboard, like a MacBook Air minus the touchpad.
Important fact: I’m a touch typist. I use all of my fingers and keep my eyes on the screen and type fast. I want a full, real, hardware keyboard for serious writing.
People (me included) are buying covers and portfolios to put their iPads into and this is mostly to protect the screen. The Air does this by protecting the screen with the keyboard.
Yes, typing on an iPad using its on-screen keyboard is better than attempting it on an iPhone but neither is acceptable for serious writing if you touch type.
Connecting a USB keyboard via the camera connection kit (I’ll be doing this shortly) or using a bluetooth keyboard leaves one in the awkward position of either propping up the iPad, laying the entire setup flat on the table or somehow positioning things so one can type and watch the screen at the same time (this is what touch typing is about).
The Apple iPad keyboard dock can’t easily sit on one’s lap as far as I can see. If you know otherwise I’d love to hear about it.
For me, the best solution is the one I’m using right now to write this: MacBook Pro on my lap. An attached/hinged keyboard for the iPad solves this problem nicely and is a built in cover for the screen and I’m thinking that the iPhone/iPad OS would work nicely in the skin of a MacBook Air or something even thinner. Maybe the keyboard could do a 180 and get out of the way behind the screen when not needed.
If this device had just a tad more memory and was under $1000 I’d buy one in a second. I wonder if that might be what’s coming in the update to the current MacBook Air?
Postscript: My long time friend Chet and Twitterer Kelvin point me toward the Clamcase which is in fact, the exact solution I’m interested in and if Apple doesn’t come out with something like this I might just get one. However, I’d much prefer an Apple designed solution.
I think I would manage with a bluetooth keyboard because I use only two or three fingers to type anyways. In my opinion iPad should be as portable as possible (not a notebook-like). And if I replace my MacBook with iPad then I would use that external keyboard when I am by my desk, otherwise screen keyboard will be fine, I guess. Of course I have to try it by myself and decide, maybe I am with you after trying it out.
But wise and interesting thoughts, Richard.
Jonne: If you don’t use all of your fingers when you type then you’re looking at your fingers when you type and this is not touch typing. People who touch type need full-size, hardware keyboard or, if on screen, then a bit wider than the iPad’s with a shift key that does what it does on a hardware keyboard.
To do serious writing on an iPad one needs an external keyboard. Any unconnected (unhinged) keyboard will mean that the setup will not work easily on a lap. For me, this is the key. Your mileage may vary…
I agree that it’s not comfortable and productive to do serious writing on the iPad. Even if you’re don’t touch type. But as far as I understand this problem was predictable. The device is small and it has touchscreen with no hardware keybord, so why waiting from it to be the great device for serious printing? Maybe it’s better to choose some other computer device for this purpose and not to re-invent the wheel;) As for me it’s the most simple solution)
Very good point software developers. Maybe it’s best to have two tools, one for writing, the other for reading (the iPad) but if that were the case, why put tools like Pages and a Notepad on the iPad?
It will be interesting to see how this plays out in time because I’m quite sure I’m not the only one who tough types and enjoys using an iPad.
My ideal would be a Macbook Air with the back of its current screen being another screen – an iPad touchscreen. I would operate iOS on the iPad screen when the clam was closed, and Mac OSX on the Air through keyboard when open. All my files will save centrally independant of the side or method of my input.
Some Apps would need to be OS agnostic so may have to wait for Lion to bring the two operating systems closer but I can wait.
What a great idea David. My guess is the hybrid will share a single screen but your idea is a great one. Thanks for posting it.