You could plug in the Windows keyboard and it would, for the most part work, fine with your Mac.But my keyboard keys do not work, some of them do, but most of them simply. Making a USB-based Windows keyboard compatible was a pretty simple process they already were, at least electrically. A few Windows keyboard manufacturers started churning out Mac compatible versions of their more popular keyboards.However, we tested all combinations of the two most recent iPad Pro 12.9in iterations and their keyboards. Note: Current-gen iPad Pro units are fractionally thicker than their predecessors, which led Apple to not list the new Magic Keyboard as compatible with previous-gen iPad Pros. Some wireless and non-wireless objects can cause interference with your wireless device.While most keyboards can be used on either operating system in a pinch, there are special characters that are intended to work with either Mac or Windows, and some keyboards won’t have all. Also check on nearby objects. The wireless USB dongle should be plugged into a USB port that allows for the best reception and minimizes the distance between the wireless USB dongle and the keyboard or mouse. It’s an audacious proposition, then, but also an undeniably premium experience that nails the modular nature of the iPad – and in a manner that no rivals quite match.Check the placement of the wireless USB dongle.You may be greeted with a Keyboard Setup Assistant prompt like the one in the image below. You should be able to use it as soon as it's connected. To use a Windows keyboard, simply connect it to your Mac (if it's a Bluetooth keyboard, your Mac should recognize it when you turn on the keyboard).
Do Windows Wireless Keyboards Work Full IPad ProThe keyboard/trackpad then – depending on your model of iPad – snaps magnetically to the iPad’s Smart Connector or the Combo Touch protective case. Your iPad is shoved into a protective case with integrated kickstand. However, the design is markedly different from Apple’s Magic Keyboard, resembling as it does a chunky take on a Surface Go 2.The Combo Touch (from £140) comes in two parts. The Apple Pencil (2nd gen) (£119) is chunky, responsive, handy and magnetically snaps to your iPad to charge.Pros: Desktop-grade keys responsive trackpad sturdy adding/removing the iPad is almost instantaneousCons: No media keys automated backlight rarely comes on tendency to bang fingers on iPad underside with the 11in modelLogitech reportedly worked closely with Apple to get this keyboard case made, and it deftly handles the fancy trackpad/cursor functionality baked into iPadOS. If your Microsoft or Surface mouse or keyboard isnt working, doesnt appear in the list of.Add this: If you want the full iPad Pro package, grab Apple’s fancy scribbling stick. It’s rugged in a bag and sturdy in laptop mode for iPads compatible with the original Apple Pencil there’s a loop for your stylus. And the case mimics Microsoft’s in having a woven fabric surface that feels lovely and stops everything looking worn after extended use.The shell that wraps around the iPad is less successful. The trackpad is responsive – and bigger than Apple’s. On newer models (for the current-gen iPad Air and iPad Pro), the backlit keys also gain auto-adjust and more brightness levels.The inclusion of media keys is welcome – with a tap, you can return to the Home Screen, change volume levels, control media, and adjust the keyboard’s backlight and iPad display’s brightness. Next, Brydge had the misfortune to add a trackpad moments before Apple unveiled full-fat trackpad support. Still, the package as a whole offers solid value, and the design should appeal to people who tend to use their iPad in laptop mode and want their tablet protected when lugging it around.Add this: With the older model (iPad 7th/8th gen, iPad Pro 10.5in, iPad Air 3rd gen), avoid the Combo Touch’s top half by propping your iPad against a Canopy ($20) or use a MOFT Tablet (£30), which sticks to the iPad’s rear, adds a mere 137g in heft, and offers three viewing angles.Two generations back, Brydge’s iPad Pro keyboard required you shove your tablet into two clips, hoping each time you wouldn’t grind grit across the display’s glass. Trying to avoid this by removing your iPad from the case is too much of an effort and not something you’ll do often. Download for macThe lower half of the unit screams MacBook Pro. You snap your iPad Pro to the MAX+ lid, which feels reminiscent of – if not quite as swish and streamlined as – Apple’s Magic Keyboard design. So is it a case of third time lucky with the MAX+ (from £180)? You bet.Now, there are no clips. The trackpad isn’t as responsive as Apple’s. There’s a downside to the thing being the heaviest unit of the iPad trio tested here, but it feels extremely robust.For actual work, it impresses – with minor caveats. Your iPad being further from your face affords room for that gigantic trackpad and a row of media keys. The lower centre of gravity makes the MAX+ genuinely usable on a lap. There’s a comically large trackpad that’s even bigger than the one on the M1 MacBook Air.In use, it feels more laptopish than any rival. The first is uncannily satisfying key action for what is still just a thin piece of board that acts as a low bulk display-protecting cover while the Surface Pro is in a bag. Take that, Apple ‘courage’!Pros: Rugged and robust media keys easy to attach and remove iPadCons: Connects via Bluetooth needs charging longish key travelThere are a few key elements to the design. Also, don’t confuse the Brydge 11 MAX+ – compatible with the 4th gen iPad Air – with the Brydge Air MAX+ (cheaper at £140 plastic works like Logitech’s Combo Touch) or the £130 Brydge 10.2 MAX+ (same, but for the 7th and 8th gen iPad).Add this: Want to further ape the laptop experience by plugging a load of kit into your iPad? Anker’s USB C hub (£40) nets you ports for USB-C, USB-A, SD, micro SD, HDMI and, yes, a pair of headphones. Chances are, it’ll be a better bet than Apple’s keyboard for the 11in iPad Pro, since your fingers won’t hit your iPad when typing numbers. We also found a charge lasts forever and clever low-power shenanigans ensure the keyboard immediately responds if you nip away for a moment.If you want to pretend your iPad’s a MacBook Pro, this keyboard has the looks and that it’s £100 cheaper than Apple’s keyboard and yet almost as good surely makes it worthy of consideration.Note: We’ve only tested the 12.9in model, but there’s no reason to think the 11in one (shipping September 2021) will be inferior – we’ll post an update if we get one. And this is a Bluetooth keyboard that needs charging – although that means it doesn’t draw power from your iPad. This is a rectangle of textured glass, not a basic panel of plastic, for a finger glide similar to that of a Dell XPS 13 or Surface Laptop 3.Some versions of the Type Cover are also decked out in Alcantara, an excellent synthetic suede. A backlight is not uncommon, but the attention paid to the Type Cover touchpad is. All Surface tablets have their own kickstands to perform that job.The keys are backlit too, the aim to replicate the features you’d see in the average £1000-plus laptop. It operates like a "wired" keyboard. Type Covers are also not the most comfortable if you’ll use them perched on your knees, but it’s workable.Pros: Great touchpad slim quality backlit keys Cons: Some board flex Go version is not full-sizeA bunch of clever ideas went into the Smart Magnetic keyboard (£130) for Huawei's MatePad Pro. It’s a smaller tablet, so has a smaller typing surface. Expect a slightly cramped feel if you buy the Surface Go 2 version. It is very rigid for its thickness, but not perfectly so as it uses magnets to lift the keyboard plate up at an angle for more comfy typing. The textured polyurethane isn't nearly as nice as Alcantara, but is tough enough and easy to wipe clean.Typing feels great as well, for a keyboard this tiny. It's no more bulky than some folio cases too, and protects both the tablet's front and back when not in use. Slot the tablet into one of the Smart Magnetic keyboard's two grooves and you can type away within around two seconds. But it’s actually a wireless keyboard.How does that work? It's powered by the MatePad Pro's reverse wireless charging, and both magnets and NFC aid the auto-pairing process. ![]()
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