I go on a lot of road trips. I’m constantly in the car for long periods of time. I’ve tried to write scripts and type articles on my 15.6″ laptop, but there’s just one problem: it’s too big. Especially when I’m kicked to the back seat. I dream of having a 2016 MacBook – it’s so thin, so light, and so compact. It would be golden for road trips. There’s one more problem: It’s so dang expensive. Back to the drawing board. My friend recently gifted me an iPad Mini 1st generation. While it can’t do a whole lot with it’s A5 processor, it could certainly handle word processing.
Forget The Software Keyboard
If you’re thinking you are going to type extensive papers or articles with your iPad’s software keyboard, forget it. Unless you’re a secret typing boss with software keyboards, it’s super inefficient
One day it hit me: why not get a keyboard? But not just any cheap keyboard case, a quality keyboard that I can really type on. I started searching for solutions, finding crappy keyboard after crappy keyboard. I didn’t want a keyboard case, because the keys would be minuscule on an iPad Mini. I knew I wanted an external keyboard, but I only had a small budget of $20. I wanted one that had quality keys, was durable, and was going to have a rechargeable battery. I didn’t want to have to lug around AAA batteries just to use my keyboard.
Then I Found The Solution
After literal hours of searching, I settled on a solution. The Logitech Keys-To-Go Keyboard. As soon as I came across this little guy, I knew it was a winner. It can take spills and drops, and it’s extremely light weight and portable. It’s also bigger than an iPad Mini keyboard case, so the keys are bigger and are spaced out well. The black version of the keyboard goes for around $50, but I fell in love with the red version, which was just $27 new. I found another seller who offered a brand new one for $19. That was it! I bought the $19 keyboard, and 2 days later, the experience began.
So Is Typing On An iPad Practical?
Sure, a keyboard for an iPad sounds so handy, but is it really practical? I’m used to typing on my big, clunky Razer BlackWidow Ultimate, and I love my clicky, obnoxious keys. That being said, getting used to a compact iPad keyboard with little key travel took me a while. I still can’t type quite as fast on it as on my BlackWidow, but I’m pretty solid on it. So to answer the question, is it practical? Yes and no. For road trips and travel, absolutely. In fact, just for authenticity, this entire article was written on my iPad Mini with the Logitech Keys-To-Go. But for a home setup, I would definitely recommend a bigger mechanical keyboard. I can type faster and longer on my mechanical keyboard. It’s much more ergonomic.
The Problem With iPad Keyboards
Ergonomics and efficiency are the main
problem with iPad keyboards. They’re definitely not ergonomic, with my hands starting to hurt after 15 minutes of use. That’s in the car though, I can get about 30 minutes of use at a table before my hands start to hurt. In edition, it’s just not as efficient. As I mentioned earlier, I just can’t type as fast on it. Keys require more pressure and effort to press down, so I often miss keys and have to backspace a word and try again. In edition, They keys being closer together and not as embossed causes you to slip and press other keys on accident, causing more errors and taking more time to type things. While it’s not the most efficient, with a few days of practice, I’ve gotten pretty fast on it and definitely recommend it for road trips.
Conclusion
Typing on an iPad is a great solution for an on-the-go setup. It’s also essential for increasing productivity when on the road. For a home setup, I would recommend a bigger, more ergonomic keyboard such as the Razer BlackWidow.
