Brydge Keyboard

Recently I purchased the new 10.5" iPad Pro, and really enjoy it. A very nice device. At the same time I bought the Apple keyboard that is made for this iPad. I've used it for a couple of months, it works, and overall I'd rate it just OK -- serviceable but nothing special. The keyboard is not backlit and is a bit awkward to use. Plus, folding/unfolding the keyboard was a bit of a pain.

I read a review of the Brydge Keyboard for the 10.5" iPad Pro, and the author liked it much better than the Apple keyboard. So, today, I bought one at Fry's Electronics, and I also like it much better than the Apple keyboard. For starters, it has a backlit keyboard, and types so much better than the Apple keyboard. It is Bluetooth, and paired quickly with my iPad.

The keyboard does add a bit of weight (about as much as the iPad), but gives the iPad the use and feel of a small laptop computer. How often to charge the keyboard? Oh, about once a year. Not too onerous. So, if you should buy (or Santa brings to you) a new 10.5" iPad Pro, I highly recommend the Brydge Keyboard. The following link shows one on Amazon.

Jim Hamm

https://www.amazon.com/Brydge-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Apple-10-5-inch/dp/B074PMVG73/ref=sr_1_3

Zagg Bluetooth Keyboard

        "If there's any 'iPaders' in our azapple group, the following comments are for you," says Jim Hamm.  He continues, " I've owned an iPad for a long time, but had never used a separate keyboard with it previously. Then my wife got a Zagg bluetooth keyboard for her iPad, and really liked it. So, not to be left behind, I bought one from Amazon for my iPad. What a difference this keyboard makes. Really nice.

        "If you've already moved to a  bluetooth keyboard for your iPad, read no further. For the rest of you, I recommend you try one." 

        Jim explains, "I didn't realize how much easier, and nicer, it is to type on a keyboard instead of tapping on the screen with my finger. And the best thing I like about it is no more -- to correct a mistake -- a finger on the screen, with the bubble, trying to move the cursor around. Now I just use the up/down/back/forward arrows on the keyboard to move the cursor and correct a misspelling. I like this.

        "We're presently on an RV caravan tour and I haven't even used my MacBook Air once since we left. I find it so convenient and handy just to use my iPad with the Zagg keyboard. Plus, since I've got a cellular data package for my iPad, I don't have to worry if we don't have wifi in the campground. Like right now -- no wifi but a good LTE signal.

        "There are other brands of keyboards available for the iPad, but the Zagg is the only one I've tried. There were over a thousand reviews on Amazon for the Zagg keyboard for my particular iPad, with most of them favorable."

        And Jim concludes, "I'm not pushing Zagg -- only the use of a bluetooth keyboard for your iPad.  Just a thought for your consideration."

Explaining Mechanical Keyboards

        Mechanical keyboards, what is that?  Here comes Jim Hamm to explain, "Learning all about mechanical keyboards is something you've probably not given much thought to -- or quite possibly don't even care to know. However, if you're open to learning something new, take a read on this article. I found it interesting, gained some new knowledge, and now wonder how will I use it? How does one tell, for example, when buying a new computer, which type of keyboard does it have? 
        "You (and I) probably don't even care. You'll just try it out and find out how it feels. Each keyboard on my various computers feels different, and I certainly like some better than others.  Read on if this topic might be of some interest." And, thanks to Jim for his input. 

Clean Your Screen With -- ?

Maybe you noticed the article on cleaning your gadgets in the January issue of Popular Mechanics.  But let's see what Apple says.  Here's some specific info to read on cleaning your computer.  It warns that liquid damage is not covered under the Apple product warranty or AppleCare protection plans. Here's how to clean keyboard, trackpad, mouse.  A comment following this MacLife article mentions the Optical Cleaning Kit from CostCo.  Anyone use this?

Boot Commands List

Art Gorski comments about boot commands for Mac OS X that provide different functionality for your system. "The following is a more comprehensive list of the keyboard commands you know and many you may not. If you don't understand why some of these might be useful, use Google to get more information."

Keyboard With Larger Print

The eagle eyes of Art Gorski spotted this from Macworld:  A keyboard for nearsighted or vision impaired users was demoed at the Expo by Logickeyboard.  They also offer keyboard skins in colors.