IPad Keyboard Dock - grandparent Smart Keyboard, with which it all began

At last September 9th Apple event unveiled iPad ProAnd along with it - and a keyboard Smart KeyboardWhich connects directly to the tablet works without Bluetooth and battery. NEW liked reviewers and users, but you'll be surprised to know that in fact such a keyboard already existed before. And I'm not talking about microsoft SurfaceAnd a keyboard Apple iPad Keyboard Dock, branded accessories for the original iPad.

This is a very strange thing that looks a little ridiculous - keyboard with built-in dock that protrudes above the surface, raising the very keyboard at a slight angle.

Bulky gadget weighs a lot more than it can be expected, and is equipped with rubber anti-slip coating with the Apple logo. It seems that the dock can be detached from the keyboard, but it is not.

The meaning of this dock is that with the established iPad you will see only the tablet, "which hangs in the air." It looks really cool, it's quite in the spirit of Apple.Although in this arrangement iPad is too close to you and neck can get tired of the fact that you look down - this is still a great way to write texts. If you want, you can call the iPad with a physical keyboard modern typewriter - you'll be far from the truth.

This configuration has much in common with the early computational tools when computers appeared only GUI. And it is, in fact, not even for Apple. I'm talking about the Xerox machines.

As you know, in December 1979 Steve Jobs visited Xerox research center in Palo Alto, where he saw a computer with a graphical interface that is controlled by the mouse. It was the Alto, the computer, which many consider the first personal computer in the modern sense. Steve liked what he saw, and he was almost immediately used the graphical interface and mouse - first Lisa, then for Macintosh.

The only thing he has not "claimed" from Xerox labs Alto was the display orientation. As you can see in the photo, it is very unusual for computers of that time - the screen is positioned vertically. The accuracy of such a configuration we get, if you set the original iPad in our iPad Keyboard Dock. Agree, this is something there. The modern (well, relatively) device repeats such an ancient computer, using its design and features. But I like it also because the work in the vertical orientation of the display has its advantages.

Yes, even in our time, most of the content that we consume has a landscape orientation, we still have to deal with reading every issue, but they basically have the same portrait all orientation. This is a classic method of delivery of the text that is used for many centuries in a row due to the fact that a person is easier to perceive the short lines of text, rather than long.

With regard to the iPad, this practice is good is this: having finished typing, you can simply remove the tablet from the dock, sit back in the chair, take the iPad in your hands and read the typed text. If you want something to correct, you just put the iPad dock (just like a piece of paper in a typewriter) and continue to work.

With the new Smart Keyboard is a trick, it is unfortunately not provernesh but larger iPad Pro display and so will display a lot of vertical text, and the free space on the sides can take something useful, for example, another application running in a mode Split View. ;)

(via)