OPINION : The 12 - inch MacBook was one of my favourite Apple laptops . It was the first to premise USB - coke , it ditched the fan and focussed on portability .
It was far from perfect – the keyboard was notoriously terrible , with very little cardinal travel – but it was a dinky simple machine that felt like the ideal choice for those who spend years moving around , writing , and reply to emails .
It also was a notable improvement over Apple ’s other low laptop computer , the 11 - inch MacBook Air , as it brought down feature that had previously been reserved for pricierMacBook Pros , like a sharpRetina displayand large trackpad .
While it had a salutary running with a couple of revisions that helped sort out some of the initial upshot , theMacBook 12 - inchhas since vaporize from Apple ’s demarcation - up with no obvious replacement in sight .
The obvious cause for this is the ever - growingiPad rangehas taken its property , place itself as the more affordable , smaller machine for educatee and the like . Having pass the past week reviewing the newiPad tenth genand its Magic Keyboard Folio supply - on , it ’s decipherable to me that this is the best representation of the iPad as a laptop computer replacement yet , especially for those who yearn for the MacBook 12 - inch .
The iPad 10th gen is n’t the most potent iPad , nor is it the most feature - full-bodied . It lacks theM1(or M2 ) poker chip bump in theiPad Airand Pro , does n’t have aMini LEDdisplay and ca n’t even take advantage of the new desktop - styleStage Managerfeature added with iOS 16.1 that allow for apps to be resize and shunted off into separate windows .
Yet , there are a number of changes here that make this iPad feel like the most familiar option for those look for an iPad to exchange a laptop computer .
First of all is the repositioned front FaceTime camera , which now sits alongside the recollective side of the gimmick , rather than on the short side .
This is how it sits on just about every laptop , and while it might seem a small tweak , it actually induce this webcam usable . On all other iPads , the positioning of the front camera meant that when the pill was docked in a keyboard type , the focal point would be on the side of your face rather than the front – it was , and still is , very vexing .
There are no such effect with this iPad . It ’s just a very full webcam , in the position it should be .
The Magic Keyboard Folio is the real reason why this is Apple ’s most successful attempt at a laptop - rivaling iPad , and it ’s a much better overall product than the Magic keyboard you ’ll find sold alongside both the iPad Air and iPad Pro .
While theMagic Keyboardhas a rigid , float design that offer very little apparent movement in the posture of the showing , the Folio version has a multi - part build that allows for the iPad to be tilted forward and back , far more like a laptop . I ’ve found this added motion makes using the combo far more well-heeled , as I can move the screen out of the way of smart light or the line of the sun .
The keyboard also adds a function row of shortcuts , just like you ’d line up on a MacBook . I still ascertain it eccentric Apple could n’t find elbow room for this essential set of key fruit on the Magic Keyboard , as it ’s such a introductory summation . Being able to adapt the volume and luminosity or skip through song without having to either interact with the show is so much quicker – and more efficient .
It ’s clear to me that Apple will , finally , fetch these changes to the across-the-board iPad range . But for now , with a 10.9 - inch display that get to for a portable machine , a price that undercut a MacBook Air and more familiar laptop computer lineament , the iPad 10th gen and Magic Keyboard Folio is Apple ’s best attempt yet at combining the iPad and laptop experience into one product .
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