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Apple’s 7th Generation, 10.2” iPad is powerful and affordable. It runs your favorite apps, and can be used in almost any situation. Attach the Brydge Keyboard or grab your Apple Pencil, and you’ve got a setup that rivals (or even beats) the MacBook Air. And it all starts at under $600.
This entire video was edited in LumaFusion using the 10.2” iPad, a Brydge Keyboard, and an Apple Pencil
More about Brydge Keyboards: https://www.cultofmac.com/652372/brydge-10-2-keyboard-ipad-2019-seventh-generation/
Shop Brydge Keyboards: https://www.brydge.com/#
More Apple news: http://www.cultofmac.com
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0:00
What's going on, everybody
0:07
Ian here for Cult of Mac. And a year ago, when Apple introduced the then brand new iPad Pro, I called it a computer for everywhere
0:15
something that anybody could use in just about any situation and really have a great computing experience
0:20
The problem is once you take the iPad Pro and you start looking at the price of things
0:25
it gets really expensive, really quick. I mean, the 64 gig iPad Pro with just Wi-Fi in the 11-inch model with the smart keyboard
0:33
folio, with the Apple Pencil, all totals up at like $1,100. And if you wanted to look at the Mac side of the lineup for something a little more affordable
0:41
in a Mac laptop, you're looking at $1,100 for the MacBook Air
0:46
Now, fortunately, you don't have to spend over a grand to get a decent Apple laptop
0:51
and in fact, you can get one for under $600. At the September event this year, Apple debuted the new 7th generation 10.2 inch iPad at just
1:02
$329.29. It supports Apple Pencil just like all the other iPads do now, and it also has the
1:08
smart connector allowing you to connect the smart keyboard for a more computer-like experience
1:14
The problem is the smart keyboard doesn't really feel like a computer keyboard. It feels like
1:19
an iPad keyboard that's attached to the side of your iPad. It's got that weird origami folding thing
1:26
It's fine to type on. The fabric covering feels nice, but the keys feel, I don't know, poppy, like bubble wrap
1:35
It's strange. So it makes the entire setup feel a lot less like a computer
1:42
Thankfully, Keyboard Maker Bridge, which you guys may have heard of before, they make these really cool keyboards for your iPad
1:48
They now have a new model with just some minor retooling of their keyboards for the two
1:53
10 inch iPad and when paired with said iPad it feels exactly like an iPad powered computer Better yet the bridge keyboard is actually less than Apple smart keyboard for the 10 inch iPad
2:09
meaning that it actually shaves off $30 on the total package deal
2:14
Meaning that for just $557, you can get the iPad, the bridge keyboard, and an Apple pencil
2:20
and have yourself a very, very good computer. computer. Now, we've covered the bridge keyboards in the past, both on the channel and on cult of
2:29
mac.com, and I'll leave links to that stuff down below. The basics of it are that it's a really good keyboard that is designed to work with iPad
2:39
It's got all the buttons you want on an iPad, you know, the media controls, your screen
2:43
brightness, your volume, shortcut buttons for both the home button, Siri, and a quick lock
2:49
button, which make it really convenient for doing a lot of stuff, and making it easier to shift
2:53
a bunch of the things that would require basic screen or button inputs on the actual iPad
2:58
itself onto the keyboard. Now the bridge keyboard is kind of the key here to making your iPad feel like a Mac because
3:04
it is very Mac-like. The only exception to that is that the bridge keyboard probably won't break after six months
3:12
like the keyboard on your MacBook. Now the overall structure of the bridge keyboard is really nice
3:17
It has a nice aluminum frame. It has raised decent traveling keys that feel very max
3:23
And the entire thing doesn't add a ton of bulk or a ton of weight to your iPad
3:28
And best of all, it's really easily removable, which we'll get to in just a second
3:33
So basically the setup here is an iPad, the bridge keyboard, and an apple pencil, if that's
3:38
something that you're into. And the whole setup is very compelling as a computer
3:43
It's really kind of my favorite computer right now. And for comparison, let's talk about it next to the MacBook Air
3:51
Now the 10 inch seventh generation iPad is using an A10 processor which is three generations old And compared to the A12X processors in last year iPad pros it kind of gets clobbered
4:07
But compared to last year's MacBook Air processors, it's definitely no slouch
4:14
A Geekbench 5 scores show at just about 2% lower in single core performance and only about 10% lower in multi-core performance
4:22
but that also doesn't factor in what iOS is optimized to do versus the Mac
4:28
Basically, what this all really means is that the iPad doesn't really have a lot to lose
4:32
against the MacBook as long as you're cool with iOS. Now, where the iPad really shines is in its versatility and flexibility
4:40
Unlike the Mac, the iPad can be used in a ton of different situations that are kind of unique to computer needs
4:46
A lot of the things that make working with iPad actually really great come down to the form factor
4:51
You can use the iPad in a ton of different scenarios that you just can't really use a regular computer
4:57
With the iPad in hand, you can use it in bed on the couch or while walking around because it's just a tablet
5:04
Then attach it to the bridge and you can now work on a desk, a table, or even on your lap
5:09
knowing that you have a nice steady surface to type on and interact with the iPad. Then if you want to jump into doing some art, you can pop it back out, grab your Apple Pencil
5:17
insert doodling right on the screen. It's stuff that you just can't do
5:21
on the Mac. Another big benefit of the iPad is that you get shared software with your other iOS devices
5:27
What that means is basically if you have an iPhone, a lot of those apps are going to be on the iPad too
5:33
There's things that you can buy once and use in multiple locations
5:37
Unlike Macs, which even though Catalyst is a thing now and there's the Mac App Store
5:41
you can't share apps between iOS devices and Mac OS devices, meaning that you're going to
5:46
buy some of those most used apps two different times. By using an iPad, you get dedicated to
5:51
I dedicated apps for a bunch of things too meaning that Google Docs runs in an app not on the web Facebook and Twitter run in apps not on the web And your streaming media services like Netflix or YouTube run in apps not on the web
6:03
On top of the huge selection of iPad apps, there were also some changes made in iPad OS 13
6:08
and over the last couple of years on iOS in general, that have made the iPad really good
6:12
at doing things like multitasking or working with multiple documents from a single place
6:16
and even the files app has gotten really, really good this year. Now Apple's been making the case for the iPad as a computer for a couple years now, and I
6:24
know early on people were really skeptical, including me, about using the iPad as a computer replacement
6:30
But more and more, I'm finding that the iPad is a fantastic way to do computer-y things
6:35
This year's hardware and software changes really kind of signal to the Mac that there's
6:39
not a lot it can do that the iPad can't also do, and that the gap between the two is really shrinking
6:46
With the seventh generation iPad, you get a 10.2-inch screen that, It looks fantastic
6:50
It runs iPadOS with all of your favorite apps that you're already used to and comfortable with
6:55
Pair it with the Bridge keyboard. You get a fantastic typing experience. Throw in an Apple Pencil and now you can do art or take handwritten notes
7:01
It's a computer platform that's constantly growing and evolving and changing and getting
7:05
better and better. And that's something that really can't be said about the Mac in 2019
7:10
So whether you're a diehard Mac user or a more casual computer user, it's hard to deny
7:14
that the iPad is a really compelling, really interesting, kind of really fun computer
7:18
these days. And so while last year I said the iPad Pro was the computer for everywhere, because
7:24
you could use it anywhere you wanted to go, I think this year's seventh generation iPad, especially
7:29
when paired with the Apple Pencil and the bridge keyboard, is totally the computer for everyone
7:36
It's under 600 bucks, and it's a really, really great setup. Let me know what you guys think
7:41
in the comments down below. Be sure to give the video a thumbs up if you enjoyed. Make sure
7:45
you're subscribed to the channel and hit the notification bell so you don't miss any videos as we upload. I'm Ian for Cultive Mac. I'll catch you guys in the next one
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