iPad In Desktop Mode

To help my iPad Air easily go from tablet-mode to desktop-mode, I recently bought two items from Amazon: a stand and a case. They both turned out great, proving very useful.

The stand is big enough for a tablet (my other stand was made only for a phone, too small for the 11” iPad). It’s got some weight to it, is super sturdy, and the hinges  require good force to move. The aluminum finish also looks and feels like good quality. 

Two things I wanted about the stand: 

1. It had to fold flat enough so I could feasibly tote it in a bag or laptop case.
2. It had to raise the iPad up from the desktop to minimize tilting my head/neck  down and distance from my aging eyes.

The case had to be minimal, as thin as possible, so that I could still use the iPad the main way it was meant to be used: handheld or resting on my leg. The iPad for me is first and foremost a tablet. It’s the best casual computer I’ve ever used. I don’t want to compromise on the iPad’s strength as a “magic pane of glass” you hold in your hand(s).

This case adds more grip or friction thanks to its vinyl/plastic material — it’s great. Feels nice, a bit warmer, and softer than the cold aluminum bare iPad case. And it’s still very thin and light overall. Also, the back camera and front display are protected with slightly raised perimeter edges. I can place the iPad face down without the glass touching a surface. Plus the Pencil still strongly attaches via magnets, and it all fits well on the stand.

So far, my iPad stays on the stand when I’m not using it, which means it’s in desktop-mode by default. But it’s super easy to pick up from the stand for tablet-mode. That’s exactly what I aimed for, the simplest way to switch modes. Pick it up or set it down. There’s no case or kickstand or cover or origami flaps to Rubik’s Cube into place like a Transformer toy.

I already have a good bluetooth keyboard to use with my iPad in desktop-mode. It’s an Anker that I bought on Amazon for around $20 about nine years ago. Who needs a $350 Magic Keyboard? That said, I’ve got my eyes on a Logitech MX Keys Mini because it’s: white, backlit, and USB-C.

Summary

For desktop-mode, a case and a stand, both minimal, are all I really needed to get the most use out of my iPad. I love the simplicity of the setup. It’s a capable typing machine and remains elegant. I’m not using a bluetooth mouse or trackpad in desktop-mode. The iPad’s display is one giant trackpad. Its native interaction is multi-touch, and I’m getting better with how nimble it is to use this way.

Besides writing blog posts in desktop-mode, I’ve been migrating WordPress posts to Pika via Obsidian. This requires a lot of selecting text and copy/pasting. I open multiple tabs in Safari. I use Split Screen and sometimes Display Zoom to fit more on the 11” iPad. And I use keyboard shortcuts (CMD-V, CMD-Tab…) and the pop-up menu under my finger.

iPad as mini desktop computer? Yes indeed.