What if I don’t want to use the on-screen keyboard to type in long e-mails?
You have other options. Apple will sell the Keyboard Dock, a weighted iPad dock attached to a thin Apple keyboard. When using the external keyboard, the iPad’s onscreen keyboard disappears, letting your document fill the entire screen. The iPad also supports Bluetooth keyboards, so you can type without having to physically connect the iPad to a keyboard—though you will want to prop the iPad up somehow (with a dock or case or other stand) so you can actually see what you’re typing.
Will these keyboards support keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. The Keyboard Dock keyboard features several special keys, including one that locks the device. Bluetooth keyboards that offer media-control keys will control iPod playback on the iPad, and keys that adjust the volume up and down and display brightness up and down will work on the iPad as well. Many keyboard shortcuts familiar to Mac users will work, such as command-C for copying and command-V for pasting. The option key works its extended-character magic, so pressing option-u followed by u will generate the letter u with an umlaut. You can even hold down the shift key and use the arrow keys to select text. And app developers can add in support for their own keyboard shortcuts. In short, the keyboard support is more robust than you might have expected.
How easy is it to pair a Bluetooth keyboard with an iPad?
Very easy. You open the Settings app and tap on General and then Blueooth. You keyboard should appear in there; when you tap to pair it, the iPad will ask you to enter in a few digits on the keyboard and press return. And that’s it. (Removing the pairing is similarly easy; you just tap on the device in the same Bluetooth window and the devices will unpair.)
How good is the on-screen keyboard?
This is a vital question, but we’re going to have to get back to you. It’s going to take us more time with the device before we can make a judgment on how on-screen typing feels. Stay tuned.
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