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Hey!
How are things? I’m doing something I haven’t done in a long time due to the pandemic: I’m writing in a coffee shop, and I’m attracting glances. While I’d love that it was due to my handsome looks, it’s my setup that seems to pique quite a bit of interest.
You see, I’m here with my sixth generation iPad mini, primarily a consumption device per yesterday’s review on the Switch to iPad site. Yet here I am, writing on the smallest iPad out there. Well, not exactly on it, as you’ll soon see.
That’s due to my very much portable iPad mini kit. Yep, this is going to be one of those Everyday Carry things. Prepare your wallet, here we go!
👉🏻 Read my iPad mini review on the Switch to iPad site.
The portable typewriter
I am, among many things, a writer. When I’m not writing Switch to iPad, I write novels, short stories, poems, columns, emails, quotes, invoices… Wait, that last one probably doesn’t count, but the rest involves me, a screen, and a keyboard. The screen is usually a 12.9” iPad Pro, and the keyboard tend to be a Keychron K2. That’s not a particularly portable kit. Sticking the 12.9” iPad Pro in the Magic Keyboard helps, but it’s still a bulky and heavy thing to lug around.
So, I found a bag that just fits the new iPad mini, and built a kit around that.
The bag is a recent purchase, the Marqui Plus from Waterfield. It comes in a bunch of colors, has a sensible amount of small pockets, and is very comfortable to carry around. I might do a separate review of it later.
The iPad is my sixth generation iPad mini with 256 GB storage and wifi+cellular because I never want to be without internet access. Yes, it’s pink, I’m fashionable like that.
I keep the iPad mini in the official Smart Folio, which wraps around it completely. This means I can stuff it into a bag without worrying about scratches. The right-hand side of the iPad mini, where the Apple Pencil snaps in place, isn’t covered by the case, so I’ve got that with me as well. I’m an avid note-taker, as you probably know by now.
The bag won’t fit a full-sized keyboard, but I had something else in mind. Zagg’s Tri Fold keyboard has been around for some time. It’s a bluetooth keyboard with a built-in trackpad, and it folds into a 155×103 mm rectangular package. I wish it was a little less thick (it’s 15 mm), but thanks to the bag’s back-pocket, and it’s fairly low weight (177 grams), I think it fits this particular kit just fine. Look for a full review of this keyboard on the site in the future.
Finally, I’m bringing a 20W adapter, a USB-C cable, and my AirPods Pro because I really don’t need to hear café muzak or phone calls when I’m in my writing flow.
That’s it, that’s the kit. So, did it work? Let’s find out.
I’ve left the coffee shop, and I’m back at home, in front of my trusty wall-mounted 12.9” iPad Pro. It’s definitely a preferable setup, but that’s not what we’re testing here.
Two things struck me with this setup:
- The viewing angle on an even smaller screen than usual, placed on the tabletop using the cover’s stand feature, is a lot worse than any Magic Keyboard setup. It works, but I wouldn’t want to work like that for hours.
- It takes a little while to get used to the foldable Zagg keyboard due to the split in the middle, where it folds. This was expected, and it worked better than I’d hoped. Side-note: The trackpad doesn’t support gestures like you might be used to, but it absolutely works for pointing and clicking.
So, did I get anything done? Definitely, most of this letter, and about 1,000 words on a manuscript I’m working on. I wrote all of this in Ulysses, but any writing app where you can adjust the font size (or text zoom) to something easy on your eyes will do. The iPad mini screen is small with high resolution, so I definitely suggest blowing up the text 150-200% compared to what you’d have it set on a large iPad. Luckily, my eyes haven’t caught up with my age just yet, so this wasn’t an issue at all.
Kit details
- Marqui Plus (311 g, $89)
- iPad mini 256 GB wifi+cellular (297 g, $799)
- Smart Folio (100 g, $59)
- Apple Pencil (21 g, $129)
- Zagg Tri Fold (177 g, $89 though often discounted if you can find it)
- AirPods Pro (46 g, $249)
- 20W charger and USB-C cable (60 g, included with iPad mini)
Total cost: $1,414
Total weight: 1,015 grams (that’s 35,8 oz)
You could cut the costs for this particular kit by picking a cheaper iPad mini, obviously. Weight-wise, you probably don’t need the charger and USB-C cable, if you bring your iPad mini somewhat charged.
I love a tight portable kit, as my partner will attest to. There might be… bags… and gadgets… and more all over our home and office. The fact that I can throw all this in a small bag, that I’d carry anyway, is tantalizing to me. I’ll probably carry this for a while, for when inspiration (or the urge to buy expensive Italian coffee when running errands) strikes.
How would you tweak this particular kit? Tweet to @tdh and tell me what I did wrong!
Until next time, happy shopping!