“Apple’s latest iPad push to take on Chromebooks in schools didn’t just come with a new Apple tablet and software, but new specialized accessories,” Scott Stein writes for CNET. “These accessories, announced by Apple at its education event back in March, are made by Logitech, not Apple: a super-rugged keyboard case called the Rugged Combo 2, and a tempting half-price $50 kid’s version of Apple Pencil called Logitech Crayon.”
“They’re now available for educators to buy, and I also got both in my hands to play with and test to see how they felt with the latest iPad,” Stein writes. “Note: Both of these accessories are for schools and educators, not general consumers.”
“The $50 Logitech Crayon is specifically made to work only with the 2018 9.7-inch iPad and doesn’t use Bluetooth,” Stein writes. “It feels better in my hands than the Apple Pencil, and its wider size keeps it from rolling off a table. It lacks pressure sensitivity, but it’s still as fast as the Pencil is, feels extremely responsive, and also works at a variety of angles; tilt in and sketch, and your pencil lines get fatter. I like that it can recharge with a normal Lightning cable-in, like Apple AirPods (and unlike the jab-it-in-your-iPad Pencil, which has an outtie).”
“Logitech’s school-designed case isn’t messing around: this is a thick encasement for the iPad,” Stein writes. “It’s a two-part enclosure, first snapping into a plastic shell, then sliding into a rubberized bumper with a fold-out kickstand. It’s bag-friendly, but hardly slim. However, it seems perfectly logical for any tabletop use. Remove the keyboard, and it’s a nice tilt-angle iPad stand. And it tilts at angles that work nicely for Crayon drawing.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: All sales and samples are handled through the Apple Education channel. Contact your Apple Education rep for additional details. Don’t know your rep? Call 1(800) 800 APPLE or find more info at www.apple.com/education/purchasing
They should also copy Logitech’s surround-sound G430 headphones, or at least allow drivers to be made to take full advantage of Dolby. But do they? No.
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They should allow general store purchase
Whats reason for hiding such good products
Once they have the capacity to fill all the school orders Logitech will likely make these available to the general public. My guess is we will see these just about in time for the holidays.
I agree don’t think it would be the first time that’s happened with initially educational only products. That said Apple won’t want anything to threaten its iPad Pro sales so may take some time to filter through.