The iPhone accessories that let me ditch my laptop while traveling

Getting the desktop experience from my tiniest computer.

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[Spaceman Spliff]

In the article, she says that a mechanical keyboard is a “borderline necessity” for her. So I suspect if she brought an iPad or laptop, she’d still be bringing the keyboard (and presumably mouse).

Ah, I overlooked the mechanical part, thanks! While I prefer mechanical for my home setup, it’s definitely not a preference I would take to the extreme of packing a keyboard for travel. I find the MacBook Air m1 keyboard to be quite enjoyable.

That being said, accepting it is a requirement for the author, it certainly complicates the travel setup, so I understand the thought process better now.

Loving the comments on this article, reminds me why I love Ars, just a bunch of nerds discussing tech things (much more lighthearted than a lot of things as of late)

 

[Lorentz of Suburbia]

I keep a keyboard in my ipad case, the combination is perfectly good for writing both prose and code.
I will maybe see if i can get a mouse As per the article. Using the screen as a pointing device can suboptimal.

The main annoyance is iOS’s antipathy towards apps working together. But that’s a given.

The Magic Folio Keyboard (backlit, with touchpad) is actually fantastic ... but the cost reflects that. The key feel is close to (current) MacBook and despite the touchpad being about 1/4 the size, it's just as precise.

I travel with 11" iPad Pro with that, because I also like to kick back and use it like a tablet for reading, otherwise the keyboard is also a fine stand for in-flight movies.

Problem is, that combo itself comes close to the cost of a base MacBook Air .. and if you go for a 13" iPad plus Magic Folio Keyboard, the total cost surpasses the Air which, of course, already has full keyboard and touchpad.

 

[DNA_Doc]

"Anker recalled three iPhone power banks over fire risk...Anker also recalled Bluetooth speakers due to fire risk and previously had a privacy problem with its Eufy brand security cameras...The company also has a comparatively strong charger reputation otherwise."

A stronger reputation compared to whom? The companies that recalled greater than 3 power banks, 1 bluetooth speaker set and had privacy concerns over one of its products?

I've done the "try to travel with phone as computer" thing too, and while it can definitely work, it's ultimately not better than just carrying/traveling with a small laptop.

 

[calchia]

I LOL'ed when I saw the picture of the mechanical keyboard, mouse and that tiny screen. No doubt the article was written to troll us. Thanks for the laughs.

 

[DNA_Doc]

<snipped>

Sure, bringing a MacBook Air/iPad/Chromebook/Steam deck/whatever will deliver more capabilities at not much more weight. But you aren’t traveling with that device instead of your phone, you’re bringing that device in addition to your phone .

That means you’re constantly deciding whether you can safely leave the redundant gear in the hotel room or must lug it around with you all day. With Scharon’s minimalist setup, you leave the (fairly inexpensive) accessories behind and just carry the phone you’d have with you anyways.

<snipped>

Scharon's "minimalist" and "fairly inexpensive" setup costs $631 for everything mentioned in the article:
Clicks Keyboard: $139
Anker 622 Battery: $45
Keychron K3 QMK Keyboard: $84
Logitech MX Anywhere Mouse: $80
Morphie USB-C cable: $30
Monoprice 45W USI-C charger: $22
USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter: $69
Lightning Digital AV Adapter: $49
Bellroy Tech Kit: $59
Keychron Travel Pouch: $25
Apple Air Tag: $29
Total: $631

I recognize you wouldn't need both keyboards, or the USB-C and the Lightning AV Adaptors, but it is still less expensive, and less hassle (not more) to just pick up something like a Minibook X or similar. That's a 10.5" 2-in-1 laptop with a nice 1080p display, N100, 12GB RAM, 512GB SSD, USB-C charging that routinely goes on sale for as low as $260. Or you can pick up even smaller 8" "laptops" that can fit in a coat pocket.

And even if you do really want to travel with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, you can pair it with something like this for less than $300. For the money needed for Scharon's setup, there are just too many cheaper and more convenient options, in my opinion.

 

[Ploroxide]

Scharon's "minimalist" and "fairly inexpensive" setup costs…

 

[DNA_Doc]

No need.

 

[SportivoA]

That's a 10.5" 2-in-1 laptop with a nice 1080p display, N100, 12GB RAM, 512GB SSD, USB-C charging that routinely goes on sale for as low as $260. Or you can pick up even smaller 8" "laptops" that can fit in a coat pocket.

That has zero integration with the Apple ecosystem, is obviously a laptop, and is another primary computing device you have to carry.

Plus you vastly over-counted the price. Not every product mentioned is even in use in Scharon's kit. Some of them are additional recommendations while others are for a more substantial trip where you still don't want to hit the bar of bringing another primary computing device. And, honestly, for a consumer tech reviewer/writer, you'll have all the things you've played with and tried to put to use. Heck, most people dealing in fiddly tech accessories are optimizing for a point that is often not just prices.

 

[ERIFNOMI]

This is some interesting food for thought, though I'd hate to try to do anything meaningful on a phone even with all those accessories.

That said, many of us don't actually like mechanical keyboards. They are a regression to the 80's that boggles the mind. So how about giving us more focus on other keyboard options, instead of leaving the suggestion that we're outlandish weirdos?

I realize Scharon is a Stan for mech boards, and not doubt many other Arsters are, too. But how about something for us in the silent majority?

????

Mechs don't have to be loud. Not all of us are obnoxious Cherry Blue users.

 

[Socks Mingus]

This setup makes a lot more sense when you consider that writers are the people who keep coming up with stuff like:

The BYOK
and
https://www.engadget.com/2018-05-16-the-quirky-pomera-e-ink-typewriter-is-coming-to-the-us.html
and
https://www.wired.com/2016/02/freewrite/

 

[BilTheGalacticHero]

There's something liberating about traveling without your computer. Your load is lighter, your battery needs are fewer, and you don't have to risk damaging or losing one of your most important and expensive devices.

Seriously? Talk about a first world problem. I have a Microsoft Surface Pro. It's basically the same size as an iPad, has a real keyboard and runs Windows. Why someone would bring a big keyboard and all that other crap to squint at a phone screen is beyond me.

 

[mikeschr]

Seriously? Talk about a first world problem. I have a Microsoft Surface Pro. It's basically the same size as an iPad, has a real keyboard and runs Windows. Why someone would bring a big keyboard and all that other crap to squint at a phone screen is beyond me.

So as not to have to worry about bringing a full computer along, deciding whether to leave it in the room or carry it around, you know - the point of the article.

 

[TimeToTilt]

If you're carrying a 1.1 lb keyboard, why not just buy a 2.7 lb MacBook Air? Does the extra pound and a half really make a difference? Especially when you consider the other random things you're also integrating, like the mouse, and the bag to hold all that stuff.

"Like the mouse"

I mean I basically never leave home without my mouse regardless and I imagine the person who specifically is spending half a pound extra on a mechanical keyboard feels the same. The best touch pad will never be as good as the worst mouse for me.

So her view is more like "if I brought an air I would also need my mouse and keyboard". Doesn't seem great anymore.

 

[abazigal]

Seriously? Talk about a first world problem. I have a Microsoft Surface Pro. It's basically the same size as an iPad, has a real keyboard and runs Windows. Why someone would bring a big keyboard and all that other crap to squint at a phone screen is beyond me.

I know a colleague who is able to work out of her phone. Editing videos (using cap cut), taking notes during meetings (she has this Bluetooth keyboard that folds in half), I think that sometimes we are so obsessed with having the right tool for the job that we forget how capable devices like our smartphones actually are.

 

[twistero]

I bought a Keychron K1 80% three or four years ago because I wanted a lower profile keyboard with mechanical keys. I was pretty happy for the first couple of years. In the last year, some more frequently used letters started to either not register, or to stick and register several times. Multiple attempts to clean and reseat made no difference.

By this fall it got so bad that I replaced it with a Varmilo 80%. Keychron has a new switch design now. It may be more reliable, but I decided not to throw good money after the bad.

The Varmilo is chunkier, but their EC Sakura switches feel really good (similar to Cherry MX red). I had a Varmilo I had before the Keychron, which I gave to a friend, and it's still going strong. Hopefully the new one will do as well.

Finally someone who had the same problem as I did! I tried so hard to search for mentions of these issues with Keychron low-profile keyboards, keys not registering or double typing (chattering), and somehow could not find any.

Which key switch was your K1, by the way?

My K1SE with blue switches developed these problems after just over a year of use. The switches being hot-swappable, I pulled one out and disassembled it to clean, and was amused to find out that the clicking sound so characteristic of the blue switch is actually produced from a separate piece of springy metal, not the actual switching contacts. Essentially, the click has nothing to do with the actuation.

Cleaning the switches did nothing, by the way.

The switches in these low-profile Keychron boards are made by Gateron, and I found out they had came out with a Gen 2 of their low-profile switches. I searched for anyone criticizing the Gen 1 switches for not registering or double registering, but again found none, and Gateron didn't say they released Gen 2 because Gen 1 are failing, obviously.

So I bought a box of Gateron Gen 2 low-profile brown switches and replaced just the letter and number keys. It's now a partially clicky keyboard.

 

[pintofsimilar]

Over 15 years ago I used to regularly sit on a train with my PDA (later a smartphone) hooked up to a folding pocket BT keyboard and travel mouse. This was my travel-lite set up until the netbooks came about (I did try an OQO model 01 in 2004ish but that put me off ultra compacts until the GPD Pocket 2). On one long train journey from London to Scotland, I did 4,000 words on the keyboard!

 

[ghostofchristmas]

I can’t speak for the author, but I will attest that there are times when I will forgo travel with my MacBook Air in favor of one of my iPads. (I choose between 12.9 and Mini.) There are other times — generally short weekend getaways — when I leave the tablet behind and just use the phone, while carrying a Kindle as a (beach friendly) reader. Not all of us view iOS as a burden to be overcome.

Conversely, not all of us can proudly afford a laptop, multiple iPads, iPhones, and constant "short weekend getaways".

 

[Errum]

I keep thinking I should get something like that Bellroy Tech Kit to hold all my cables, etc.

Then I ask myself how that would be better than my present solution, a Ziploc bag. The Ziplocs are transparent, so you can see what’s inside; they come in a variety of sizes; they are weightless, bulkless and cost almost nothing. And they’re even waterproof, should that need arise!

 

[xeroks]

Yes, because of the Air I ditched the iPad, and relegated the phone to things like navigation, paying, and short messages. On the Air I can launch a terminal, run a bit of Python code if I feel like it. iOS and iPadOS feel like straitjackets to me.

While I agree that IOS generally makes you fight to get any work accomplished, as far as Python is concerned, Pythonista has it covered for the iPad.

 

[jaberg]

keep thinking I should get something like that Bellroy Tech Kit to hold all my cables, etc.

Then I ask myself how that would be better than my present solution, a Ziploc bag.

I like a solution with more permanence. (And, yes, style.) My ex preferred the practical economy of ziplocks and grocery store bags. Either will serve. You should do whatever works best for you.

 

[HiroTheProtagonist]

Mechs don't have to be loud. Not all of us are obnoxious Cherry Blue users.

Hey now, some of us are Cherry Green users, thank you very much!

Also, looking at the "influencers" in the mechanical keyboard scene, you'd get the impression that the average mech board user has crippling tinnitus, because the last 6-7 years seem to have been focused entirely on making "the quietest keyboard". It's pretty insane, the lengths they're willing to go to make something ostensibly "silent" (which then ends up being louder anyway because most users bottom out their keys anyway). People are entitled to their opinions and there's no laws against their labors to reduce noise, but I just never saw the point.

 

[ERIFNOMI]

Hey now, some of us are Cherry Green users, thank you very much!

Also, looking at the "influencers" in the mechanical keyboard scene, you'd get the impression that the average mech board user has crippling tinnitus, because the last 6-7 years seem to have been focused entirely on making "the quietest keyboard". It's pretty insane, the lengths they're willing to go to make something ostensibly "silent" (which then ends up being louder anyway because most users bottom out their keys anyway). People are entitled to their opinions and there's no laws against their labors to reduce noise, but I just never saw the point.

As someone with tinnitus, dead silence is actually nearly unbearable. Gotta have some background noise to hide the constant squealing in my head.

I like tactile switches (Cherry Browns) because you still get that feel but the activation and reset point is the same whereas clucky switches like Blues require you come back up above the activation point by a significant amount to reset the clicky bit. And the noise is a little much for me. But like you said, it's not silent. Just touching a keycap makes a certain amount of noise, and when you bottom out there's plenty of noise as well. Some of that can be mitigated with o-rings though.

I just can't type well on a membrane keyboard. It feels like typing in pudding.

 

[Axl]

This is some interesting food for thought, though I'd hate to try to do anything meaningful on a phone even with all those accessories.

That said, many of us don't actually like mechanical keyboards. They are a regression to the 80's that boggles the mind. So how about giving us more focus on other keyboard options, instead of leaving the suggestion that we're outlandish weirdos?

I realize Scharon is a Stan for mech boards, and not doubt many other Arsters are, too. But how about something for us in the silent majority?

????

I'll join in just to be a little less silent, like the keyboards I'm growing to dislike. I am SO much less accurate when typing on mechanical, constantly hitting two keys at once. No idea how, but after two years of trying to like it, just give me membrane or rubber dome.

(Also a tinnitus sufferer. Total silence is distracting, but nonmusical repetitive noise is worse for my brain.)

 

[outofplace]

Also, looking at the "influencers" in the mechanical keyboard scene, you'd get the impression that the average mech board user has crippling tinnitus, because the last 6-7 years seem to have been focused entirely on making "the quietest keyboard". It's pretty insane, the lengths they're willing to go to make something ostensibly "silent" (which then ends up being louder anyway because most users bottom out their keys anyway). People are entitled to their opinions and there's no laws against their labors to reduce noise, but I just never saw the point

The point for me is that although I find I can type better on a mechanical keyboard my wife hates the noise of me typing.

So it is either the quietest keyboard I can find, or no mechanical keyboard at all.

 

[zogus]

Hey now, some of us are Cherry Green users, thank you very much!

Also, looking at the "influencers" in the mechanical keyboard scene, you'd get the impression that the average mech board user has crippling tinnitus, because the last 6-7 years seem to have been focused entirely on making "the quietest keyboard". It's pretty insane, the lengths they're willing to go to make something ostensibly "silent" (which then ends up being louder anyway because most users bottom out their keys anyway). People are entitled to their opinions and there's no laws against their labors to reduce noise, but I just never saw the point.

It isn’t about the user. It’s the people around the user. Not all of us get to type in a soundproofed room all day, and our associates tend to get annoyed by the rattling noise that they aren’t making.

 

[Lorentz of Suburbia]

Conversely, not all of us can proudly afford a laptop, multiple iPads, iPhones, and constant "short weekend getaways".

There are many forums discussing finer points of things you may not be the market for, whether you can afford them or not, why focus so much time here then?

Someone complaining about the corrosion on the running gear of their hobby sailboat surely SURELY needs your grounding wisdom.

Shoo, Bolshevik.

 

[aramando]

As someone who hates trying to type on a touch-screen, it's an interesting article, and in some ways I'd be curious to see a similar set-up for Android phones. Ultimately though, it still fails to address my biggest problem with using a phone for any serious computing - the screen is just too small.

Yeah I am really intrigued by the idea of using a pointing device with an iOS device, but for me the window between "short enough to comfortably type on a touch screen" and "too long to be able to comfortably manage composing it on a 6.5" screen" is far too narrow to be worth carrying those extra things around but not a small notebook. It would work well with an iPad too, though, and one of those plus those accessories would still be much more travel-friendly than my 16" Macbook Pro.

 

[just another rmohns]

Finally someone who had the same problem as I did! I tried so hard to search for mentions of these issues with Keychron low-profile keyboards, keys not registering or double typing (chattering), and somehow could not find any.

Which key switch was your K1, by the way?

My K1SE with blue switches developed these problems after just over a year of use. The switches being hot-swappable, I pulled one out and disassembled it to clean, and was amused to find out that the clicking sound so characteristic of the blue switch is actually produced from a separate piece of springy metal, not the actual switching contacts. Essentially, the click has nothing to do with the actuation.

Cleaning the switches did nothing, by the way.

The switches in these low-profile Keychron boards are made by Gateron, and I found out they had came out with a Gen 2 of their low-profile switches. I searched for anyone criticizing the Gen 1 switches for not registering or double registering, but again found none, and Gateron didn't say they released Gen 2 because Gen 1 are failing, obviously.

So I bought a box of Gateron Gen 2 low-profile brown switches and replaced just the letter and number keys. It's now a partially clicky keyboard.

Fascinating! Mine had the Gateron Browns. If you want it, send me a direct message and I’ll mail it to you. Though I’m not really sure it’s worth much effort to solder in new ditches. I just hate to see it become e-waste.

 

[Defenestrator]

If you're OK with scissors switches but want a split for ergonomics, the Nulea RT06 is a decent option. There seem to be a couple more brands like ProtoArc that sell identical ones, and I'm honestly not sure which is the original or if they're all rebrands out of the same factory.


I use a mouse at home, but for extended travel I tend to switch to a trackball. I'm not as quick using it, but it's more ergonomically flexible in terms of being able to put it next to me or at whatever height is available without forcing my wrist into awkward angles.

Big fan of Anker's GaN usb-C charger(s) for travel, too. I bring one that's basically a slightly-larger wall wart along with one usb-c cable and a couple adapters and it covers all of my devices.

I've been trying out an Android tablet for travel with mixed results. Mostly it works well, especially with the ability to pre-download stuff from streaming services, but sometimes I run into stuff that it just can't do.

 

[nahlers]

I’m surprised I made it to the end of the comments section without anyone mentioning foldable phones.

I’m not a foldable fanboy or anything—in fact, I generally think they’re pretty impractical—but this seems like the perfect use case for them. I understand why someone might not want to bring a laptop along (whether for cost or security reasons), and I also get how frustrating it can be to get enough information on a regular smartphone screen. But if the phone I carried around all day could expand its screen size when I got back to my hotel, making it easier to do more serious work, that would be great.

That said, I still think this is too niche a use case to justify buying a current-generation foldable. But as foldable phones improve and become less of a hassle in day-to-day use, they could make the author’s suggested setup a truly viable way to get real work done while traveling or on the go.

 

[zogus]

I’m surprised I made it to the end of the comments section without anyone mentioning foldable phones.

I’m not a foldable fanboy or anything—in fact, I generally think they’re pretty impractical—but this seems like the perfect use case for them. I understand why someone might not want to bring a laptop along (whether for cost or security reasons), and I also get how frustrating it can be to get enough information on a regular smartphone screen. But if the phone I carried around all day could expand its screen size when I got back to my hotel, making it easier to do more serious work, that would be great.

That said, I still think this is too niche a use case to justify buying a current-generation foldable. But as foldable phones improve and become less of a hassle in day-to-day use, they could make the author’s suggested setup a truly viable way to get real work done while traveling or on the go.

YMMV, but if I'm going to go so far as to carry an external keyboard and a stand for the phone, that's almost as cluttering as an iPad with the integrated keyboard cover, that I might as well just get the iPad. That way, you can pick a cheap simple phone, saving you money over a foldable phone even after taking the iPad into account. At least in Japan, I can get an iPhone SE and a 9th gen iPad for way less than a mini-tablet sized foldable.