IPad Keyboard....help!

[mihaela]

Hi,
I am new on this forum....
I've just got an IPad2 and I've been searching a straight answear to my question all over internet but I haven't found it yet...
So...
I live in Canda and I use both English and French but I mostly write in French for work...
I want to buy a keyboard case - bluetooth- something like Logitech but from Ebay...
Will I be able to change the language of the keyboard to French? Will I have all the French characters on the keyboard...? Do I change that on the settings of the Ipad or does the keyboard has like a switch or something...?
Thanks for your help.
Ela

 

[TheRambler]

Just found this on here, don't know if it helps

http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-help/9785-supposedly-french-keyboard.html

Chris

 

[richsadams]

Hi,
I am new on this forum....
I've just got an IPad2 and I've been searching a straight answear to my question all over internet but I haven't found it yet...
So...
I live in Canda and I use both English and French but I mostly write in French for work...
I want to buy a keyboard case - bluetooth- something like Logitech but from Ebay...
Will I be able to change the language of the keyboard to French? Will I have all the French characters on the keyboard...? Do I change that on the settings of the Ipad or does the keyboard has like a switch or something...?
Thanks for your help.
Ela

You can change the iPad's keyboard language and an external keyboard would follow.

Settings > General > Keyboard > English (or whatever language it's current set to) > French (or whatever language you'd like it to be set to).

Of course the characters on whatever external keyboard you buy won't change.

Hope that helps!

 

[mihaela]

You can change the iPad's keyboard language and an external keyboard would follow.

Settings > General > Keyboard > English (or whatever language it's current set to) > French (or whatever language you'd like it to be set to).

Of course the characters on whatever external keyboard you buy won't change.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the aswers.
For sure that the characters on the the physical keyboard won't change, but will I be able to find a correspondant on the keys...Like right now I am using an english keyboard but in French and if I do `followed by a I get à, and the ?/key is replaced by é.
I asked the seller on ebay and here is his answear....

Hi
Is it possible to type french accents with this keyboard on notes or pages apps? Like à, â, é, è, ç?
Thanks
Hello,

I'm sorry it couldn't do that.however,you can download the type Software into French then you can type .
Thanks and Regards

Lisa


What software is she talking about...? Does it come with such a type software, it doesn't say anything on Ebay about that...

 

[mihaela]

Thanks ,
The IPad keyboard I have it all figured out...It's the physical one that has me thinking... Will I be able to long press the keys as on the screen keyboard and get the popup options?

 

[richsadams]

Thanks ,
The IPad keyboard I have it all figured out...It's the physical one that has me thinking... Will I be able to long press the keys as on the screen keyboard and get the popup options?

AFAIK there isn't an app for Logitech's external keyboard.

However you can access special characters on a Bluetooth keyboard by holding down the Option key along with the letter. I was able to type the characters you posted above using my Apple Bluetooth keyboard. If the Logitech keyboard you're considering has the same keys, it should work the same way.

Here's the keyboard I'm using...

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184LL/B?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mg

Hope that helps!

Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[Heaviside]

AFAIK there isn't an app for Logitech's external keyboard.

However you can access special characters on a Bluetooth keyboard by holding down the Option key along with the letter. I was able to type the characters you posted above using my Apple Bluetooth keyboard. If the Logitech keyboard you're considering has the same keys, it should work the same way.

Here's the keyboard I'm using...

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184LL/B?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mg

Hope that helps!

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Rich,

Could you give me some idea about the size? Unfortunately, few of the keyboard descriptions I have read---including the one for the Appe---give me any indication of how their sizes compare with the "standard" keyboard. I am looking for typing comfort, not portability. Got any feel for this aspect of your Apple?

 

[richsadams]

Hi,
I am new on this forum....
I've just got an IPad2 and I've been searching a straight answear to my question all over internet but I haven't found it yet...
So...
I live in Canda and I use both English and French but I mostly write in French for work...
I want to buy a keyboard case - bluetooth- something like Logitech but from Ebay...
Will I be able to change the language of the keyboard to French? Will I have all the French characters on the keyboard...? Do I change that on the settings of the Ipad or does the keyboard has like a switch or something...?
Thanks for your help.
Ela

I just noted that Apple actually sells a French Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard, so that might be worth a look...

Apple Wireless Keyboard - French - Apple Store (U.S.)

FWIW these keyboards are great to use, very solid and can really take a beating.

 

[richsadams]

Rich,

Could you give me some idea about the size? Unfortunately, few of the keyboard descriptions I have read---including the one for the Appe---give me any indication of how their sizes compare with the "standard" keyboard. I am looking for typing comfort, not portability. Got any feel for this aspect of your Apple?

Well, the Apple wireless keyboard I use on my iMac day in and day out is 11" x 5.5". The keyboard itself is identical to the standard Apple aluminum keyboard but without the number pad and a few other keys. It's the same size as the iPad dock keyboard and also identical to the Macbook Pro and Macbook Air keyboards. I used to use a full-sized Logitech keyboard, but then switched to Apple's full-sized aluminum keyboard and then moved to the Apple Wireless Bluetooth keyboard. Each one is a little different of course, but I'm very comfortable with the Apple BT keyboard now. I really like the feel, resistance, etc. of Apple's so-called "chiclet" keys as opposed to a regular keyboard now...standard keyboards just feel so big and clunky after using mine. It's a personal choice of course.

Here are a few photos...



From the photos the Apple BT Keyboard looks small, and by comparison to a full-sized keyboard it is, but not as much as it would seem. The nice thing is that my hands remain pretty much in place with the Apple keyboard, whereas with a full-sized keyboard they have to move around. I can type considerably faster on the Apple keyboard...but YMMV of course.

Hope that helps!

 

[jsh1120]

Rich,

Could you give me some idea about the size? Unfortunately, few of the keyboard descriptions I have read---including the one for the Apple---give me any indication of how their sizes compare with the "standard" keyboard. I am looking for typing comfort, not portability. Got any feel for this aspect of your Apple?

Heaviside,

As you probably know from my posts, I'm a keyboard snob. If a keyboard doesn't come close to the excellent experience of a full-sized keyboard from, say, Logitech or Microsoft I'm not going to like it. I hate almost all laptop keyboards (Lenovo excepted) and carry an extra keyboard when I travel with my 15.6" laptop. With all that in mind, I'd say the Apple Wireless Keyboard comes very close to a good full-size keyboard. The only portable keyboard I prefer is the Microsoft 6000 bluetooth keyboard. Half the price of the Apple and curved to avoid wrist strain. I haven't used the Logitech keyboard for the iPad but I suspect it's also quite good and its dimensions are virtually identical to the AWK.

P.S. BTW, the Microsoft Keyboard can be purchased with a separate bluetooth number pad for those who do a lot of numeric spreadsheet work. Unfortunately, the iPad does not support a bluetooth connection to a number pad. But it works quite well with my laptop and desktop systems.

 

[Heaviside]

Heaviside,

As you probably know from my posts, I'm a keyboard snob. If a keyboard doesn't come close to the excellent experience of a full-sized keyboard from, say, Logitech or Microsoft I'm not going to like it. I hate almost all laptop keyboards (Lenovo excepted) and carry an extra keyboard when I travel with my 15.6" laptop. With all that in mind, I'd say the Apple Wireless Keyboard comes very close to a good full-size keyboard. The only portable keyboard I prefer is the Microsoft 6000 bluetooth keyboard. Half the price of the Apple and curved to avoid wrist strain. I haven't used the Logitech keyboard for the iPad but I suspect it's also quite good and its dimensions are virtually identical to the AWK.

P.S. BTW, the Microsoft Keyboard can be purchased with a separate bluetooth number pad for those who do a lot of numeric spreadsheet work. Unfortunately, the iPad does not support a bluetooth connection to a number pad. But it works quite well with my laptop and desktop systems.

Yeah, I've been following your posts with interest, JSH. Just wasn't sure how they compared with whatever is considered as standard. And I thought that portability was a big issue for you. I do appreciate Rich's pix and discussion also. That helps.

I have an Apple docking station cum keyboard now. I suspect that it is the same physical construction as the wireless version. As Rich mentioned, the keys feel great. I'm not sure, though, whether it is the size or simply the rigid connection to the iPad that makes it somewhat awkward for me.

I am looking for a good "full sized" (whatever that means!) wireless keyboard. Maybe that, like me, is something of a paleolithic thing?

 

[jsh1120]

Yeah, I've been following your posts with interest, JSH. Just wasn't sure how they compared with whatever is considered as standard. And I thought that portability was a big issue for you. I do appreciate Rich's pix and discussion also. That helps.

I have an Apple docking station cum keyboard now. I suspect that it is the same physical construction as the wireless version. As Rich mentioned, the keys feel great. I'm not sure, though, whether it is the size or simply the rigid connection to the iPad that makes it somewhat awkward for me.

I am looking for a good "full sized" (whatever that means!) wireless keyboard. Maybe that, like me, is something of a paleolithic thing?

Actually feel trumps everything else for me. The actual dimensions of the AWK according to Apple are approximately 5.2" x 11.2" and .75" thick at the battery tube and .25" thick in the keyboard. The Microsoft is a bit more difficult to measure since it's not precisely rectangular because of the ergonomically curved shape, but it's about 2.5" wider at the bottom edge and comes closer to feeling like a "full size" keyboard. On the other hand, the Microsoft keyboard is not elevated on the upper side, so it's a very thin flat keyboard.

I do like the fact that the Microsoft keyboard is completely disconnected from the iPad. My AWK is attached to the Origami Workstation that acts as an iPad stand so they're a single unit (though the iPad can be easily removed.) If it were not for the portability factor in the bag I have for the iPad (the Travel Express from Waterfield) I would have stuck with the Microsoft keyboard.

 

[clarionthegreat]

hi, I hope someone can help me. My IPad 2 is not connecting to Bluetooth apple keyboard. I followed the IPad manual instructions and it doesn't see it. it's on because I've tested it with my mod book. I've shut down my computer but It occurs to me that my keyboard is still somehow connected to the mod book. (a converted MacBook w a touch screen) . thoughts?

 

[quebec001]

Hi for your nice forum and help
sorry for my bad english(i speak french Canada) i have similar problem , i have logitech keyboard zagg zmap9701kb (QWERTY), normaly with virtual keyboard ipad2 if you hold down E key you have some accent, when i use extenal logitech zagg, this fonction not working, i hold down E et E repeat EEEEEEE, i am not sure how make my setup for add keyboard in my ipad setup
i redd this info on other forum "Many keyboards have additional hidden keys. To access these characters hold down a key on the keyboard and variations of that letter will appear. For example, holding down the letter E on the English (US) keyboard brings up 8 different options" but i am not sure the choice in setup,
Thanks for answear

 

[Splashy]

From my experience, you can quickly switch between languages by pressing on Command (or Option, I don't remember) + Spacebar.