My iPad Air powered writer deck
This is just an assembly of a few plug and play pieces, but it’s been a journey. I hope this counts as a writer deck, and maybe even inspires someone with the same quirks I have. I looked into a lot of the commercially available options, plus a few minor DIY options, and detailed my thoughts below. If you're on the hunt for your own deck, maybe some of them will be helpful!
I’ll fully admit that I am not as DIY-savvy as many of you! I don’t woodwork, wire things together, code or 3D print. Most of my DIYs involve needles and yarn or paper and glue. So for my writer deck, I needed something I could buy, preferably without breaking the bank.
I’ve been wanting a dedicated drafting setup for years and years. My husband does not get the compulsion, but for me, it’s almost as much a psychological thing as a hardware thing. I want something that feels good to use, that welcomes me in and gets me in the right mindset. And, okay, I do love a good gadget.
So I researched. And researched… and then researched some more. Here's what I came up with:
* iPad Air [https://www.apple.com/ipad-air/](https://www.apple.com/ipad-air/) * MNN 15.6" Portable Monitor [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9NNWXVP](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9NNWXVP) * BYEASY USB C Hub Docking Station Stand [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RYWTLB4](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RYWTLB4) * ROCCAT Magma Membrane Keyboard [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093MH824D](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093MH824D) * A cheap wireless 2.4 GHz mouse with dongle
And buckle up, because here's how I got there.
# What I wanted:
* A single-use device. I wanted something “dumb” for want of a better word. Something that could ONLY handle word processing to cut out all the distractions. This is the one thing I didn’t get with this system, but I still get the *feeling* of a dedicated device with this setup. * Something portable, enabling me to write anywhere. A coffee shop, the library, the beach! Anywhere inspiration strikes. This was my main compromise. * A distraction-free writing environment * A comfortable typing experience for marathon writing sessions. Ya girl has a 75k more to write on the book I have due on October 1st. * A screen capable of displaying a few paragraphs of text at a time at a large font/zoom. I need a few paraphrase visible to keep my train of thought. Also, I have garbage eyes. Tiny little letters on tiny little screens just doesn’t work for me. * An easy method for backing my work up
# What I tried:
**AlphaSmart Neo**
It’s a nifty device with a lot of pros, but the tiny screen size and typing experience make it a miss for me. Ergonomically, it didn’t work for me either. I don't look down at my fingers/keyboard when I type, so looking down to see the little screen felt unnatural. I got mine long enough ago that I only shelled out $30 on eBay.
**Freewrite Traveler**
I got this as a gift for Christmas or a birthday. The device is fine, but the itsy bitsy screen on it nerfs my productivity. It’s not a bad device, but it’s pricey, and I never find myself reaching for it. I’ll probably end up passing it along to my husband.
**A laptop**
Too many other things it can do! When I’m on it, I end up spending my time making promo graphics, coordinating with my marketing assistant/PA or doing other author admin work. I got a laptop intending to use it JUST for writing. I failed in keeping it a dedicated device almost immediately.
**An IPad with Smart Keyboard**
Admittedly, I didn’t get this planning to use it as a writer deck. I got it so I could keep an eye on social media and other authory business stuff while working from home at my day job or on long car trips. I did find, however, that writing on it for a few hours is perfectly tolerable. For anything longer than that, I need a bigger screen and a bigger keyboard.
# What I considered:
**A standard Freewrite in one of the cute new colors.**
I nixed this for the same reason I don’t reach for the Traveler: screen size. The price was also a deterrent. It has the same ergonomic issue the AlphaSmart Neo has.
**A Pomero device**
Ultimately too far from the form factor I wanted and I worried about running into issues that couldn’t be easily or cheaply addressed in the future.
**An old school electric typewriter**
I didn’t fancy having to screw around with scanning and OCR, honestly.
**An e-ink tablet with keyboard**
Commercial units are too pricey and I don’t have the technical know-how to make my own.
**A Raspberry Pi 400 (keyboard computer)**
I recently pulled the trigger on an inexpensive portable 15” monitor to use with my laptop because I’m the type that needs two screens when doing any kind of revising. I LOVE the display! It’s truly portable, plug and play and gets the job done. So, I though to myself, what if I made my new display part of my deck? Sure, it wouldn’t be super portable, but at least I’d be able to read the dang text and have a comfortable drafting system for home use.
That’s when I came across the Raspberry Pi 400 (maybe even in this sub!). It’s basically a Raspberry Pi device inside a keyboard. Plug it into a display, add power and a mouse and you basically have a PC. Now, I considered this pretty much a single-use device. I know zero about Linux and don’t plan on learning how to code or anything like that. Since I wasn’t going to look under the hood, I wouldn’t be able to use it for much more than writing. It’s not a dumb device, but I would have been a dumb user. Fine with me!
For a while, this was the most promising. I nearly bought it, but after looking at reviews, I was worried about a subpar typing experience.
**The Abacus**
The Pentaform Abacus is a similar computer-in-keyboard unit I considered, but it’s sold out/on preorder until December and I’m impatient. The detachable trackpad is pretty cool, though! It’s also made from recycled plastic and is super energy efficient, which is awesome!
I think the Abacus is super nifty and might be a great (albeit more expensive) alternative to the Raspberry Pi 400.
**A PiTop**
Essentially a Raspberry Pi in an enclosure with a screen and keyboard. None of the ones I researched wowed me and most didn’t have their own power supplies, meaning I’d get the form factor of a laptop without the portability. The devices that did have batteries were a little pricey considering I would be settling for them.
**A lapdock**
Lapdocks are devices that basically turn your smartphone into a laptop. They’re hinged clamshell devices with a screen (sometimes a touchscreen), a keyboard, a track pad and some ports plus a battery. Price and being an iPhone user dissuaded me. From my research, iPhones don’t have a good desktop mode like Android phones. Did I, in my desperation, consider buying a cheapo Android phone or tablet? Yes. Ultimately, I ruled it out it for price and phone compatibility reasons.
If you’re an Android user looking to use your phone but want a bigger display and keyboard, this could be a great solution for you!
# The resolution of my research
After considering computer-in-keyboard solutions and lapdocks, I finally put two and two together. What if I could use my iPad with my new portable monitor? I found that while iPhones don’t have a good desktop mode, the iPad does!
Score! Now all I needed was a Bluetooth keyboard!
Here’s the thing… I’m incredibly picky about keyboards. Shocking, I’m sure. I wanted something close to full size, with square keys. Round keys are so cute, but I can’t type on them for shit, which would defeat the purpose. I also knew, from experience, that I didn’t want a mechanical keyboard. Even though I love the thought of clicky switches and cute pudding caps, mechanical keyboards just aren’t for me. I even built one with my own choice of switches and key caps to test that theory. Gorgeous keyboard. Delightfully clicky. I hate typing on it.
After a few tries, I was able to find a very serviceable albeit hellishly boring Bluetooth keyboard on Amazon.
If only, I lamented, my iPad could take a USB dongle receiver for a 2.4 GHz keyboard while also still having port space for my display… then I’d have a ton more options for wireless keyboards and could maybe even get something comfortable AND cute. I'm a sucker for RGB in all its forms, but especially in keybaords.
And that’s when I realized I could use a USB-C hub or dock.
After testing out a hub my husband had lying around, I realized this would work beautifully! And I could use a wireless 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth OR wired keyboard. I could literally take my pick of keyboards!
The clouds opened, the baby angels sang!
I found a dock stand that’ll let me use any keyboard and mouse I want, along with my display. Because the dock is powered, I can even use a beautiful RBG keyboard! I decided on the very gorgeous ROCCAT Magma wired RGB keyboard that’s been on my Amazon favorites list since I first spotted it. So far, I'm enjoying the typing experience.
**A quick note on keyboards**
This setup accommodates the three main ways you can connect a keyboard: Bluetooth (through the iPad), 2.4 GHz USB dongle (through the dock) and wired (through the dock). I tested a basic hub (not powered like the dock I chose) with both the dongle and a basic keyboard and both performed flawlessly. But for keyboards that require power (like my glowy-ass RGB keyboard) a basic hub may not suffice. I went with a powered dock partially so I could use the keyboard of my choice. I also liked that it came as a handy stand!