When I bought my iPad Pro in 2016, I paired it with Apple’s very own keyboard.

I’d had enough with the off brands that I’d gone through with my original iPad 2 and subsequent iPad Air. Their packaging to hold the iPad in place never seemed to last even a year. I know I’m tough on keyboards, but that trip back to buy another was just to wearing. And expensive.

So I spent a little more and went with made-for-each other.

And I was happy. With the fit. With the charge that came from magnets instead of a cord. With the key touch.

All was well until it wasn’t.

Suddenly I’d get a screen that said my accessory was not supported by my device. I fiddled with the connections, and it would work again. Until it didn’t. Wait! Hadn’t I just OK’d a new iOS? I Googled, and others having the same problem were wondering if had something to do with the new software.

More and more, I had to type on the touchpad on my screen instead of my keyboard.

Busy as I am, I put off any action until, at last, the “it works sometimes” was, oh, once a week. Also, I knew that I was past my year’s warranty.

I scheduled a live chat with Apple Support. The helpful rep read my woes and scheduled my visit to the Genius Bar at the Destiny USA store at which I’d bought my gadgets.

I went after work on Friday.

The Genius who called my name took a look at the non-functioning keyboard with my iPad Pro, and asked me to unhook it.

He took it to a new iPad on display.

He came back and said. “It’s an it problem, not a you problem.”

My keyboard was toast.

Into his gadget went the serial numbers.

He found out that indeed the warranty was more than a half-year past. A swap-out would cost $139, less expensive than off-the-rack, he said.

Then he went into the back of the store.

And came back with good news.

My gadget was covered by a store warranty to keep customers satisfied, he said.

My swap-out to a new keyboard would be free.

I thanked him, and explained how my dear wife Karen and I had just purchased out new iPhone 8s there earlier in the week. More about that another day.

Now we’ll see how long it is before I beat up this keyboard with my blog pounding and library social media work …