“Every iMac and iMac Pro comes with a specially designed Apple brand Magic Keyboard 2,” Lory Gil writes for iMore. “You either love it or hate it (or maybe you’re indifferent to it, in which case, you probably don’t care about this article).”
“If you love the look of the Magic Keyboard 2 but don’t love the feel, or maybe you were hoping for more than what comes in the box,” Gil writes, “we’ve got a list of keyboards that have a very similar design, but offer something a little different.”
Covered in the full article:
• Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
• Matias Wireless Aluminium Keyboard
• Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750
• Logitech Easy-Switch K811
• Anker Bluetooth Ultra Compact Slim keyboard
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We use Apple Magic Keyboards across the board, but we’re not in love with them, just indifferent. We liked our old Apple Pro Keyboard (black keys) better.
If you use a desktop Mac or a portable Mac on your desk with an external keyboard, which keyboard do you use?
A keyboard…how quaint.
It’s that old fashioned device that those of us who actually require something more than the child-like touch devices to produce the content that the entertainment consumer kiddies live for.
Welcome to the real world.
Exactly right! Something the gadget girls and bluster boys do not understand about content creators because they are ignorant consumers ONLY …
“If you use a desktop Mac or a portable Mac on your desk with an external keyboard, which keyboard do you use?”
I use an Apple wireless keyboard that is missing the numeric keys on the right, why?. It is light, but does not feel sturdy. Worse, the keys are very squishy and take a moment to reset particularly the space bar. I put up with it, but Apple SHOULD DO BETTER …
Magic Keyboard.
I have the space gray version that comes with the iMac Pro. It is just fine with one exception: with use, the paint (or whatever they use) on the keys wears off and they turn white. This is an “el cheapo” move Apple – if you are going to have black keys, then make them out of black plastic.
“You’re not holding it right….”
“el cheapo” is el correcto! The iPhone charging cables are another example of cheap fraying wire …
But price wise they are not close to el cheapo, I had to get a replacement and almost dies when I saw the price $129.00 for a Keyboard (Way more in Canada, must be the tariffs)
The Apple keyboards drove me crazy. The Logitech K-811 is quite simply the best keyboard I’ve used in years. Nice key travel. Withstands poundings, and can be switched between machines (I use it for my iPad occasionally). It’s a steal at the price.
Another Logitech fan here. K220 – only AU$24, includes numeric keypad (which I find REALLY useful!) and all the other keys but is still in a neat compact housing, wireless too. About 12% of the cost of an Apple keyboard.
Is the Logitech K811 discontinued? It doesn’t seem to be available anywhere new. Looking for a new BT keyboard to replace an older Apple Magic keyboard that uses AA cells…
You can buy it directly from Logitech. Amazon has it on back order with availability of June 21st.
I only wish the batteries were rechargeable AA or AAA cells.
I haven’t liked any Apple keyboard since the one that shipped with the Power Mac 9500. It was ADB based so it won’t work easily or reliably with the newest Macs, but I miss that keyboard. I’ve tried several keyboards over the years (many third party ones), but none have had the great feel of that one.
Still searching.
I have a problem with the new keyboard: the keys are too thin and the bumps on the F and J keys aren’t high enough. If I type on the keyboard sitting in a chair, with “proper posture” according to my elementary school teachers, it’s fine, but I don’t normally use that way. I can’t feel the keyboard enough to know where my fingers are, and that makes it for me a “typo-matic” keyboard.
There is a class-action suit against this keyboard because of its fragiity, so it is obvious that Apple didn’t test it for durability, let alone usability. Jony Ive is a genius, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need a testing and approval process.
” Jony Ive is a genius”. ummm, well……..he has a unique way of looking at things…………..but…………so does my cat.
Apple has really lowered the bar on quality peripherals like keyboards and cables plus they charge a premium (Apple tax) just for the name. It NO longer stands for quality like it did in the past, SAD. Hope the plaintiffs prevail …
Logitech Easy-Switch K811
Logitech K780 here as the builtin iPad/iPhone stand and easy 3 device switching ROCK!
Apple’s input peripherals have never quite been right, not since the old Apple Extended Keyboards, anyway. I like Matias keyboards quite a lot, I carry the aluminum wireless in my bag. I have a Tactile Pro, but I rarely use it anymore, I’ve mostly gone to Happy Hacking Keyboards on the desk and love ’em. I don’t think anyone beats Logitech for mice.
In my opinion, ALL rectangular keyboards are primitive, since the force the wrist into an inefficient position. And yet, it is difficult to find much choice of ergonomic keyboards.
I’m waiting to hear YOUR SOLUTION ..,
$30, Low End Mac.
Yes! This keyboard!
I meant at “Electronics Liquidator Surplus And Parts”
I use the Matias rechargeable wireless Bluetooth aluminum backlit keyboard.
It uses two full sized rechargeable batteries.
One for Bluetooth keyboard. One for the backlight.
With 4-6 hours of my use everyday (between 4-6 days of Mac use ) with using the backlight at half brightness at night, the backlight battery only needs to be charged once a month for 3-4 hours ( overnight ).
The keyboard battery only needs charging only once every 9-10 months or so ( Matias claims up to 12 months of keyboard battery life ), for between 6-8 hours, or so.
I have yet to get a full year out of the keyboard battery.
I average about about 9 to 9-1/2 months out of a full charge of the keyboard battery with my amount of keyboard/Mac use.
I like getting nearly a month from the keyboard backlight battery.
I use the Azio MK mechanical keyboard. Still have my Apple wired keyboard as well.