Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad

The best keyboard for your home – On Friday 22nd July 2022 I bought this so I can type whilst I am using Microsoft PowerPoint and Word on the Apple iMac 24" M1. Show details

Takes a little adjusting to – I picked up this keyboard about a month ago when I was putting together our COVID home office. Being a good apple fan boy I thought that I would splash out on this $200 keyboard (when a $25 one would have worked every bit as well) but hey, it was a tax write off so I went for it. Pros: - Stylish and low profile - Metal design gives a quality… Read more

feel but I’ll probably treat it more gently than a cheaper keyboard so the metal isn’t for durability. - Eco friendly packaging (to a degree) - Integrated battery, very easy to charge - Very easy to install on apple and apple’s preferences software are pre-built into the OS with good customisation opportunities. - soft touch keys with good rebound. - Easy and comfortable to type on with some practice.

Cons: - It’s expensive trying to look cool - Battery only lasts about 1 month (most wireless keyboards with 2 AAs last 6+ months if not a year) - No legs to adjust height (stop telling people what they want apple) - Weird key layout, unnecessary keys and takes practice to adapt to. - It is not at all magical, I shouted “wingardium leviosa” at this thing for like 20 minutes and nothing happened, very misleading advertising

As expected it is a beautiful product just like everything Apple makes. The packaging gives a sense of the quality that you have paid so much for in the first place strangely reassuring you that you made the right choice.

It’s a wireless (Bluetooth) keyboard with built in battery that can be charged by apples proprietary light night cable which has been used for the past 8 years. This is nice because a) you don’t need to source and install batteries, b) not changing batteries means fewer batteries in landfills, c) many people will already have a few of these cables laying around if they have apple already (and if not it comes with one that plugs into USB A).

Despite getting the standard US formatted keyboard, the layout is a bit different and some keys are differently sized which threw me off initially. Prior to this I have (and still do use) a Logitech keyboard at work which is very standard with most other brands in terms of key size and layout. The apple keyboard has strangely small shift keys on the left size and there is an additional key in the space with the “~” symbol and another character I have no intention of ever using and cannot reproduce here (soooo, thanks for that Apple, I think). This means that I have had to mentally shift to getting my left little finger further out when typing to avoid that key. Equally there are other keys that are just a little out of my normal pattern and expected placement. If your usual interaction with a keyboard involves the old hunt and peck approach you might be saying “who cares bud, get over it” but if you are a solid 10 finger touch typer you will know that this really puts you off and slows you down. My work requires me to be able to type quickly and accurately the first time. I have to produce a comprehensive and contemporaneous note at the time that I interact with people and I don’t have the time to be constantly deleting rogue keystrokes.

In addition to the strange layout, the keyboard is very low profile and there are no legs to prop it up to a higher angle if that’s your comfort zone. Strictly speaking that’s not always a good thing since it contributes heavily to carpal tunnel developing by arching the wrist back but non-the-less it’s not there and for some may take some getting use to.

With the above said, I have adapted quickly to the new layout and all keys are still ‘ergonomically’ positioned/proportioned for me to be able to reach them without difficulty. After about a week of use, a few swear words, the occasional threat to return it, throw it out or repurpose it as a shim, I have settled back into using it like a normal keyboard. And surprisingly, I have not had any trouble going back and forth between the Apple keyboard and my work Logitech.

Bottom Line: It’s a good keyboard but does challenge you to type a little differently and that can be frustrating to start. Once you get the hang over it, it is very nice to use and very responsive. It is not magical and is no more feature loaded than any other full-sized keyboard out there. Do not buy it for gaming or even improved functionality. Buy it for style, reliability and connectivity with apple products.

Quality durable keyboard – Have had this keyboard for 2 years and it's never missed a beat. Softkey touch, durable, looks great. Even after 2 years of heavy use, works great, all of the keys are still intact and still just as responsive. Show details

Love it – Keys are very sensitive- makes typing faster! numerical section makes calculations much quicker and easier! Very accessible to take around and connect to any device. Quite resistant to water shock

Perfect keyboard, but a little expensive – This keyboard is good for Apple's product, like Macbook or iPad. however, if you do not use an Apple device. this keyboard may be not suitable for you. it has a fast connect for Apple device.