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srgz

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 22, 2010
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So I bought one of these and while the Touch ID functionality is amazing, it absolutely blows as a keyboard…how do Apple employees that use mac desktops even type on these things day to day?

They’re just god awful, coming from a keyboard with mechanical switches…

Has anyone managed to do a transplant of the controller / Touch ID button into a proper mechanical keyboard chassis?

I saw this post on Twitter, this guy took it apart and just uses the Touch ID button by itself and uses a Keychron keyboard for his actual keyboard, lol


Seriously though this would be an awesome project / video for someone that has the resources — take the Touch ID magic keyboard and figure out a way to transplant it inside of a KeyChron or some other enthusiast grade keyboard, I would absolutely pay whatever the asking price for such a keyboard

I am definitely not a keyboard expert but it would stand to reason that there should be some possible way to get the controller / brain of the Magic Keyboard to work with mechanical switches 🤷‍♂️
 
There’s probably a lot to adding or transplanting touchID which Apple won’t share I’m sure. I actually like the magic keyboard for casual use. It’s quiet, matches aesthetically, rarely connectivity issues, good battery life and while the keys could be spaced a tad further apart I’ve never been frustrated with it.

IMO wires, loud keys regardless of color, ugly design, uncomfortable height, connectivity issues, and maintenance are all you get with a mechanical keyboard including Keychron which you can’t even return to them if you don’t like it. I know it’s a trend to modify your keyboard but for Macs you either just stick with Apple or get a Logitech.
 
There’s probably a lot to adding or transplanting touchID which Apple won’t share I’m sure. I actually like the magic keyboard for casual use. It’s quiet, matches aesthetically, rarely connectivity issues, good battery life and while the keys could be spaced a tad further apart I’ve never been frustrated with it.

IMO wires, loud keys regardless of color, ugly design, uncomfortable height, connectivity issues, and maintenance are all you get with a mechanical keyboard including Keychron which you can’t even return to them if you don’t like it. I know it’s a trend to modify your keyboard but for Macs you either just stick with Apple or get a Logitech.
Yeah, I use the Logitech MX Keys for Mac and like the MX3 Mouse, it's quality. The keyboard is great to type on with full mac function keys.
 
Apple at one time did make a really nice ergonomic pro keyboard. The A1048 was a dream to use, despite being a membrane keyboard. This thing though...ugh. It's like they took all the worst qualities of a laptop keyboard / laptop grade switches and put it into a desktop model. I guess I'm just going to have to look at stands or something to try to elevate it and get it into a more ergonomic positioning, and wait until someone much smarter than me figures out how to transplant it into something better.

Actually, an even better idea...It would be easier to just transplant the controller and touch ID button and have them share the same battery or power source as an enthusiast grade mechanical ergonomic keyboard...that way you won't have to mess around with adapting mechanical switches to Apple's controller.

That would probably be way easier to do...I might even be able to do that myself, if I find a chassis big enough to accommodate the board.

EDIT: LOL those old A1048's are going for insane prices on eBay, the ones that are still BNIB, that is.
 
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There’s probably a lot to adding or transplanting touchID which Apple won’t share I’m sure. I actually like the magic keyboard for casual use. It’s quiet, matches aesthetically, rarely connectivity issues, good battery life and while the keys could be spaced a tad further apart I’ve never been frustrated with it.

IMO wires, loud keys regardless of color, ugly design, uncomfortable height, connectivity issues, and maintenance are all you get with a mechanical keyboard including Keychron which you can’t even return to them if you don’t like it. I know it’s a trend to modify your keyboard but for Macs you either just stick with Apple or get a Logitech.
I used to use a Magic Keyboard when it first came out and it was a good keyboard. Of course, there is the want of getting something better. I eventually settled with a Keychron Q1 Knob Edition, which only comes in wired, but it has Mac function keys. This is something that my wired Corsair gaming keyboard with MX Red doesn't have. The Q1 works flawlessly on Mac out of the box without having to mess with swapping the modifier keys in Keyboard settings. If you want to make it quiet, just install a quiet linear switch. The Q1 has a cut out where the knob is, which you can probably take out and retrofit a Touch ID sensor with some case modifications.

While I don't spend crazy amount of money to make a custom keyboard, one shouldn't write off Mechanical Keyboards as an option. To me, I feel that the Logitech keyboards are meh at best. I have the Combo Touch keyboard for the iPad Pro and while it gives more flexibility over the Magic Keyboard for iPad, the typing experience isn't that great compared to a Magic Keyboard, including the touchpad. Of course, the keyboard Apple came out in the early and mid 2000s before they went to Chicklet keys was good.
 
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I don't understand what the problem is. I've used Apple keyboards exclusively with all my Macs and have had no issues with them. I've also used various keyboards at work with Windows machines and have no issues switching between the various ones 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
I don't understand what the problem is. I've used Apple keyboards exclusively with all my Macs and have had no issues with them. I've also used various keyboards at work with Windows machines and have no issues switching between the various ones 🤷🏼‍♂️
The current magic keyboard is practically the same as the one that came with my iMac in 2013, except it has Touch ID and doesn't need batteries.

If someone doesn't like the current keyboard, they've had over a decade to find something they like.
 
I used to use a Magic Keyboard when it first came out and it was a good keyboard. Of course, there is the want of getting something better. I eventually settled with a Keychron Q1 Knob Edition, which only comes in wired, but it has Mac function keys. This is something that my wired Corsair gaming keyboard with MX Red doesn't have. The Q1 works flawlessly on Mac out of the box without having to mess with swapping the modifier keys in Keyboard settings. If you want to make it quiet, just install a quiet linear switch. The Q1 has a cut out where the knob is, which you can probably take out and retrofit a Touch ID sensor with some case modifications.

While I don't spend crazy amount of money to make a custom keyboard, one shouldn't write off Mechanical Keyboards as an option. To me, I feel that the Logitech keyboards are meh at best. I have the Combo Touch keyboard for the iPad Pro and while it gives more flexibility over the Magic Keyboard for iPad, the typing experience isn't that great compared to a Magic Keyboard, including the touchpad. Of course, the keyboard Apple came out in the early and mid 2000s before they went to Chicklet keys was good.
I am hoping that KeyChron will eventually come out with a wireless version of the Q3…the knob is nice but a Touch ID button would be way better.

And that’s a really good idea actually! I am definitely going to look into this.

I have a feeling most of these folks commenting have never used a proper enthusiast grade ergonomic keyboard…it’s night and day. Especially if you’re doing long hours at your desk working on projects.

Logitech keyboards mostly suck, their software / drivers doesn’t even support Apple silicon! I was actually considering the MX craft at one point, until I found out it wouldn’t work on M1 macs.

Their gaming keyboards are much better, but a bit overpriced…however same problem, the “Logitech Options” app doesn’t support Apple silicon
 
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The current magic keyboard is practically the same as the one that came with my iMac in 2013, except it has Touch ID and doesn't need batteries.

If someone doesn't like the current keyboard, they've had over a decade to find something they like.
That’s not really true. The original wireless / Bluetooth magic keyboard was at least angled at a more ergonomic position, despite having low profile keys and cheap laptop grade switches. There was a tube that ran across the back for the batteries. The newer ones are angled a lot less, since they use flatter lithium / non serviceable batteries, unfortunately.

Also, try finding any enthusiast grade keyboard that fully supports Apple Silicon and has Mac function keys. There aren’t many options, and there are even fewer that support Apple silicon.

I was going to get the SteelSeries Apex, however the TKL model has been out of stock for a long time, and I got tired of waiting.

Razer (my go to peripheral company for Windows) abandoned Mac OS a few years ago and announced they would not be updating their Mac drivers ever again. There’s open source software that can do most of the things Synapse can do on MacOS, but not everything. Function keys take a bit of work, requiring an app like Karabiner Elemenets to work properly.
 
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If they would make a split version that angles like the original MS split….that would be perfect. If you spend all day on the computer this keyboard is just nice looking we’ll made trash. Too bad there isn’t a Touch ID unit on the side of the studio display….that would be ideal.
 
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That’s not really true. The original wireless / Bluetooth magic keyboard was at least angled at a more ergonomic position, despite having low profile keys and cheap laptop grade switches. There was a tube that ran across the back for the batteries. The newer ones are angled a lot less, since they use flatter lithium / non serviceable batteries, unfortunately.

Also, try finding any enthusiast grade keyboard that fully supports Apple Silicon and has Mac function keys. There aren’t many options, and there are even fewer that support Apple silicon.

I was going to get the SteelSeries Apex, however the TKL model has been out of stock for a long time, and I got tired of waiting.

Razer (my go to peripheral company for Windows) abandoned Mac OS a few years ago and announced they would not be updating their Mac drivers ever again. There’s open source software that can do most of the things Synapse can do on MacOS, but not everything.
The angle is less on the newer keyboard, but that’s easily fixed with a shim or support if it’s an issue.

Aside from that, I don‘t notice any difference between the keyboard I bought for my Mac Studio and the one that came with my 2013 iMac.

I’m sorry, but you‘ve had a really long time to solve your problem.

It’s the same keyboard it’s always been but at a slightly less angle and with Touch ID, so maybe you should look deeper to discover why you feel like a clown.
 
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There’s probably a lot to adding or transplanting touchID which Apple won’t share I’m sure. I actually like the magic keyboard for casual use. It’s quiet, matches aesthetically, rarely connectivity issues, good battery life and while the keys could be spaced a tad further apart I’ve never been frustrated with it.

IMO wires, loud keys regardless of color, ugly design, uncomfortable height, connectivity issues, and maintenance are all you get with a mechanical keyboard including Keychron which you can’t even return to them if you don’t like it. I know it’s a trend to modify your keyboard but for Macs you either just stick with Apple or get a Logitech.
More or less, just went back to an Apple keyboard. Fortunately, a retailer refunded my mechanical keyboard, couldn't turn off the constant flashing RGB. Overhyped anyway, used a few now and no where near a game changer for me.
 
To each his/her own I guess. I came from a Das Keyboard with Cherry MX blue switches, and find the Magic Keyboard fine for what it is. I like how light, low profile and portable the Magic Keyboard is. I can even put it on my lap and type away (which is what I do right now). I can type just as fast and accurately on the Magic Keyboard as with the Das Keyboard. My colleagues were probably relieved that I use the Magic Keyboard more when I was in the office.
 
I had a couple of decent mechanical keyboards (both MX red) after drinking the kool aid and i spend a hell of a lot of my time typing. The magic keyboard has three really big advantages over them:

1. The key travel is really low so you end up moving your hands less. Less fatigue.
2. The keyboard is flatter so you don’t end up with painful wrists. Less fatigue.
3. The people who are in the same room as the keyboard don’t randomly strangle you after an hour because of the noise.

I sold my last mech keyboard on eBay last month. Zero regrets.

I suspect your evaluation is a short term one. You really need to use a keyboard for circa 6 months before evaluating it as it’s difficult separating the muscle memory failures from the evaluation of the keyboard otherwise.
 
I had a couple of decent mechanical keyboards (both MX red) after drinking the kool aid and i spend a hell of a lot of my time typing. The magic keyboard has three really big advantages over them:

1. The key travel is really low so you end up moving your hands less. Less fatigue.
2. The keyboard is flatter so you don’t end up with painful wrists. Less fatigue.
3. The people who are in the same room as the keyboard don’t randomly strangle you after an hour because of the noise.

I sold my last mech keyboard on eBay last month. Zero regrets.

I suspect your evaluation is a short term one. You really need to use a keyboard for circa 6 months before evaluating it as it’s difficult separating the muscle memory failures from the evaluation of the keyboard otherwise.
Yep.

I used to use a DasKeyboard Mech keyboard, and the magic keyboard is far more comfortable and ergonomic imo.
 
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I had a couple of decent mechanical keyboards (both MX red) after drinking the kool aid and i spend a hell of a lot of my time typing. The magic keyboard has three really big advantages over them:

1. The key travel is really low so you end up moving your hands less. Less fatigue.
2. The keyboard is flatter so you don’t end up with painful wrists. Less fatigue.
3. The people who are in the same room as the keyboard don’t randomly strangle you after an hour because of the noise.

I sold my last mech keyboard on eBay last month. Zero regrets.

I suspect your evaluation is a short term one. You really need to use a keyboard for circa 6 months before evaluating it as it’s difficult separating the muscle memory failures from the evaluation of the keyboard otherwise.
I had one that I used for about a week before my coworkers approached asked me to give it up and never ever use it again. I readily agreed as the intensity of their resolve reflected off the knives and pitchforks they were carrying. Our bullpen space was fairly tight and the echo of those clicks clacks just made it maddening for anyone, myself included, to actually concentrate.

Ironically, our developer out in Cali has one and he has to mute when we have a conference call since it sounds like a 1970s Teletype machine when we Skyped.
 
Apple A1048 user here. Wouldn't swap it for anything else. Bluetooth keyboard? No thanks. Been there done that and still got the burns.

Touch ID makes sense on a laptop because it's a great form of security which makes your assets less desirable to a potential theif. Ok technically that's still true of desktop computers but desktop PCs and Macs are going to be much less likely to be stolen because they don't go anywhere. I have absolutely zero interest in a keyboard with touch ID on my desktop. I see it as little more than a gimmik.

So get over feeling you need touch ID on a desktop-based keyboard and instead just buy a keyboard you like to type on.
 
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I think you're comparing apples to oranges. Mechanical keys have an entirely different feel, but then there is wide a range of different keyboard types and I imagine that if you spent years using only (or mostly) one type, it would be a shock switching to another.

Although a number are, almost objectively, poor as a result of flawed engineering (butterfly mechanism?), I do believe that no keyboard is 'better' than another, but that they're simply suited to different tastes and scenarios.

For instance, I once bought a Logitech MX Keys based off of the mostly positive feedback it gets, but in the end I found it too tiring on my fingers after long typing sessions. I switched to the Magic Keyboard and I wouldn't look back now, I just prefer how much lighter the key travel is. And for the Mac that I use in my workshop where I do CAD and little typing, I have a wired cheapie.

Touch ID is also something of a personal choice. It makes sense if you regularly pay for things with Apple Pay, but this is the only real advantage as a passcode is simple enough to input for anything else.
 
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Apple A1048 user here. Wouldn't swap it for anything else. Bluetooth keyboard? No thanks. Been there done that and still got the burns.

Touch ID makes sense on a laptop because it's a great form of security which makes your assets less desirable to a potential theif. Ok technically that's still true of desktop computers but desktop PCs and Macs are going to be much less likely to be stolen because they don't go anywhere. I have absolutely zero interest in a keyboard with touch ID on my desktop. I see it as little more than a gimmik.

So get over feeling you need touch ID on a desktop-based keyboard and instead just buy a keyboard you like to type on.
You know that the TouchId is used for more than just logging in to your Mac? I use it constantly to enter usernames and passwords. I even have it set up for sudo. Much quicker than constantly entering my very secure 15+ character keychain passcode.
 
Wanted to throw this in here since we’re talking about keyboards but I’ve come to realize that for me it’s more comfortable and faster to type on a keyboard at the edge of my very desk. Since my wrist aren’t resting on anything I have my elbows on my chair and essentially float around the keyboard with no wrist pain or irritation from sliding/moving my wrist around on the bare desk. It also helped with shoulder pain since it’s not forcing them up due to my wrist angle.

So for people with pain or aches give this a shot. Pull up a typing test to see your WPM and you might be surprised. After 25+yrs typing and all the “ergonomic” posture people try to preach I feel like a new person ha.
 
I've been using Apple's keyboard for awhile now. I'm a pretty heavy typer and people usually know me for my speed. I ended up getting pretty bad carpel tunnel on a brown switch mechanical keyboard several years back. I find the Apple keyboards to allow me to type for long periods of time without having wrist pain. Are they as pleasant to type on? No, but the energy required keeps my wrists from flaring up.

Also in this day and age of remote work - I can't type on a mechanical keyboard and be on a Teams / Webex call without annoying everyone else on the call.
 
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