I've just purchased a studio display with the new black keyboard and trackpad. They only had with numbering, and my God, it's uncomfortable to use. When typing I have to position my whole body and hands/fingers to the left, and the the opposite for the trackpad. How do you guys position them to the most comfortable experience?
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New Magic Keyboard with numbering + trackpad. Best placement?
- Thread starter TinaBelcher
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I hope that's not my faith. I paid so much for it, and there's no return policy after opening it here in Scandinavia. I also keep hitting wrong keys.
I'm gonna stick it out and see how it goes. If I force myself lng enough then my brain and fingers may adapt to it.
I share your pain. The black/silver color scheme is growing on me, but with my aging arm & shoulder I just can't handle full sized keyboards any more. I don't really understand why Apple won't release a compact one with this color scheme.
I am 1.72m and I can use both the numeric keyboard at the left and the trackpad at the right. No problems.
Here is how I have done it.
Here is how I have done it.
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I tend not to use full-sized keyboards for this very reason. I've got short arms, so full-sized keyboards can get uncomfortable. I'm ok with 96% (1800 layout) or smaller.
I have the same setup and I tend to shift the keyboard and the mouse as I use them. This is additional movement, but I haven't found a better solution since I need the number pad.
For what it's worth, Satechi offers a TKL slim Bluetooth keyboard in the black/silver color scheme that is pretty close to the Apple Magic Keyboard: https://satechi.net/products/slim-x1-bluetooth-backlit-keyboard?variant=40194770206808.
This is awesome! I'm also left-handed. I tend to switch the mouse/trackpad left and right to distribute the load. It works really well.I'm left-handed, so it works well for me... love the numeric keypad, and mouse and/or touchpad go on the left (opposite side from numeric keypad). Finally, after 70 trips around the sun, I found an advantage to be left-handed.
I have this keyboard in space grey. I don't use it very often as I find the keys are slightly harder to press compare to the Magic Keyboard, but it might just be me. The build quality is fantastic though.
Or you can do what I did -- I use a Keychron Q12 which has a left-sided numpad. Gives me room for my mouse on the right and a numpad for when I need it.
I'm not as fast at entering numbers with my left hand as I am with my right, but for my usage, I'm fast enough.
This. Given that silver and black has been one of the dominant Mac color schemes in recent years, it's crazy to me that the non-extended keyboards aren't available in this color scheme. My MacBook is silver and black, my Studio Display is silver and black, I have a black mouse, but I have to use a white keyboard?!!!
To the OP's point, I agree. I hated my extended keyboard and stopped using it for exactly the reasons you state. Personally, I wish Apple would release what is often called a "75%" keyboard, which essentially is the non-extended keyboard with one extra column of keys to the right for Home, End, Page, Up, Page Down (and allows full-size arrow keys). It takes up almost no additional room but adds real functionality.
When I used the wired full size chiclet keyboard, I used one of the original AA battery powered magic trackpads below the space bar, much like a MacBook setup. It worked great for me.
That said, I have a compact Magic Keyboard and new trackpad now. The newer trackpad is too wide to use below the space bar so I use it off to the right.
If I had to use the full size keyboard with the new trackpad, I would look into either buying or 3D printing a tray to hold the keyboard and trackpad flat with the trackpad below the space bar. The palm rests to the side of the trackpad would make it much more useable in that configuration.
That said, I have a compact Magic Keyboard and new trackpad now. The newer trackpad is too wide to use below the space bar so I use it off to the right.
If I had to use the full size keyboard with the new trackpad, I would look into either buying or 3D printing a tray to hold the keyboard and trackpad flat with the trackpad below the space bar. The palm rests to the side of the trackpad would make it much more useable in that configuration.