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New 'Magic Mouse 2' and Apple Wireless Keyboard With Bluetooth 4.2 Appear in FCC Filings
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Here's the bottom line: mouse shape, mouse vs. trackpad, keyboard style etc. are personal choices. Apple produce a handful of choices which are... interesting and may or may not suit you. For everybody else, macs are compatible with virtually all PC mice and keyboards (in some countries you might have to hunt around for a keyboard definition file) and officially supported by several manufacturers.
Personally, I like Apple's full-sized wired keyboard (I didn't like their older one with the spongey full-travel keys or the metallic-finish one built into the original MacBooks), I like (with reservations) the trackpad, and I'd rather chew my own hand off than use a Magic Mouse for any length of time. Other people have other preferences, and some people here should deal with that...
Of course (and I know this isn't your argument) you're SOL if you don't have a spare, charged battery to hand.
Plus, mice like the Logitech MX Performance and MX Master are designed so that you can still use them while they are charging: you just have to put up with the equivalent of a wired mouse for an hour or so.
Actually, I think the concern is that it might kill its battery as fast as previous models - another reason I prefer Logitech. The new bluetooth LE mode should help (provided you've got a new-ish Mac that supports it).
Works great, real bt (3 devices)
But there are always some annoyances like the finish of the aluminium, and build quality In general. The missing forward and back media buttons turned out to be more important than I thought.
I have found the best batteries for the MM and the Trackpad are NiZn high voltage rechargeables. As they start off at 1.6V, they don't show as empty until they really are flat. I get up to 2 months per charge dependant on usage. For some reason these have become difficult to find, so I bought 4 spare pairs for the future. The only downside is that you need to use a specific NiZn charger, although Nitecore claim that their i4 lithium battery intellicharger, that I have for the 18650 batteries in my Trustfire 8000 lumen torch, will charge them but I have not been brave enough to try.
Thank you! Going to check that out, maybe better than my current mobee charger (not ideal).
Got some FREE cheap batteries from Harbor Freight. Allegedly heavy duty and they last only 2 weeks in my trackpad. Other brands are only a few days longer.
Eneloops now with always charged ones on standby.
I write dates on the batteries on a piece of scotch tape to see how long they last.
In summary though trackpad is a battery eater. My guess is the MM and keyboard are too.
Holding out for a wireless Apple keyboard with num pad. (one can hope)
I use sony rechargeables, which I have read are repackaged eneloops, and i get maybe 3 weeks on trackpad an probably a couple months on keyboard.
I have the sony 2000mah rechargeables, i have those because i have not seen the eneloops here and they are a pretty decent price at costco. They last about 3 weeks in the trackpad and a month and a half to two months in keyboard. Longer in each if I keep going past when they tell me to change them. How long do the eneloop's last? Wondering if they are worth the big price difference.
The original batteries in the trackpad and non rechargables last no time. Maybe 2 weeks trackpad and a month keyboard.
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Yes, I have seen that one but it is not solar. Logitech's Bluetooth offer in general is quite limited, which is a shame.
Works great, real bt (3 devices)
But there are always some annoyances like the finish of the aluminium, and build quality In general. The missing forward and back media buttons turned out to be more important than I thought.
I bought the Sculpt because I loved the Ergonomic Natural 4000. It comes with a USB dongle. I wasn't pleased at all but I stuck it into one of the USB slots. Typing was a chore. I had to hit keys twice, three times. Then it dawned on me: maybe there's a reception problem? I stuck the USB dongle in my external HDD (it has USB slots) and suddenly problems were solved. But I don't want that HDD on all the time. It's my El Capitan test drive disk. So I ended up purchasing a USB extension cable and placing the receiver 30 cm from the keyboard and now it works. It's amazing. Other than being a wireless keyboard that requires a cable, that is.
I see lots of room for improvement for Apple (or Microsoft, or Logitech, I don't care) here... I know this won't happen, but if Apple made an ergonomic keyboard with backlit keys operating via Bluetooth, I'd be willing to spend three times the amount I paid for Sculpt. Can someone please take my money? PLEASE?
I use it with my ipad only. IMO they really need to have more than one option - a desktop version AND a portable version. That said, my comment was more about the fact that they've removed the battery-holding piece in the back, so we *know* they're changing the design, and I don't think anyone wants flat. (And if people do...who *are* these people? It's harder to type on that way!)
This is false. A tilt in the keyboard means that the keys furthest from you are tilted closer to your fingers, which makes it easier to press them. This results in LESS wrist action while typing, not more. A tilted keyboard is only an issue for wrist bending if the desk it's sitting on is the wrong height, in which case the typist is going to have issues no matter what keyboard they're using.
i agree on one way, but how? Would it mean to have a charging plate somewhere or would it take power from the mac ??
Bought a Radio Shack when they closed a few stores, which in the end was not satisfactory as it uses a mini receiver, not built in and thus can be lost.
Also the did not configure the num section as Apple does and have a few keys missing.
Apple's Magic Mouse is a train wreck of poor design. It should be banned from the entire planet.
Usb receiver, though I don't consider this relevant. It works beautifully and the battery lasts and lasts - couldn't ask for more.
I have some branded ones and eneloops and it seems to me you don't need to replace the sony's for eneloops;
I don't think that's true at all, and i'll even go so far that the overly "natural" ergonomic mice and keyboards are marketing-based and self fulfilling prophecies. And i say that as a "business user".
I dunno, requiring a separate usb receiver is a big sticking point unless you are using it at a desk and never moving the thing. Battery life is the primary reason Logitech went with these receivers in the first place. Not sure if the latest versions of Bluetooth have caught up yet power-wise.
lol, you sure are butthurt about people wanting a number pad on this new keyboard. You're perfectly capable of using the current gen non-number pad keyboard for many years to come. A number pad also does not make the keyboard "gargantuan." It adds roughly 4-5" in width. Please tell me that makes a difference in front of today's 24-30" monitors. Please. I want to laugh some more.
I've had it with the not-so-magic mouse.
I'm a CAD user and the first big disappointment was that my CAD program (Archicad) doesn't support the new mouse, so I can pan, or zoom, but not both, unless I hold down the ALT key. Progress?!
I thought I'd solved the problem with MagicPrefs, which allowed me to configure the central click (Why on earth should we need a third-party program to enable a Mac product?)
But 2 problems remained: My finger wanders on the mouse and loses touch with the central zone. I need to stick a blob of something on it as a locator, like a band-aid, literally!
And more crucially, it has a mind of its own. If I let go of the mouse, the screen suddenly zooms in or out. Very disconcerting - and almost sick inducing.
So the solution: I'm about to invest £34 in a wired mighty mouse. One that behaves itself, allows scroll and zoom, and doesn't even need to be fed weekly with batteries!