Apple Magic Keyboard

What hackers pick instead

• Lenovo ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard IIPeople recommend it for its compact layout, built-in TrackPoint pointing stick and flexible USB or Bluetooth connection. Critics say build quality is poor and the keys are not durable.18recommend
• Logitech K400People recommend it as a cheap, portable wireless keyboard with a touchpad for controlling TVs and media setups. Critics say it triggers accidentally and opens settings unexpectedly.8recommend
• Logitech K380Compact Bluetooth keyboard that switches smoothly between several devices, is small enough to travel with, and runs on AAA batteries.6recommend
• Happy Hacking KeyboardPeople recommend it as a long-lasting keyboard, with owners often reporting around 10 years of use; critics mention a low polling rate and some noise.5recommend
• Logitech MX Keys MiniPeople recommend it for comfortable typing over long sessions and a sturdy build that holds up to daily use over time.5recommend

Every quote

The 40 most detailed of 66 comments. Each links to the original.

1. The Apple magic keyboard is my favourite keyboard (least amount of travel/force, for speed and to be easy on my hands/wrists)

   Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Keyboard differences between Windows and Macs”

2. With the keyboard, it's mostly about having very short travel and actuation force as well as a little bit of dampening.

   Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “LLMs may have helped my RSI”

3. on Mac, as shit as it is, you can buy Apple's magic keyboard with TouchID (for crazy money, but still)

   Mixed · Oct 2026 · in “Passkeys are a trap”

4. I've got the fingerprint reader right next to my standing desk controls so it's really convenient

   Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?”

5. the "click" is immediate and the entirety travel distance of the key is the activation bump

   Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard”

6. Apple's keyboard case has a fantastic keyboard and trackpad that is a pleasure to type on.

   Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “MacBook Neo and How the iPad Should Be”

7. I keep an apple magic keyboard off to the side of my desk just for the touch ID sensor.

   Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard”

8. It's positioned, so that I can reach under, without looking, and touch the Touch ID.

   Mixed · Dec 2025 · in “Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?”

9. You get TouchID, pretty good BT performance and integration in the Apple ecosystem

   Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?”

10. The apple magic keyboard, full-size, gives me about 10-20% faster typing speeds.

    Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard”

11. less movement = less fatigue, so I think they're amazing

    Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Should you stop cracking your knuckles?”

12. I love the Magic Keyboard but hate the lack of clack

    Mixed · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard”

13. just find the magic keyboard a nicer experience

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?”

14. I just love the ergonomics and feel

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “My MacBook Keyboard Is Broken and It's Insanely Expensive to Fix”

15. the keyboard is delightful

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Apple introduces the new iPad Air, powered by M4”

16. their current low-travel "magic" monstrosities are like laptop keyboards, where usability is compromised for portability

    Criticizes · Oct 2026 · in “Keyboard differences between Windows and Macs”

17. It doubled the weight, and removed the ability to hold it in my hand or in portrait

    Criticizes · Sep 2026 · in “iPhone Duo”

18. an M5 13" ipad pro plus magic keyboard costs and weighs more than a laptop

    Criticizes · Sep 2026 · in “My iPad replaced my MacBook on the go”

19. crazy expensive vendor lock-in accessory along with the Touch ID keyboard

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “I'm a laptop weirdo and that's why I like my new Framework 13”

20. Apple expects $149 minimum for their extremely mediocre membrane keyboard

    Criticizes · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard”

21. still have to have the Apple keyboard cluttering my desk for biometrics

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?”

22. Apple chooses to make their Touch ID sensor 100% proprietary

    Criticizes · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard”

23. Gotta buy their terrible keyboard for $150 to get that.

    Criticizes · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard”

24. I also have a Magic Keyboard that I can simply pop on if I need to write any significant amount

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Apple introduces the new iPad Air, powered by M4”

25. They both have perfectly usable ports on the front and even work when wired without pairing.

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “The Windows 95 User Interface: A Case Study in Usability Engineering”

26. The keyboard, comparing to anything that is sold for tablets is amazing, laptop experience.

    Recommends · May 2026 · in “I love my Bluetooth keyboard”

27. It’s actually more intuitive to use a magic keyboard on the iPad than on the desktop OS.

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)”

28. most of my time is booping around in the window environment with the Magic Keyboard case

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “MacBook Neo and How the iPad Should Be”

29. Apple is one of the only ways to get a good chiclet keyboard as a peripheral

    Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Magic Switch: Share Apple Magic keyboard/track-pad/mouse between two Macs”

30. my Magic Keyboard and Trackpad up to the same KVM switch and that works fine

    Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Magic Switch: Share Apple Magic keyboard/track-pad/mouse between two Macs”

31. Certainly the Magic Keyboard is way better than any alternatives I've seen.

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “I Won't Download Your App. The Web Version Is A-OK”

32. lets you use the iPad without it having to be resting on a solid surface

    Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “It's hard to justify Tahoe icons”

33. The trackpad on Apple's newest iPad Pro keyboard case is excellent.

    Recommends · May 2026 · in “I switched from Mac to a Lenovo Chromebook, and you can too”

34. It would be a 5/10 if the Bluetooth wasn’t so magically seamless.

    Mixed · Dec 2025 · in “Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?”

35. they did a complete 180 once they reintroduced the magic keyboard

    Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “MacBook Neo Is So Popular That Apple Doubled Production”

36. Yeah, I also love this particular aspect of this keyboard.

    Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Should you stop cracking your knuckles?”

37. I’m using the iPad Magic Keyboard which is also a stand.

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Apple introduces the new iPad Air, powered by M4”

38. the touch id one feels much better to type on anyway

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?”

39. You don’t need to buy a new $150 magic keyboard

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?”

40. the Magic keyboard/trackpad aren't bad at all

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “MacBook Neo isn't innovation: It's Apple correcting a story it pushed for years”