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This isn't widely known, but the Magic2 keyboard can be turned into a wired keyboard by simply plugging in a thunderbolt wire. It will function entirely without

This isn't widely known, but the Magic2 keyboard can be turned into a wired keyboard by simply plugging in a thunderbolt wire. It will function entirely without bluetooth.

Hamuko 6y ago
I doubt many people don't like the Magic Keyboard because it's wireless, but rather because it has a different key feel. Although I have an A1243 at home and had a Magic Keyboard at the office and didn't feel like there was much of a difference between the two. If my A1243 failed for some reason, I'd probably just get one of those (since buying a mechanical keyboard with a Mac layout is impossible).
- citrusybread 6y ago
  I can highly recommend ... not buying the DAS keyboard with mac layout. I have one I got gently used from a coworker, who special ordered it... it's got a sticky spacebar that will random lock up and need to be lubricated; the keys are just printed on ABS so they're already wearing out and they look ugly as sin (plus they get so grimy so quickly). the only pro on this thing is the volume wheel / media keys, and the fact that the mac will recognize it and follow the "correct" behaviour. had tons of problems with previous keyboards since mac osx doesn't seem to have the same level of customization as eg kde. they're also advertised as having cherry keys, but they're really no-names -- not even Kalih, Outemu, or Gateron (who at this point are as reliable or better than cherry). Hard pass. My coolermaster keyboard ended up being a lot better. not holding my breath that apple gets its shit together and adopts a better keyboard layout. did wish someone made a mechanical that maybe used a dip switch or something easy to switch between layouts.
  - Hamuko 6y ago
    There actually isn't a Das keyboard with a Mac layout for there are no mechanical keyboards with a Mac layout on sale, period. Trust me, I've looked. So no worries, I'll just buy a Magic Keyboard if mine breaks. Or maybe I'll buy the Matias clone of the A1243.
    - suchire 6y ago
      This isn’t a Mac layout? https://www.daskeyboard.com/daskeyboard-4-professional-for-mac/ https://www.daskeyboard.com/daskeyboard-4-professional-for-m...
      - Hamuko 6y ago
        It's not. The Function key is in the wrong place, the Eject button is in the wrong place and it's removed the F14 and F15 in favour of brightness keys(?).
      - robertoandred 6y ago
        It says "Backspace" instead of Delete. Heresy.
    - semanticist 6y ago
      Here's one with a UK Mac layout: https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-va109mac-pbt-backlit-tactile-mac-keyboard.asp https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-va109mac-pbt-backlit-... I'm currently dithering between buying that or the Das as my own A1243 is slowly dying, but at least that one looks like all the buttons are in the right place.
      - Hamuko 6y ago
        That's not a Mac layout. Function key is in the wrong place (it should replace the Insert key) and it's missing an Eject key. I don't know why people find it so hard to believe when I say that there are no mechanical keyboards with a Mac layout. There just simply aren't. The best is the Matias Tactile Pro and even that has slight shortcomings (short Option and Eject button replaces F19). Pretty much everything else is just the manufacturer's generic PC keyboard with Mac-specific keycaps. This one is exactly that: a generic mechanical keyboard with Mac-specific keycaps. Just look at the non-Mac variant: https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-va109m-sakura-pbt-backlit-soft-linear-keyboard.asp https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-va109m-sakura-pbt-bac... It's exactly the same layout.
        6y ago
- throw-away_42 6y ago
  I've had a Matias Laptop Pro for Mac for years and I've been super-happy with it. Mechanical but very quiet. So it wasn't impossible for me, but you might have other criteria that would make it so.
  - Hamuko 6y ago
    I don't consider 60%ers real keyboards. Also, Matias' tendency to shorten the Option key on their mechanical keyboards annoys me. I think the Laptop Pro might also only be available with an US layout.
- spike021 6y ago
  >since buying a mechanical keyboard with a Mac layout is impossible Recently bought a Keychron K2. First mechanical keyboard ever (except the older keyboards that came with computers in the 90's/early 00's). It's pretty great. Bluetooth and wired modes. Has keycaps for Command and Option. Has the media key icons on the function keys. It also has a switch so you can quickly set it for Windows (and it comes with keycaps for that as well).
- dubya 6y ago
  I have an A1243 at home and a Magic Keyboard 2 at work. The difference in feel doesn't bother me, but the fn in the left corner gets me every time. Caps lock is mapped to control on both, but apparently I use that other control key when switching browser tabs.
  - Hamuko 6y ago
    So you have the short version of the Magic Keyboard right? Because the full-sized Magic Keyboard should have the Function key in its rightful place.
    - dubya 6y ago
      Yes, the short version. I didn't realize there was a full-size version or I'm sure I would have picked that when my Mac was replaced.
ceejayoz 6y ago
(This also seems to fix Bluetooth connectivity issues. I've got a Mac that likes to forget its connections, and doing this appears to force a "oh, I recognize that device".)
- devenson 6y ago
  FYI- disconnects may be caused by USB-3 interference with bluetooth signal.
IndrekR 6y ago
Using Magic2s on my PCs. Wired. Windows needed a driver extracted from bootcamp to make fn key work properly. Those I consider to be the best keyboards I have used so far; and I have used many, including the much hyped original IBM mechanical ones (with the PCs they came with).
gurkendoktor 6y ago
The current Magic Keyboard has the weird arrow key layout that Apple already phased out again on its laptops. I also don't like how it feels to type on. But the ability to use a Lightning (not Thunderbolt) cable is a godsend on my Magic Trackpad 2, for some reason I'm getting a lot of lag with Bluetooth.
awiesenhofer 6y ago
Connecting a keyboard via pcie, now thats a commitment to low latency. Although Apple keyboards are great at that even via USB: https://danluu.com/keyboard-latency/ https://danluu.com/keyboard-latency/

This isn't widely known, but the Magic2 keyboard can be turned into a wired keyboard by simply plugging in a thunderbolt wire. It will function entirely without bluetooth.

Hamuko 6y ago

I doubt many people don't like the Magic Keyboard because it's wireless, but rather because it has a different key feel. Although I have an A1243 at home and had a Magic Keyboard at the office and didn't feel like there was much of a difference between the two. If my A1243 failed for some reason, I'd probably just get one of those (since buying a mechanical keyboard with a Mac layout is impossible).

citrusybread 6y ago
I can highly recommend ... not buying the DAS keyboard with mac layout. I have one I got gently used from a coworker, who special ordered it... it's got a sticky spacebar that will random lock up and need to be lubricated; the keys are just printed on ABS so they're already wearing out and they look ugly as sin (plus they get so grimy so quickly). the only pro on this thing is the volume wheel / media keys, and the fact that the mac will recognize it and follow the "correct" behaviour. had tons of problems with previous keyboards since mac osx doesn't seem to have the same level of customization as eg kde. they're also advertised as having cherry keys, but they're really no-names -- not even Kalih, Outemu, or Gateron (who at this point are as reliable or better than cherry). Hard pass. My coolermaster keyboard ended up being a lot better. not holding my breath that apple gets its shit together and adopts a better keyboard layout. did wish someone made a mechanical that maybe used a dip switch or something easy to switch between layouts.
- Hamuko 6y ago
  There actually isn't a Das keyboard with a Mac layout for there are no mechanical keyboards with a Mac layout on sale, period. Trust me, I've looked. So no worries, I'll just buy a Magic Keyboard if mine breaks. Or maybe I'll buy the Matias clone of the A1243.
  - suchire 6y ago
    This isn’t a Mac layout? https://www.daskeyboard.com/daskeyboard-4-professional-for-mac/ https://www.daskeyboard.com/daskeyboard-4-professional-for-m...
    - Hamuko 6y ago
      It's not. The Function key is in the wrong place, the Eject button is in the wrong place and it's removed the F14 and F15 in favour of brightness keys(?).
    - robertoandred 6y ago
      It says "Backspace" instead of Delete. Heresy.
  - semanticist 6y ago
    Here's one with a UK Mac layout: https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-va109mac-pbt-backlit-tactile-mac-keyboard.asp https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-va109mac-pbt-backlit-... I'm currently dithering between buying that or the Das as my own A1243 is slowly dying, but at least that one looks like all the buttons are in the right place.
    - Hamuko 6y ago
      That's not a Mac layout. Function key is in the wrong place (it should replace the Insert key) and it's missing an Eject key. I don't know why people find it so hard to believe when I say that there are no mechanical keyboards with a Mac layout. There just simply aren't. The best is the Matias Tactile Pro and even that has slight shortcomings (short Option and Eject button replaces F19). Pretty much everything else is just the manufacturer's generic PC keyboard with Mac-specific keycaps. This one is exactly that: a generic mechanical keyboard with Mac-specific keycaps. Just look at the non-Mac variant: https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-va109m-sakura-pbt-backlit-soft-linear-keyboard.asp https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-va109m-sakura-pbt-bac... It's exactly the same layout.
      - 6y ago
throw-away_42 6y ago
I've had a Matias Laptop Pro for Mac for years and I've been super-happy with it. Mechanical but very quiet. So it wasn't impossible for me, but you might have other criteria that would make it so.
- Hamuko 6y ago
  I don't consider 60%ers real keyboards. Also, Matias' tendency to shorten the Option key on their mechanical keyboards annoys me. I think the Laptop Pro might also only be available with an US layout.
spike021 6y ago
>since buying a mechanical keyboard with a Mac layout is impossible Recently bought a Keychron K2. First mechanical keyboard ever (except the older keyboards that came with computers in the 90's/early 00's). It's pretty great. Bluetooth and wired modes. Has keycaps for Command and Option. Has the media key icons on the function keys. It also has a switch so you can quickly set it for Windows (and it comes with keycaps for that as well).
dubya 6y ago
I have an A1243 at home and a Magic Keyboard 2 at work. The difference in feel doesn't bother me, but the fn in the left corner gets me every time. Caps lock is mapped to control on both, but apparently I use that other control key when switching browser tabs.
- Hamuko 6y ago
  So you have the short version of the Magic Keyboard right? Because the full-sized Magic Keyboard should have the Function key in its rightful place.
  - dubya 6y ago
    Yes, the short version. I didn't realize there was a full-size version or I'm sure I would have picked that when my Mac was replaced.

ceejayoz 6y ago

(This also seems to fix Bluetooth connectivity issues. I've got a Mac that likes to forget its connections, and doing this appears to force a "oh, I recognize that device".)

devenson 6y ago
FYI- disconnects may be caused by USB-3 interference with bluetooth signal.

IndrekR 6y ago

Using Magic2s on my PCs. Wired. Windows needed a driver extracted from bootcamp to make fn key work properly. Those I consider to be the best keyboards I have used so far; and I have used many, including the much hyped original IBM mechanical ones (with the PCs they came with).

gurkendoktor 6y ago

The current Magic Keyboard has the weird arrow key layout that Apple already phased out again on its laptops. I also don't like how it feels to type on. But the ability to use a Lightning (not Thunderbolt) cable is a godsend on my Magic Trackpad 2, for some reason I'm getting a lot of lag with Bluetooth.

awiesenhofer 6y ago

Connecting a keyboard via pcie, now thats a commitment to low latency. Although Apple keyboards are great at that even via USB: https://danluu.com/keyboard-latency/ https://danluu.com/keyboard-latency/