Image: Foundry
Forget the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air, the MacBook Neo is all anyone is talking about at the moment. And with good reason: the striking laptop has proved to be a surefire hit, with Apple managing to produce an affordable device that still offers the kind of build quality that equivalent Windows machines can only dream of.
That means it’s a good time to be part of the Apple universe, whether you’re a first-time customer or a long-time veteran. In fact, when you factor in desktop Macs and Apple’s recent Studio Display upgrades, we’re looking at one of the strongest Mac lineups ever.
But I can’t help feeling that something is missing from all the fuzzy positivity. Apple’s made-for-Mac Magic accessories should be the perfect add-ons for new Mac buyers, but after decades of making mice and keyboards, Apple’s accessories still don’t live up to their name.
The walled garden
I’ve been using Macs for 15 to 20 years and I’ve had plenty of experience with Apple’s mice and keyboards, new and old, in that time. The perspective gained in that time has shown me that these products have often been a weak spot for Apple.
The tiny scroll ball on the Apple Mighty Mouse seemed like a good idea, but they were prone to failure.
Apple
There was the Pro Mouse and its lack of a second button. Or the Mighty Mouse and its tiny scroll ball that didn’t take long to fail. I never had the misfortune to use the iMac G3’s hockey puck mouse, but plenty of poor unfortunates did.
On the typing side, I still have painful memories of the old Apple Keyboard from 2003 and its chunky keys that continually got stuck. And the butterfly keyboard? That was so bad that I bought an outdated MacBook Pro just so I wouldn’t have to get a then-current one with Apple’s doomed keyboard built in.
Apple has, after all, rectified things somewhat with the Magic Keyboard, which provides a comfortable enough experience for typists. Yet even then, that’s only half the battle. The modern Magic Mouse has more than its fair share of problems, from its wonky charging to its RSI-inducing low-profile shape. It also hasn’t been updated in the 11 years since its release.
In other words, Apple still hasn’t banished the ghosts of peripherals past. It just seems unfathomable to me that the same company that makes wondrous devices like the MacBook Neo or the high-end Mac Studio can fall so flat with its mice and keyboards.
Outside the garden
At this point, you might be thinking that this is all a bit of a storm in a teacup. After all, aren’t the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Mouse good enough? Perhaps they are, but since when has “good enough” been Apple’s mantra? Last time I checked, “insanely great” was the order of the day. Can any of us say that both of these devices have earned that moniker?
They might seem acceptable in isolation, but once you start looking outside the Apple ecosystem and you see what everyone else is up to, the scales fall away from your eyes.
If you’ve ever used a mechanical keyboard, for example, you’ll know what a difference one can make. While these devices are often promoted for gamers, they’re just as beneficial for typists too. Even if you don’t spend much time at your desk, you’ll appreciate the supremely comfortable typing feel they offer. The mechanical keyboard market is bursting with innovations everywhere you look, from magnetic switches whose actuation points can be customized, to hot-swappable options that let you add your own switches for the perfect experience.
Third-party mice, too, are leagues ahead of the best that Apple can whip up. Whether you want an ergonomically shaped pointer, one that’s loaded with buttons, or a mouse that’s so light it almost floats away, there are so many excellent choices out there. Sure, almost none have managed to replicate the Magic Mouse’s gesture pad, but is it worth wrecking your tendons for such a privilege? Not for me, it’s not.
Ever since I first tried a mechanical keyboard, I’ve left Apple’s Magic Keyboard firmly in my past, while the Magic Mouse can’t get within 200 feet of my desk. It’s a shame, because Apple’s products are so good in almost every other respect. Yet right now, they’re conspicuous by their absence from my setup, and I can’t see that changing any time soon.
Nothing in the offing
What can Apple do to fix up its Mac peripherals? Well, the obvious answer is to release new versions. But that doesn’t appear to be anywhere on the horizon.
Part of the problem is the strength of the Apple ecosystem. I know as well as anyone else that once you find yourself within the walled garden, it’s hard to leave. It’s only because I started my computing journey on Windows (I still use both a Mac and a PC) that I thought to try looking for outside offerings. Most Mac users, I suspect, stick with the defaults.
It also doesn’t help that the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse are fine. The Magic Mouse is, in my opinion, worse than the Magic Keyboard, but neither is so offensively bad to put people off by default. Compared to most membrane keyboards made for Windows, the Magic Keyboard is head and shoulders above its competition.
Combined, those two factors probably mean that there’s very little overt demand for change among Mac users. I expect it’s only enthusiasts like me who want something more, and given our numbers are probably fairly low, Apple is probably happy to let us get our peripherals from other companies. After all, it’s not like we’re ditching the Mac altogether.
I get the feeling that Apple is not averse to the idea of making a mechanical keyboard. Look back to 2024 when it worked with Corsair to develop Mac-exclusive versions of the K65 Plus keyboard, for instance. It wasn’t an Apple-branded mechanical keyboard, sure, but it’s the closest we’ve come to one and seemingly demonstrates that Apple isn’t entirely opposed to the product line.
But the real kicker is that the rumor mill is utterly silent on the idea of Apple shaking up its mice and keyboards. There’s been no talk of upgrades to the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, or even of supplementary devices being launched for those who want them. That tells me that I’m probably going to have to wait a lot longer before anything changes, or stick to my third-party devices.
But if it’s a toss-up between that and accepting what Apple brings to the table, I know which way I’m going to go.
If you’re in the market for new input devices, check out our keyboard best picks and mouse and trackpad best picks.
Author: Alex Blake, Contributor
Alex has been dabbling in Apple tech since he first got an iPhone 3GS and promptly jailbroke it for reasons he can’t quite remember. Since then, he’s interviewed Apple executives, scoured the internet for the most interesting apps and games, written countless features and how-to guides, and begrudgingly convinced himself that building a Hackintosh is probably more effort than it’s worth. Based in the UK, he enjoys hiking, gaming, soccer, and the occasional spot of cidermaking.
