Best iMac Accessories: Keyboard and Mouse

[ruslan120]

Hi MacRumors,

I've been using the Apple Keyboard + Mouse for a while now and while their aesthetics are terrific, the ergonomics are OK.

I was wondering if y'all* have any keyboard + mouse recommendations that would go well with an iMac.

- Ergonomics (is anybody using a vertical mouse? how is it?)
- Aesthetics - hoping to match an iMac 5K (non pro)
- would be cool if backlit
- input- wireless. slight preference to USB receivers over bluetooth to make dual booting easier

Your advice is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Best,
Ruslan

* I live in Virginia

 

[Martyimac]

I'm using a Daskeyboard and a Logitech M510 mouse.. But neither of these really fit your questions/desires. My only advice is to stay away from the Matias wired multl colored backlit wired keyboard. They took away the startup key strokes functionality because (Paraphrasing here) "They couldn't put that in because of the backlit option".

 

[ruslan120]

I'm using a Daskeyboard and a Logitech M510 mouse.. But neither of these really fit your questions/desires. My only advice is to stay away from the Matias wired multl colored backlit wired keyboard. They took away the startup key strokes functionality because (Paraphrasing here) "They couldn't put that in because of the backlit option".

- Nice.

Thanks for the response and advice and for sharing the config, I’ll check those out. and will (not) do.

 

[MadDane]

I have been using a Logitech MX Master for some years now and it is terrific (in my opinion). The new MX Master 3 just came out recently, so if I were in the market now I would get one of those. It also works with both Bluetooth and a USB dongle. You can choose whichever interface you want to use.

As for the keyboard, I am using the Magic Keyboard with numeric keypad. For me it works perfectly fine

 

[niteflyr]

I'm using this Azio Mac keyboard. It's backlit with all the Mac CMD, Option, numeric keys etc. It is wired USB though. No Bluetooth. I have both Apple mouse and trackpad. I find I use the trackpad 95% of the time.

 

[ruslan120]

I'm using this Azio Mac keyboard. It's backlit with all the Mac CMD, Option, numeric keys etc. It is wired USB though. No Bluetooth. I have both Apple mouse and trackpad. I find I use the trackpad 95% of the time.

That looks terrific! It reminds me of the vintage Mac keyboards shipped with the Powermacs.

 

[MrRabuf]

Ergonomics (is anybody using a vertical mouse? how is it?)

I use a Logitech MX Vertical at work and really like it. I spend all day in front of a computer and regular mice annoy my wrists when I use them for hours. The MX Vertical fixed all that. It does take some time getting used to but not nearly as much as a trackball, which is what I used for a couple years prior to getting it. At home, I use an old Performance MX but I'll be upgrading to an MX Master 3 soon. My only complaint about the MX Vertical is that, for its high price, I think it should have more of the features the MX Master line has.

As for my keyboard, I use a Kinesis Advantage at work. I've been using these for nearly 10 years now. It's goofy looking, very expensive, doesn't have backlit keys, has to be reset on occasion, takes about 2 weeks to get used to, but it's great for ergonomics. Quite a few people I work with use these. I basically type for a living (software engineer) and was starting to develop wrist pains with regular keyboards. This fixed that and made me a much faster typist. I'd only recommend one of these if you're hardcore about ergonomics and are really concerned about RSI. At home, I use a regular mechanical keyboard as my wife can't use a Kinesis (I have a 2nd one that I use when working from home).

 

[HDFan]

In order to reduce the chances of carpal tunnel I use an ergometric (slightly curved, not split) Logitech K350. It is a PC keyboard as I could not find a Mac one in that form factor. I remapped the ctrl, windows and alt keys to their Mac keyboard equivalent locations. Some of the extra controls work (volume up, volume down), others don't. There is no logitech software to allow keyboard configuration on a mac.

For a mouse I am still using a Performance Mouse MX which I love. Both use the same unifying receiver.

 

[mj_]

I use Apple's Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad combined with a Logitech MX Master 2S.

I can only use Apple's abysmal excuse for a mouse for 5 minutes until my hand starts twitching and cramping uncontrollably. I think it was made for dwarfs and children, and paid for by the chiropractor association of planet earth to promote their business and ruin everybody's muscles. The keyboard I have absolutely no issues with so I kept it.

 

[Fried Chicken]

I use apple’s extended USB keyboard and a G400S from logitech

 

[TheIntruder]

I use apple’s extended USB keyboard and a G400S from logitech

That's the setup I have as well.

"Best" is too subjective to definitively answer, particularly when it comes to input devices where personal preference plays such a large role. What's best for me is not necessarily best for anyone else.

In my experience, which began with manual typewriters, the best keyboard for me now is the late, great Apple A1243 wired "Keyboard with Numeric Keypad." It first came bundled with the original Aluminum iMac in 2007, and it's the keyboard I've been using since. I had doubts that I would like anything better than the reknown Extended Keyboards that preceded it, but was pleasantly surprised.

I like the feel of the keys, and it's quiet, well-made, durable, and compact, despite the full layout. Unlike past keyboards, the low profile, doesn't require any wrist pads, and it has enough tilt so as not to be completely flat. Apple said at the time that the frames were made from the remnants of the iMac's case manufacturing process, so there could be no better aesthetic match. The two USB 2 ports are outdated by modern standards, but could still be helpful in certain circumstances.

Though they were discontinued in 2017, I was lucky and just got a deal on one to go with my new Mac, but they're still readily available brand new on eBay, either in service part packaging, or NOS sealed retail packaging (which also includes a USB extension cable). And, they're commonly selling for $20 more than their original $49 list price, around the same as what people ask for the old Extended Keyboards(!).

The M110LL/A version has an F4 key configured for Dashboard. The M110LL/B version changed the label and function of that key for Mission Control LaunchPad, but the two are otherwise identical.

In my perfect world, there would be a backlit, wireless version with slightly dished key caps, but alas, that remains a dream.

When Apple finally came out with a Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, I thought it would be the one, but alas, while the keys feel ok, it otherwise lacks the build quality of the old wired keyboard. The Al casting is actually pretty nice, but, like some of Ive's thin-at-all-cost designs, it's not up to the task of real world usage and can bend/warp as a result. Not gonna pay $129/149 for a keyboard that can turn into a banana and won't sit flat on a desktop.

I also wanted to like Matias' offerings, but it seems that instead of being the perfect alternative to Apple, they still have issues with functionality or build quality, dating back to the days when the Tactile Pro was touted as the second coming, but wasn't. The Amazon reviews for other keyboards created enough doubt to stay away.

As for the mouse, I could keep happily using my old Kensington Optical Elite with the new Mac, but need to put to good use a Logitech G400s I acquired for half price when Radio Shack went belly up. It traces its lineage back to the classic MX500.

I tried, and returned the Satechi M1, which while a nice mouse, has too low of a profile for my taste, like the Magic Mice.

But, YMMV.