New iMac Magic Keyboard with Touch ID available for individual sale

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 28

    so it just got delivered by DHL Express in The Netherlands, really, really quick, a day early even, Apple's Dutch online store, yesterday when it was released, listed a delivery date of the 5th of August (at the earliest):


    works as you would expect, but developers will need to update their software to see it, as I can't unlock 1Pw with it when the MacBook is also closed / in clamshell mode:


    edited August 2021
  • Reply 22 of 28
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    The extended keyboard looks weird with the power button in the middle.
  • Reply 23 of 28
    crowley said:
    The extended keyboard looks weird with the power button in the middle.
    no it's not a power button, just Touch ID / quick lock key, but I like this placement it's logical to have it here then on the end of the extended keyboard.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 24 of 28
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    daveflash said:
    crowley said:
    The extended keyboard looks weird with the power button in the middle.
    no it's not a power button, just Touch ID / quick lock key, but I like this placement it's logical to have it here then on the end of the extended keyboard.
    Sorry, yeah, not sure why I said power, just conflated the two because I use a MacBook Air with combined button.  

    Let me revise:  The extended keyboards looks weird with the Touch ID button in the middle.
  • Reply 25 of 28
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,631member
    I was excited until I read the Touch ID doesn’t work on Intel Macs.
    This seems like an arbitrary decision on Apple’s part, especially if one is running the latest OS.  It really limits their market, but that’s Apple. 

    Oh, well!
    williamlondon
  • Reply 26 of 28
    nicholfdnicholfd Posts: 824member
    eriamjh said:
    I was excited until I read the Touch ID doesn’t work on Intel Macs.
    This seems like an arbitrary decision on Apple’s part, especially if one is running the latest OS.  It really limits their market, but that’s Apple. 

    Oh, well!
    It requires the Secure Enclave on the CPU.  M1 CPUs have it - Intel CPUs don't.  That's not arbitrary.
    sphericwilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 27 of 28
    nicholfd said:
    It requires the Secure Enclave on the CPU.  M1 CPUs have it - Intel CPUs don't.  That's not arbitrary.
    well intel Macs with Touch ID would've had an T1 or T2 security chip which does the same for TouchID on those Macs, so really if it's at all a decision to push away from Intel it is just that, though technically it could also be the Bluetooth version used and the fact that this keyboard now also has it's own partial Secure Enclave like chip that does the pre-processing before communicating to a Mac. I guess we'll have to wait on a proper teardown of the keyboard to know for sure if it's special chip is the limiting factor or if it's just apple being apple being apple again and limiting it to the M1's to sell those.
    williamlondonwatto_cobramrtotes
  • Reply 28 of 28
    mrtotesmrtotes Posts: 760member
    nicholfd said:
    eriamjh said:
    I was excited until I read the Touch ID doesn’t work on Intel Macs.
    This seems like an arbitrary decision on Apple’s part, especially if one is running the latest OS.  It really limits their market, but that’s Apple. 

    Oh, well!
    It requires the Secure Enclave on the CPU.  M1 CPUs have it - Intel CPUs don't.  That's not arbitrary.
    Any reason why the Secure Enclave couldn't have been in the Touch ID keyboard though?  

    --

    As iPhone/iPad leaves Touch ID behind, wonder why the M1 iMacs didn't do Face ID? I think I preferred Touch ID - at least on mobile where it could be unlocking as my thumb was on the device in my pocket - too often Face ID doesn't like me when i wake up :-D.  Surely the iMac's iSight (or whatever the front-facing camera is called nowadays) could just recognize the user sat in front of it - perhaps not deliberate enough? <blockquote class="Quote">
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