Logitech's 'Designed for Mac' collection includes a mechanical keyboard
Logitech released a line of mice and keyboards designed for Mac, including a mechanical option that may appeal to enthusiasts.
Logitech Mechanical Mini keyboard
Logitech says plastic parts in MX for Mac and Lift for Mac products include certified post-consumer recycled plastic to give a second life to end-of-life plastic from old consumer electronics.
Logitech Lift Mouse
Although the collection is called Designed for Mac, Logitech says the keyboards have an Easy-Switch button to use on iPads and iPhones.
Read on AppleInsider
Logitech Mechanical Mini keyboard
Logitech says plastic parts in MX for Mac and Lift for Mac products include certified post-consumer recycled plastic to give a second life to end-of-life plastic from old consumer electronics.
New Logitech Keyboards
- MX Mechanical Mini for Mac: The Mechanical Mini is Logitech's first mechanical keyboard optimized for Mac. MX Mechanical Mini for Mac features Tactile Quiet low-profile switches and Smart Backlighting.
- K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard: This modern keyboard features round, scooped keys for smooth, quiet typing in a minimalist layout. It's available in new Blueberry color.
Logitech Lift Mouse
Although the collection is called Designed for Mac, Logitech says the keyboards have an Easy-Switch button to use on iPads and iPhones.
New Logitech Mice
- MX Master 3S for Mac: The MagSpeed Electromagnetic wheel handles 1,000 lines per second, and can set the DPI between 1,000 and 8,000 for work on either one or multiple high resolution monitors.
- Lift for Mac: The vertical ergonomic mouse is ideal for people with small to medium-sized hands. At a 57-degree angle, it puts less pressure on the wrist throughout the day and places the arms and upper bodies in a more natural posture.
Pricing & Availability
- MX Mechanical Mini for Mac: $149.99
- MX Master 3S for Mac: $99.99
- Lift for Mac: $69.99
- K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard: $39.99
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Some of the keys on the Mx Mechanical mini for Mac keyboard don't look to be standard width and are less wide. If it is for Mac, why are the functions in the function key row different from a Mac laptop keyboard? There's always something.
The other keys (tab, caps lock, shift, control, command, option) have to be adjusted for the constraints of the 65% layout which is one key wider than the main layout.
It should be pointed out that Apple themselves have futzed around with the keyboard layout on their smaller keyboards:
See how the four arrow keys are half sized? Here the function key is on the lower left. That key is elsewhere on the full sized wired keyboard.
There's a standard width between the center of each of the main keys. In the case of the Logitech keyboard and this Apple wireless keyboard, the keycaps are narrower than the base of Cherry MX keycaps.
Note that the ASD and ZXC rows are offset by half the width of a standard key. That's normal. Same with the 123 and QWE rows. However the offset between the QWE and ASD rows is much smaller. Again, this is normal and it's not specific to Apple/Mac keyboards. It's the same if you look at a PC keyboard. This layout has been like this for decades.
There's generally no standard for the function key row apart from putting the Esc key in the upper left and having twelve function keys due to software conventions. The alternate functions (screen brightness, keyboard brightness, media control, volume control) are all at the discretion of the keyboard manufacturer. As you can see, this keyboard uses F4 for the now-discontinued Dashboard.
Bonus points if mini-keyboard had display keys so it could be used as function board for apps or numeric modes.
It's a mechanical keyboard with replaceable keycaps. So, if the keys don't look the right size, they did something wrong as buyers typical want the option to have replaceable key caps on this sort of keyboard. But it looks like an optical illusion, so that's good that it really is "standard".
Here are a couple if other low-profile 75% keyboards that are "made for Mac":
Basically the same layout, with different treatments for the top row of keys.
I guess some people need to be reminded that this keycap style dates back to the IBM Selectric days.
Apple’s chiclet style keyboard is more problematic since you can’t easily access the base for cleaning.
The versions with the Cherry MX style keycaps remind me more of the better keyboards of yesteryear, not today’s chiclet designs which are nonsensical for desktop keyboards.
They work great as pucks, but yes they are horrible if you want a mouse you mug to use.