Logitech MX Keys Mini: Svelte keyboard takes cues from Apple in more ways than one Logitech has shrunk its MX Keys wireless keyboard, but does a backlight justify Apple-esque pricing? We put it through its paces to find out. Peripherals maker Logitech has long been a noise in the keyboard marketplace, and its MX Keys keyboard is a fan favourite (or "beloved" as company modestly described it in its fact sheet …
$99.99 on Logitech's website.
They look like the Logitech K380 that I use a lot of. (I have one per each column of 3 tablets I run, the three devices buttons work excellently and the batteries last like forever, and the keyboard is compact so they can sit side by side nicely).
They cost me around ~£20 currently, $29.
https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/keyboards/k380-multi-device.920-009599.html
The Mac styled version he's bought will likely have Apple licensing fees on it to be able to show the Apple logo. He'll be paying a lot of Apple tax on that.
But the regular keyboards (the ones with identical functionality and compact size) are very cheap and work as well but without the silly pricing.
I have a K380 and it's brilliant! Not rechargeable but then it doesn't have a backlight.
I also have an mx keys - this is by far and away the best keyboard I've ever had.
And a k360 keyboard that is surprisingly cheap and also excellent.
It's one thing I won't compromise on - my keyboard and mouse. I use the damn things all day long so I really should get something of high quality.
I came here to say the same thing - a link to the product on Logitech's website wouldn't have gone amiss, either.
Ok, so I suppose it's DIY then:
Site: https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/products/keyboards/mx-keys-mini.html
Price: £99
probably in the same fashion as 'if you have to ask the price of this car, you can't afford it'.
So, basically, this text is purely for entertainment (HOW MUCH?!) value.
...
no, fuckit, I won't check the b... price on the internets, I've spent more than enough time on this and comment. I'll only say that my 2nd hand (practically brand new) 8 quick, almost quiet keyboard is BRILLIANT (so much so, that I bought about 8 in total, over the last couple of years), so up yours, logitech! :)
or furniture?
It seems like companies focus more on the looks than usefulness.
Cursors are probably the most used keys, followed by Home, End, Page Up, Page Down and we see cursors are tiny and other keys are probably accessible through some sort of Fn gymnastics.
Clearly it's a keyboard to write a tweet or Instagram post.
That's a lot of money for a very small non-mechanical keyboard. I guess this is for the mac users, they love to man their wallets, that said its the same price as the apple keyboard so why wouldn't they pick one of those up on their daily apple store trip?
Also at what point did F-keys piss off the world that we're constantly relegating them to be used only with a modifier key.
Does Apple sells multi devices compact keyboards? And does these keyboards allow to use a more reliable wireless option than bluetooth (unifying, Bolt, etc)?
If so, please let me know, because I'm interested in a compact, multi device solution that uses little bandwidth, like Flow.
And before you point me to Barrier, it didn't work on Big Sur. Flow with all it's problems, did.
Definitions move forward.... so many keys! Hardly a svelte keyboard by current standards.
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From the article
"That said, we did find it a bit of wrench to go back to the Apple Magic Keyboard after spending time in the company of the MX Keys Mini. And that tells a tale in itself."
The tale being, why would anyone be daft enough to go back to, what they consider, an inferior keyboard? Apart from not missing a chance to dig at Apple.
But can you? MX keys keyboards need some software to do all the fancy stuff. Like actually do any of the stuff Logi advertise.meaningful . Just not on a Linux box where the software isn’t available.
So, Media keys? Nope! All the fancy key assignments? Nope. The fancy keyboard and mouse stuff? Nope.
Logi advertise the full size MX as being compatible with iOS, Windows and Linux, even says so on the box.
But compatibility is a movable feast in many marketing departments.
As a little aside I have a couple of old Apple 2009 ish, wired keyboards that work perfectly, media keys and everything.
Kill it with fire. Nuke it from orbit. Repeatedly. With extreme prejudice. Just To Be Sure. Microwave it until it glows, stick it in a blast furnace until it flows, pour the sludge into a radioactive hazmat container, seal it from ever being opened again, then launch it into the sun. Don't forget to include everyone up the chain that thought it was a good idea. The B Ark is too good for them. Vogon poetry readings isn't harsh enough. In fact, make them listen to the llama song until their heads explode!
/Wanders off to go find my dried frog pills...
UK ISO MX Keys (Mini) keyboards are dual labelled with PC layout and the special strange Mac layout, so you can change your keyboard on the Mac to use the British PC layout.
UK ISO MX Keys for Mac keyboards are only labelled with the special strange Mac layout.
Their non-Mac keyboards are printed for both standard UK, and Apple UK layouts.
Their Mac keyboards just have the Mac UK layout.
But Mac Keyboards have an additional key on the numeric keypad, not applicable to mini-keyboards like this one.
Also for the media keys, Logitech's Mac Keyboard is same as Apple's, but the non-Mac Keyboard does its own thing which is different to both Apple and Microsoft.
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