Is it worth buying the Mac keyboard for a dedicated Linux PC instead of the windows one?

brax, 2 months ago

No? Those keyboards aren’t even all that great. Why not just buy a mechanical one and call it a day?

Also, what’s wrong with the super key? Especially considering it’s also used in Linux

med, 2 months ago

I can honestly say my space grey first-gen magic keyboard has served me well. It sits on my desk at work, I use it every day, and it only needs charging once every few months.

The only thing I’ve ever done to damage it is pulling the z key off to clean between the keys, I tried to jam it back on wrong and ruined part of the scissor mechanism

My next keyboard may yet be one of the newer models, but it’s to expensive to pull the trigger yet.

Having tried it in person, I’m also considering the logitech mx keys mac variant. I didn’t even notice the key shaping while actually typing, and it’s the first keyboard I’d say comes close to being a magic keyboard replacement.

I like the option(alt)/command(super) switched layout.

I’ve got a keychron k3 ultra v2 too. I finally gave in on the mechanical keyboard train and splurged a bit - but now:

• I need a wrist rest, even this ultra low profile version is way higher than I’m used to.
• I hate the layout (my own fault for buying the most cramped version)
• On linux at least, bluetooth is not the greatest (sometimes needs a keyboard restart to fix key send delay and repeat keys)
• I picked the optical (cherry mx red equivelant) switches and they’re mushy af.

I’ve had the white slim first-gen mini magic keyboard for years too. The battery swelled up, so I removed it and use it wired now. That was probably 8/9 years old.

nyan, 2 months ago

I ended up with a 103-key Unicomp New Model M (essentially the same layout as a 101-key, but with one Windows key and one context menu key stuffed into what would have been the small blank spaces in the bottom row between ctrl and alt—I really wanted a full-length spacebar). Linux is most often installed onto ex-Windows PCs, so it’s hardly surprising that it expects the Windows keyboard layout.

(I believe the current generation of Gnome devs is big on minimalism, AKA omitting or removing features. I can understand the appeal from a code maintenance point of view, but it’s never been a DE that I liked.)

You can buy keyboards with replaceable keycaps. You can also buy keycaps with Tux logos on them for at least some of those keyboards. You can decide for yourself whether your aesthetic dislike of the Windows logo is worth the rather higher price of such a keyboard.

MrPhibb, 2 months ago

No need for an Apple keyboard unless you’re looking for extra function keys, a regular keyboard will work fine, and if’n for some reason you need the Mac layout, it’s available, I’ve always used the English (Macintosh) layout so I can get easy access to keys I like to use or sometimes need.

DarthYoshiBoy, 2 months ago

I've dabbled with Linux on Mac hardware a couple of times and I've got to say that Linux DEs generally hew closer to Windows conventions than Mac ones and I found using the Mac keyboard with Linux to be a dreadful experience without the fact that the chiclet keyboards are the worst shit I've ever put my fingers on.

I very quickly snagged a standard mechanical qwerty 104 key with brown switches and cursed every moment that I had to use that abominable keyboard built into the stupid MacBook. Apple seems determined to do things different for the sake of different as much as they possibly can and trying to adapt all their nonsense to the Win/Lin way of doing things made my life worse in numerous ways (most DEs have great remapping for keys and such, but it gets messy fast if you've got apps from different paradigms.)

I'd very much recommend against going out of your way to get a Mac keyboard for using Linux unless you enjoy fighting against things. But hey, if that's your kink, then a Mac keyboard with Linux would be my recommended way to go.

gregorum, 2 months ago

If you are used to Mac keyboard, layout, go right ahead. You can get a number of really nice third-party keyboards with that layout. Linux will natively adapt to it, and you’ll be fine. There may be one or two apps that don’t natively switch, but they will be far and few between. Personally, I don’t know of any of that I happen to use.

As someone who uses Macs and Linux systems, I prefer this, so I don’t have to keep switching between different keyboard layouts.

Scio, 2 months ago

Why would anyone do this to themselves. Even Mac people buy custom keyboards themselves for a reason!

That said, I use the Mac "cmd" symbol instead of the "Windows" symbol for my super key (a la Elementary) on my cheap but lovely Keychron K2 Pro. It just looks better 😁!

Aatube, 2 months ago

You can buy a normal (or better yet, English-International) keyboard without the Windows key without confusing yourself with new layout conventions.

pudcollar, 2 months ago

I’m typing on a mac keyboard on Debian. USB one with the numpad. It’s fantastic if you’re into that.

The last time I tried to pair the magic mouse 2 though, no joy. I’d be wary of the bluetooth keyboard.

sab, 2 months ago

If you want to crazy with the keyboard, consider switching to Dvorak instead! It's an investment of course, but you get used to it surprisingly quick and the typing experience is a lot better. As for the function button you can always just remap them to your preference, I don't see the point in making a fuzz. Most distros are also made with a PC keyboard in mind, not that I know if that matters.

As for GNOME vs KDE, it's up to personal preference. I enjoy my GNOME setup a lot, running just a couple extensions to get it just the way I like it. I enjoy that there are very few options and distractions around that I am not interested in. And I of course understand that other people prefer KDE. It's great that there are two dominant DEs with such completely different design philosophies.

possiblylinux127, 2 months ago

Why would you want that? There keyboards are awful.

tim-clark, 2 months ago

The stupid 150$ apple bt keyboard has to be kept plugged in because the bt is trash. Drops characters when on bt, then just drops connection. Even when plugged in has a slow response vs any of the logitech ones I have.

Overall apple keyboards are junk

Veraxus, 2 months ago

It does not make a meaningful difference at all. Get the keyboard you like best. Personally, I'm a fan of the Logitech G915 (Windows layout) for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Semi-Hemi-Demigod, 2 months ago

My very minimal experience with an in store mac-book has cautioned me away from the fisher-price OS

Saying it's a Fisher-Price OS is like saying Linux is Fisher-Price because people have anime themes.

It's Unix under the hood. It's just as much a "real" operating system as any desktop Linux distro. It just looks nice.

Artemis_Mystique, 2 months ago

Sorry if it offended you, to me it just felt locked down like iOS, only time I used MacOs when I spun up a virtual machine to try it out

Semi-Hemi-Demigod, 2 months ago

No offense taken! There are a lot of justifiable reasons why people would avoid Apple products, I just don't think the desktop OS is one of them.

chepycou, 2 months ago

@Semi@kbin.social @Artemis_Mystique I totally disagree, I have to troubleshoot software installations for students and help them repair broken devices and I spend most of my time fixing one or two issues for the biology or mathematics students having macs. (And when their computers are broken, well I advise them to buy a new one which they'll be able to get repaired).
It's just not meant for serious computer use, IMO. The only contexts it beats #Linux et rivals windows seems to be in creative settings.

Semi-Hemi-Demigod, 2 months ago

I’ve been seriously using a Mac for over 20 years in my career across the tech industry and I respectfully disagree.

chepycou, 2 months ago

@Semi@kbin.social @Artemis_Mystique Well, maybe the problems the students are facing are due to all of the software that the school uses being incompatible with apple. (Knowing how apple loves to be incompatible themselves, I guess that's quite logical).

And I am sure an experienced user can find workarounds to get the computer to work properly. (#asahilinux being the first thing that comes to my mind, though I never tried #asahi personally because I don't want to contribute to apple's e-waste)

Semi-Hemi-Demigod, 2 months ago

I would advise you not to judge a platform from what trouble inexperienced users get into with incompatible software.

0xCAFE, 2 months ago

My recommendation? No. Don’t.

I’m an ex Windows user, current Linux and Mac user. Keyboard shortcuts on Linux are much closer to Windows conventions compared to macOS. I wouldn’t recommend using a Mac keyboard with Linux. I’d only recommend it if you want to use both Linux and macOS with the same keyboard (you will be happier in this case, because using macOS with a Windows keyboard sucks, vice versa).

If you don’t like the Windows key design, get a keyboard with a custom one.

noxfriend, 2 months ago

You can go full crazy like I did, use a Windows keyboard with macOS mappings.

I was used to mac when I switched to using Linux on my desktop, which has a Windows keyboard, for work. I didn’t want to re-learn my bindings. And I touch-type anyway, so the keycaps don’t confuse me. It mostly works great except for the # key, for that I have to press altgr+3