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I recently got a new 27” 5K iMac for work which is awesome but it could have been heartbreak as I submitted my original order about a week before the announcement of the new 2015 models. Luckily I was able to amend the order and get the latest one so got more bang for my buck. Now the iMac is fab but one of the things that I was looking forward to most was the addition of the updated Apple keyboard and trackpad.

I’m a bit of a keyboard snob so there was a risk about switching to something so new without testing it out first but so far I’m pretty pleased with it. As you’d imagine with Apple it’s smaller and thinner than the original. The only complaint I do have is that my hands feel a little too close together when I’m typing but I’m sure that this is just a muscle memory thing that I’ll adapt to over time. Apple claims that the new keyboard is 13% smaller than its previous incarnation and it shows. It’s almost indistinguishable sitting in front of this 27” screen.

They keys feel pretty good but like other aspects of the keyboard do take a little bit of getting used to. As an ex-PC user at work I used to clack the keys with some heft, something that typing on this device doesn’t appreciate but as I learn to live with it but at least it will teach me to type more quietly, much to the satisfaction of my fellow co-workers.

In stark contrast to the reduction in size of the keyboard the new trackpad is much bigger than its older counterpart which I have used in anger in the past. The extra width certainly makes it a lot easier to perform gestures and navigate around the OS. At this point I cannot completely rely on it for some of the more precise work I do for a living so for now I heinously also have a PC mouse plugged in especially for all of that right clicking I do but as time goes on I am sure I’ll learn to get rid of this crutch.

The other omission from both the new keyboard and trackpad is the need for removable AA batteries. Both have a lightning port in the back for charging. So far neither have given out on me mainly because I periodically connect the lightning cable when I remember. The cable can also be used to pair the devices and I don’t find them losing connection as much as the old ones.

Both are reasonably solid devices which they should be for the price when you can pick up regular PC alternatives for a lot less but if you are buying a new Mac they are well worth the addition.

Author

Paul Wright

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