Microsoft’s Keyboards Are Vastly Superior to Apple’s

I have been using Apple’s keyboards almost solely since 2008, starting with the silver keys on my now sold 17-inch MacBook Pro. I then graduated to an Apple Wireless Keyboard, the 2013 MacBook Air and 2014 MacBook Pro keyboards, an Apple Magic Keyboard1, and I’m currently on a 2016 MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard, which has been already replaced once in April 2018. My frustration with the last two has led me on a long quest to find a mechanical keyboard, which would bring back to the joy to typing once more — I am currently using a Vortex Race 3, custom programmed to my liking, which I also use with my iPad Pro. So that’s my background, but what’s up with headline?

I recently had a review unit of the new Microsoft Surface Studio 2, which came bundled with a Microsoft Modern Keyboard, and I am currently reviewing a Microsoft Surface Pro 6 with the Microsoft Type Cover. Both keyboards are more comfortable to type on than anything that Apple currently offers, with the Type Cover easily being vastly superior to Apple’s super-expensive iPad Pro Smart Keyboard Folio (it’s also backlit and has a trackpad built-in!). Both keyboards have a decent amount of key travel, which gives the user a generous amount of feedback, especially considering that these are low-profile keyboards, and I find the one dedicated to the Surface Pro a better design than my Magic Keyboard. I will admit that I do have a soft spot for Microsoft’s keyboards — I used to use one of their ergonomic models some 20 years ago to help with my RSI. I could probably get their modern iteration of this design — I believe Marco Arment still uses the Sculpt – but I’m currently used to a different layout and it is a bit big for my desk (it’s ~10 cm wider than my Vortex and there are no replacement keycaps for it, to change layouts).

Anyway, let’s not forget about Apple’s pricing… The Modern Keyboard costs $99.99 without the Fingerprint ID sensor ($129.95 with) and the Type Cover starts at $129.99 for the Surface Go or Surface Pro, and $159.99 for the Surface Pro with Fingerprint ID. Apple asks for $129 for the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (silver), $149 for the Space Grey version (neither have Touch ID), and $179 or $199 for the Smart Keyboard Folio, respectively for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPads Pro. These may seem like small disparities but just take a look at the percentage difference.

Oh, and just to compare, an almost fully programmable and mechanical Vortex Race 3, with Cherry MX switches, costs $139 or $159 (for the RGB backlit model)…

I still haven’t found anything magical about it. ↩