Apple Magic Accessories
New Apple Magic Accessories were released today and include a new Keyboard (aka Magic Keyboard) a new Trackpad (aka Magic Trackpad 2) and a new Mouse (aka Magic Mouse 2). The big change to these new Apple accessories is that they no longer use replaceable AA batteries. The batteries are now built in and are rechargeable via a Lightening cable. The expected runtime between charges is about one month. I really like this design change, since I can’t tell you how many times my rechargeable AA’s were not charged when I needed them most.
Each accessory has seen other changes in their design. The Trackpad has seen the most changes. The Verge reports, “It’s no longer awful; and, in fact, on initial use, it actually appears to be quite good.” The new TrackPad is larger and sloped and now has Force Touch. Priced at $129 it is considerably more expensive than the earlier version but it is also considerably better. It will be know as “Magic Trackpad 2” and it became available today.
The new keyboard dubbed, Magic Keyboard has seen some design “improvements” as well. I personally prefer a full keyboard with Keypad. It has been reported that the keys are a lot shallower and will take some getting used to. A price increase of $30 means The Magic Keyboard can now be purchased for $99 and it is also available today.
The new Magic Mouse 2 is last on the list and it has seen few changes. It is almost identical to its predecessor and it costs $10 more, now selling for $79 and also available today.
My old wireless keyboard and mouse are quite comfortable so I won’t be running out to replace them yet, but the Magic Trackpad 2 appeals to me so it will likely find its way into my tool kit this year.
New accessories from Apple, check them out.
