I Bought a Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad

I bought a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad.

They are definitely not cheap.

In fact, I used to think, “There’s no way I’d ever buy something this expensive.”

Even now, I still feel they’re overpriced—classic Apple-style pricing.

But in the end, I gave in to the build quality and bought them anyway.

I’ve been working fully remote ever since the COVID era.

My current workplace is headquartered in Aichi, and before that it was Okinawa.

Since I live in Tokyo, commuting was never a realistic option to begin with.

When you combine long-term remote work with being a programmer, it becomes pretty obvious that if you don’t take your work environment seriously, your shoulders and lower back will slowly fall apart.

At home, I do have a reasonably solid desk in a separate room from the living room.

But since I live alone, it’s simply much easier to do everything in the living room.

So most days, I put my MacBook on a low table, keep YouTube playing on a fairly large monitor sitting on the TV stand, and quietly grind through my work.

As for seating, I’m still using the Gyokuza, which I’ve mentioned several times before.

Out of curiosity, I checked Amazon and realized I bought it back in 2021—meaning I’ve been using it for almost six years now.

It has worn down a bit over time, but it’s still very much usable.

Even now, I honestly can’t think of another floor chair that beats it.

That said, working on a laptop at a low table while sitting on a floor chair inevitably forces you into a forward-leaning posture.

Thanks to the Gyokuza, my lower back is in great shape, but rounded shoulders are still an issue—and that’s been bothering me just a little.

As I mentioned in a previous article, I had a bit of unexpected extra income in January.

That became my justification for finally buying the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad.

On their own, they’re just a wireless keyboard and trackpad.

But I also bought a 2-in-1 stand compatible with Apple Magic Keyboard and Apple Magic Trackpad.

This lets you combine the keyboard and trackpad into a single unit, making the experience almost identical to using a MacBook keyboard.

By combining this with a laptop arm stand and a tablet cushion stand, I can now work while fully leaning back into the floor chair.

The result is a significantly more relaxed working posture.

That said, there are a few downsides worth mentioning.

The Tenkeyless Magic Keyboard Is Only Available in White

Both the full-size Magic Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad are available in black, but for some reason, the tenkeyless Magic Keyboard only comes in white.

This makes absolutely no sense.

I reluctantly went with white.

The Magic Keyboard Is Noisy

Compared to the MacBook keyboard, the typing sound is noticeably louder and clackier.

I don’t really care about key feel, but the typing noise is genuinely a bit annoying.

The Arm Stand and Gyokuza Don’t Pair Well

The arm stand mentioned above has V-shaped legs.

When you place the 2-in-1 stand on the arm extension, the legs clash with the legs of the floor chair, making positioning awkward.

I’ve compromised by placing the stand partially on top of the chair legs, but this causes some wobbling and isn’t ideal.

A better solution would be to place the 2-in-1 stand on a cushion or blanket on your lap, or—if possible—attach the arm stand directly to a desk instead.

Despite those issues, the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad themselves are excellent.

Just like the MacBook keyboard and trackpad, they feel fantastic to use.

I’m not particularly fond of Apple as a company, but their hardware quality really is on another level.

The iPad Air M2 13-inch I bought as a secondary display has also become incredibly usable since installing Display Menu.

At this point, I don’t think I can go back to a wired secondary display setup.

That’s about it—hope this was helpful.