My experience with Apple ’s Magic Keyboard for the Mac has been a love - hate office , at well . It is slim , sleek , offers a fantastic scissor - replacement , and serve the Touch ID contraption . What ’s not to have intercourse ?
Well , for fledgeling , the asking price is a steep $ 200 , which is too much for a non - mechanical keyboard . There is no backlight . It is not ergonomic . The feel , though understated , are insipid .
Merely month into splurging on it , I replaced it with amechanical keyboardfor my Mac frame-up . But typing on a mechanical keyboard that was designate for gaming was n’t precisely tolerant to my fingers .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
That is , until I derive across the Satechi SM3 Slim , a low - profile mechanically skillful keyboard that is almost tailor - made for Mac productivity . It collapse me everything Apple could n’t , for nearly half the price .
Oodles of charm, and substance to go with it
Satechi has been making fantastic accessory direct at Apple gear for a while now . TheirMac Studio base is a beautiful piece of working MBD - on , and I specially love their trio wireless charging kit . The keyboard , however , is an altogether different bollock game .
With the SM3 Slim , Satechi did n’t tag the theme song matching Apple aesthetics . Instead , the stain create its own two - tone of voice blueprint language while repair some of the adult flaw of Apple ’s pricey keyboard .
To begin with , the build is solid , thanks to an aluminum human body . The whole kit , however , is n’t too bulky , thanks to the polycarbonate base . The resting height profile is over twice that of theMagic Keyboardfor Macs .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
It ’s not much of an issue , but there ’s a kickstand underneath to achieve the elevation you need for a comfortable wrist joint position . And oh , it is backlit , something Apple ’s keyboard sorely omit out on .
The feet are not step - lock , which have in mind you ca n’t adjust the ramp height . What you get is a sole elevated profile , or a flat platform . It was n’t a problem for me , but you should check it out in person , if possible , before splurging on it .
you may adjust the brightness levels and pluck from over a 12 backlight patterns . I typically lick in a gloomy room for maximum immersion , and it was quite a sigh of succour to see that the Satechi keycaps were backlit .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
The optical passthrough through the keycaps is sufficiently bright , even at mid - options . In fount you ’re wondering , yes , there are commit key integrated with the running quarrel for backlight modification .
It fills a lot of gaps
This is a full 108 - winder layout we are talking about , and gratefully , the deck is spacious enough for clearly demarcated key islands . The direction , page control , and the number pad are well space .
You also get dedicated shortcut tonality for connectedness switching , playback dominance , and mode change , among others . Talking about connectivity , the retinue is pretty beautify out on the Satechi SM3 Slim keyboard .
It can be paired with up to four machine at once , and throw between them is nearly unlined . Ioften keep my iPad close to my computing desk , and did n’t face any troubles switch the stimulation across .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Though I did notice a few periodic input lag during gadget switching . For wireless connection , you could either plunk between the double Bluetooth 5.0 lane or the 2.4 GHz epithelial duct . I appreciate this flexibility , and so will any other person who favor a clear desktop view devoid of a wired mess .
I prefer wired stimulus , so the bundled USB - century cable system was my preferred connexion road to the Mac . However , I also used it for a while with my Windows PC , and for that setup , the 2.4 GHz receiver came in handy .
Types like a smooth charm
countenance ’s talk about the typing experience , which is the existent differentiator here . Satechi has fit the SM3 Slim with in - star sign chocolate-brown switch . Now , there are both good and bad sides to this approach .
These are proprietary switches , which means if you run into mechanical way out , your only option is to reach Satechi client support for substitute units . secondly , these are not hot - swappable , though it should n’t matter much to the target audience that is predominantly purchase it for productivity .
On the positive side , the switch propose a delightful typewriting experience , despite being low - profile . It ’s not quite as fluid as one-dimensional switches , but even after function all day , you wo n’t feel the tardiness that usually comes with working on mechanical keyboard .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
The keystone offer an acceptable 2.6 mm of vertical travel , and the actuation force deserving 50gf also model in the comfortableness territory . The keycaps have a beautiful inward curve that pop the question ample perch piazza for the fingertips .
On a relative note , the actuation point is registered at a upright deepness of 1.4 mm , which is more or less above the key change of location you get on the MacBook keyboard and a bunch of other laptop out there . So , if you are starting your journey with a mechanical keyboard , the Satechi SM3 Slim is the most subtle and rewarding transition road .
Feedback from the switch is satisfyingly springy , and the inward press is also fairly reassuring . you could almost sense the propulsion stage , which cash in one’s chips a long way at ensuring that the key stroke has been registered and you did n’t run into the proverbial case of a spook insistency .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Another benefit of using the chocolate-brown switch is that they are comparatively still . And thanks to the downhearted - visibility layout and the open undersides , the sound wastefulness is also fairly subtle and not as annoyingly clicky as play keyboard with blue or green substitution .
Satechi offers extra keycaps in the bundle for switching the Command and Option keys with those corresponding to a Windows layout . Thankfully , you do n’t involve a tool to remove the keycaps .
Just pull around the keycap edge and mildly push the novel single in place . With a elementary keyboard shortcut , you’re able to swap the input mode between the two platform . Now , this bit is pretty controversial , but I care that there ’s noextra app regard here .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
It ’s a dewy-eyed plug - and - play approach , and only a few keyboard shortcut to allay you into your workflow . On the flip side , you ca n’t make usage shortcut . Personally , I do n’t take care , since this is an unabashedly all - work , no - play keyboard .
It’s an easy pick
Priced at $ 119.99 , the Satechi SM3 Slim is a terrific choice for any desktop apparatus . For getting employment done , it ’s far more various and inherently higher-ranking to the Magic Keyboard . There are plenty of connectivity options to pick from , and the keyboard is backlit with a light control perk .
The build character is tough , the permutation volunteer a adorable level - up in the typing experience , and the multi - equipment connectivity is an underrated convenience . The only miss is Touch ID , but I can trade that out for a password input if the respite of the package is attract .
My only advice when you go shopping for this one ? find fault the Light color option , which offers a arresting two - feel bloodless - gray color combo . The blackened tone I got for myself is quite a ravisher , too , but it does n’t match my background styling .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
