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The BEST Keyboard For Programming_ (MX Keys Mini 1 Year Later)
5K views
Feb 7, 2024
"The BEST Keyboard For Programming (MX Keys Mini 1 Year Later)" is a review video that revisits the MX Keys Mini keyboard after a year of use, specifically focusing on its suitability for programming tasks. The creator likely provides insights into the keyboard's build quality, typing experience, ergonomics, and programmable features, highlighting how these aspects contribute to its effectiveness for programming tasks. Additionally, the video may touch upon any durability issues, software compatibility, or other factors relevant to programmers. Viewers can expect to gain valuable information to help them make informed decisions when selecting a keyboard for programming purposes.
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0:00
So I've been using the Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard for over a year now as a full-time
0:04
professional software engineer working at Adobe, and in this video I'm going to share my thoughts
0:09
on it, the good and the bad. Aesthetically, I think this keyboard has a really nice clean look
0:14
kind of like the Apple Magic Keyboard. I went with the MX Keys Mini for Mac
0:20
so mine has some light gray keys surrounded by a brushed metal look. This keyboard is heavier
0:26
than my Apple keyboards, but it has definitely been solid and has held up to a lot of use
0:31
Coming from an Apple Magic Keyboard, I have noticed that the battery life on this is not
0:36
as long as the Apple keyboards. It does last a while, I'm not having to charge it all the time
0:42
I'd like to think that a lot of the weight in the MX Keys Mini is due to having a larger battery that
0:47
would allow it to last longer, but that's just not the case, and part of that is probably due to the
0:52
keys being able to light up on the MX Keys Mini. One of the things that I really noticed when I
0:56
first switched over is that there is slightly more travel in the keys. Now, this is still a really
1:02
short travel keyboard, but something that I did experience in using the Apple keyboard is that
1:07
over time some of my fingers would get sore. Usually it was my thumb from pounding down on
1:12
the spacebar, and after using this keyboard for a while, I can say that there is a subtle difference
1:18
that the keys are a little bit softer and that my fingers hurt less than they did on the Apple
1:23
keyboard. Now, I'm not going to go so far as to say that this is as comfortable on the fingers
1:27
as maybe some of the longer travel keyboards out there, but it definitely is an improvement over
1:32
the Magic Keyboard. When I decided to move away from Apple's keyboard as my main keyboard for
1:37
programming, I first tried out the Logitech MX Keys full-size keyboard, and that was great
1:43
but one thing that I didn't like was having to switch between keyboard layouts because it wasn't
1:48
a one-to-one match to the layout on my MacBook Pros. With the Logitech MX Keys Mini, the keys
1:56
are in the same position, which just makes it easier to go back and forth between the keyboard
2:01
and my laptops for typing. I don't have to worry about finger misplacement, and I can just focus
2:07
on typing and the keys are where I expect them to be. That does mean that this keyboard comes with
2:11
the smaller arrow keys, so if you're into gaming, that could be a problem for you if you want the
2:17
full-size keys. In that case, I would recommend going with the full-size Logitech. Now, even
2:21
though the keys are in the same location, there are some noticeable differences between the Apple
2:26
Magic Keyboards and the Logitech Keys Mini in that we get different function keys on the top row
2:34
In place of the keys that we're used to on the Apple keyboard, the Logitech gives us other keys
2:38
like the emoji key, and it also has three keys that allow you to switch between three different
2:44
devices because you can actually connect and be paired to three different devices at the same
2:48
time, and then you just hit a key and you switch between them. That is not something that you can
2:52
do on the Apple keyboard, and that was also one of the big selling points for me because I have
2:58
my work laptop, my personal laptop, other devices. In the past, I was on PCs, and I wanted to be
3:03
able to switch between them rather than having several keyboards on my desk at the same time
3:08
To be honest, of the specialty keys, the ones that I use the most are switching between devices
3:13
and then of these other keys, the only one that I actually use is the emoji one. Now, you can also
3:21
get that menu by using a shortcut, so it isn't an absolute necessity, but the others, I just don't
3:26
really use them. It's kind of a shame to give up all those function keys just to be able to toggle
3:30
between three devices. I would much rather have kept the original Apple keys and then had another
3:36
three smaller buttons maybe on the top of the keyboard for switching between devices. Another
3:41
noticeable difference is that the MX Keys Mini takes a USB-C cable for charging rather than a
3:49
lightning cable like on the Apple keyboards. Now, that's nice because it's easier to share
3:53
the cables with other devices and not be tied to a specific manufacturer's lightning cable
4:00
but there is a huge flaw here, and that is that on the MX Keys Mini, even though it takes a USB-C
4:04
connection, that is only for charging. You cannot use this keyboard as a wired keyboard, whereas
4:11
with the Apple keyboards, you can use the lightning cable to charge and have it be a wired keyboard
4:17
Now, that's not really a big problem for me, but there are some times where this is going to
4:21
actually matter and affect you. On the MacBooks, before I can use my Touch ID, I usually have to
4:28
enter in the actual passcode, and then after that, for a while, I can wake up the computer and just
4:34
use my finger to wake up the computer and start typing. Quite regularly though, when I come in
4:40
in the mornings, the laptop will have done an update and restarted and will require that passcode
4:46
first, and during that time period before I put in the passcode, the MX Keys Mini will not actually
4:53
wake up the laptop. I cannot type into my MacBook. I have to actually type on the MacBook itself to
5:00
enter that passcode the first time, and then after that, for a while, whenever it falls asleep, the
5:05
Logitech MX Keys Mini will wake up the laptop just with typing. This did cause me some problems
5:10
though when I was trying out a Mac Mini, because that doesn't have a built-in keyboard, and when
5:15
that would happen, I would have to get my Apple keyboard and actually plug it in so that I had a
5:19
wired keyboard in order to wake it up and enter in that passcode. That's one of the reasons why I
5:24
ended up getting rid of the Mac Mini. When I had my PC, I ran into some similar problems whenever I
5:30
wanted to boot up. Now, on my MacBooks, I can work around that because it does have that built-in
5:34
keyboard, but it still is a little bit annoying that I have to go over and actually type in the
5:40
passcode on the laptop before I can start using my MX Keys Mini. Hopefully, if Logitech comes out
5:45
with a version 2 of the MX Keys Mini, they will let us use it in a wired mode if we want to. With
5:51
the Apple Magic Keyboards, it just feels like the connectivity is better. It's snappier, more
5:57
responsive, it wakes things up faster, and as for latency, a lot of people have asked me about the
6:02
MX Keys Mini and if I've noticed any kind of sluggishness. Whenever I'm using the keys to
6:08
switch between devices, I definitely notice that it is very sluggish, and it takes a couple seconds
6:14
for that switch to happen. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and start typing, thinking that it
6:18
switched to the new device when it's still connected to the previous device, and I end up
6:23
typing gibberish into Slack on my other computer that I don't want to be typing. But once it's
6:27
connected, it gets significantly better. There is still noticeable latency if I'm really focusing on
6:33
it, but not enough to really concern me when I'm doing my daily work as a programmer. I hardly
6:38
notice it. But if you're like a super competitive gamer that needs ultra low latency at fast response
6:43
times, then you probably want to look at a different option that's not relying on this
6:48
Bluetooth connectivity. Also something worth noting is that a couple months ago, my keyboard
6:54
and one of my MacBooks got into a funky state where the MX Keys Mini was paired with the laptop
7:00
and I could see in my Bluetooth settings on my MacBook that it was connected, but it was not
7:07
letting me type from the keyboard. I made my laptop completely forget it and did the
7:11
repairing process completely from scratch, and on that particular device key, it would not
7:18
repair with this keyboard. So I ended up pairing to the third device key, and everything was working
7:25
fine again for a couple days, and then that same problem happened between this keyboard and that
7:30
particular laptop. So I tried using the original key to repair the laptop to the keyboard, and it
7:37
worked again, and then I haven't had that problem for several months. And that's the only time that
7:41
I've encountered that. Even though there are some imperfections, I still really like my MX Keys Mini
7:46
keyboard. It's been my favorite go-to keyboard for the last year. I use it almost every day
7:52
except for once a week when I go into the office, and there I use an Apple keyboard that I just
7:57
leave at that desk because I just don't want to be carrying a keyboard back and forth with me
8:02
Now hypothetically, if Apple were to release a new Apple keyboard with the ability to switch
8:07
between multiple devices, would I switch back to the Apple keyboard? In that scenario, I think I
8:14
would due to the better connectivity, the longer battery life, the lighter weight. Now if they were
8:20
to also update the keys to have a little bit more travel so that you don't bottom out as quickly
8:26
then 100% I would go back to the Apple keyboard. So Apple, if you're listening, that is the keyboard
8:30
I would want, and I know you haven't probably made it because you know you can make more money selling more keyboards to more people, but I would totally be willing to pay the price of a couple
8:39
keyboards in order to have one that I could switch between multiple devices. I'll see you in the next
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