Apple now sells Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
Think this will be popular
Great news for M1 Mac mini and/or M1 notebook owners who also use an external monitor and keyboard to turn their portable into a desktop – Apple now sells its Magic Keyboard with Touch ID as a standalone accessory at its stores.
This only works with Apple Silicon
It is important before getting too excited to note that the small print on this product confirms it’s only going to work with an Apple Silicon Mac running an M1 or later processor. (I must check if this also works with an M1 iPad).
If that’s you, then you can now purchase your choice of the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID ($149) or the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad ($179).
Also available in numeric version
Apple introduced the keyboards with Touch ID as iMac accessories at its Spring Loaded event. Of course, if you purchase an iMac you’ll also get one of these keyboards in a matching color, while if you buy them as an accessory you’ll only get them in Apple’s traditional Silver/White.
better and more flexible
One detail I think may delight users is the Lightning-USB-C cable. These keyboards all ship with the same tough but flexible braided cable Apple first introduced with the iMac.
Why does it matter?
My feeling is that M1 Mac mini users, particularly in the enterprise, will be interested in acquiring these keyboards as they roll out tough, secure biometric security in Macs. Small or home office workers may also be interested to access the convenience of these things, particularly if they share the computer with alternative user IDs with the kids, who’ll be less able to access a protected ID.
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