I recently Switch from Windows desktop to Macbook Pro, but I have yet to try many of the Apple accessories that Mac users love. In this video, I try AirPods Max and Magic Keyboard, Touchpadand Mouse first.
AirPods Max
The AirPods Max is Apple’s product for wireless, noise-cancelling over-ear headphones. At $550, they’re the most expensive wireless earbuds I’ve tested, but the build quality matches the price, as they’re the best built headphones I’ve ever felt. This is both good and bad because the premium materials are heavy, making these headphones much heavier than their plastic counterparts, and because they don’t fold, they’re not the most convenient things to carry around.
The sound coming out of the AirPods Max was significantly better than that of my Bose QC35 headphones. In fact, I think they’re the best sounding headphones I’ve ever tried. The noise cancellation features are great too, and the “transparency mode”, which directs sound in from the microphone, does an amazing job of making it sound like nothing is obstructing your ears.
Sadly, I don’t have more great things to say about these headphones. While the noise cancellation works well in most environments, it doesn’t work very well in the wind, so if you’re going to ride with them, I recommend Bose headphones. They don’t have an off switch, and to save battery life most, you should put them back in that weird “bra” box, which is annoying to track. They were supposed to always be connected to the devices, but I left them unconnected to my phone. I’m having major connectivity issues with my MacBook Pro and my headphones keep crashing when they’re a few inches apart. And while I think they’re beautifully made, I feel like they’re too big and look ugly on my head (obviously, others won’t agree).
So while I really love the sound quality, the AirPods Max seem too complicated for their benefits and I’ll return them.
Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
My first impressions of this keyboard is it not like 200 dollars. It is thin, light and fragile. The keys feel great, but the keyboard is so thin that I found the typing position a bit uncomfortable. I also assumed it would be backlit, but it’s not. I also can’t figure out how to quickly connect from my MacBook to my Windows PC without first manually disconnecting it from my laptop.
Having a Touch ID fingerprint reader is handy at times, but I don’t use it much, and so a perk that isn’t worth leaving my favorite keyboard with, Logitech MX Keysbacklit and can be easily switched between different connections at the touch of a button.
Apple Magic Mouse
Although the build quality of Magic Mouse Feels great, its actual shape doesn’t. For my large hands, it feels like a mouse designed for kids. I was forced to grip it with only two fingers. The touch panel above is impressively responsive, but the number of gestures and amount of customization are a bit disappointing. Of course, the most famous flaw of this mouse is that its charging port is located at the bottom, which forces you to stop working if your mouse dies.
Of the four products I’ve tested, this is by far my least favorite and I’m happy to switch back to my favorite mouse, Logitech MX Master 3s.
Apple Magic Trackpad
Everyone knows that the touchpad on Apple laptops is the best in the business and Magic touchpad Bring that quality to your desktop setup. It is beautifully built and feels great to use. I never thought I would enjoy working on a trackpad more than a mouse, but after using the Magic Trackpad for a week, I found myself using it 90% of the time.
Out of the four products I tested, this is my favorite and the only one I will keep.
I skipped this experience because I both appreciated Apple’s craftsmanship and build quality, and realized that everything Apple makes isn’t perfect. I’m definitely a fan of many Apple products, but I don’t see myself becoming an Apple fanboy anytime soon.
