I bought this one after an unexpectedly disappointing experience with an Arteck multi-device Bluetooth keyboard. The Macally keyboard is very good indeed. Good design, good keys, got paired with all of my devices in less than 5 minutes. I don’t think that you get what you pay for always: there are crappy expensive products, and there are excellent cheap ones. Personally, I learned to go on case by case basis. This keyboard is well made. In the UK at least, if you want a multi-device Bluetooth keyboard, what are the choices? Cheapie keyboards that rattle and flex as you’re typing on them aren’t going to be anyone’s everyday keyboard. Something like Logitech M380 may well be a good keyboard, but not everyone wants round keys. I certainly didn’t. There was also a gamers’ keyboard that looked interesting – but then your keyboard would be lighting up orange or blue or whatever. I wasn’t keen on those additional attractions, but I did want a well designed, high quality Bluetooth keyboard that allowed switching between 3 devices. That’s how I bought this Macally, and I definitely recommend it.
Update Feb 2021. I am still happy with the keyboard, but note that if you use your keyboard a fair bit, you’ll need to change batteries pretty much every 6-7 weeks. And that’s with switching the keyboard off overnight every day without fail. Considering the price of this keyboard, it should have been better thought out in terms of battery consumption, or made rechargeable through USB. Initially rated as 5 star, now 4.
Update Feb 2022. All good. Still my main keyboard, doing noble service.
Update Sept 2022. The keyboard abruptly stopped working, and putting in new batteries didn’t help. It was dead. I contacted Macally who asked me for my Amazon invoice, which I sent them immediately. Then the rep said that, as I purchased the item through Amazon but from a seller called Dureg, and Dureg are the ones handling UK warranty issues, I should email Dureg directly – and I did. A bit later response came from Dureg, instructing me to send the keyboard to GERMANY! So the UK buyer is to track down a suitable courier and to pay out of pocket to send this faulty item to Germany, after which who knows what will happen and how soon. And if this is your main keyboard, as it is for me, and you need it for work, well, too bad. And this keyboard cost £50 in November 2020, just so you know.
So there you have it, fellow UK buyers. I am changing the rating from 4 stars to 2 stars. One star would have been too harsh, as the keyboard is very good when it works. But when it stops working, that’s how we, the buyers, find out that we’d been let down by the manufacturer.
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