What is your personal preference based on experience? I Assume because Mac is Unix and Linux is Unix based, it would be more suited, but I have no personal experience with the layout. I am willing to try something new if i hear enough merits for it, and I also find the windows layout somewhat inadequate(The grass is greener on the other side /s)

I dailydrive Gnome, I am not a programmer, but i am a power user

(On a tangent: Why is gnome so restrictive, it feels like its missing a ton of UI features that are trivial without a boatload of 3rd party extensions that break every update; why doesn’t Win+Shift+number launch a new instance, every other DE does, why doesn’t it?; I don’t use KDE because I just don’t like it, I feel Gnome could be way more if it just natively integrated the extensions ).

aesthetically the windows key annoys me and i hate putting stickers on keyboards; I like how the mac layout looks(My very minimal experience with an in store mac-book has cautioned me away from the fisher-price OS so i don’t know if it is intuitive to use)

    • shyguyblue@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      10 months ago

      If you’re close to a Microcenter, they should have a bunch of “sample” keyboards so you can find the switches you want. Nowadays, you can even build your own keyboard with swappable switches, so you can have different switches for your WASD keys, if you’re into that…

        • ABeeinSpace@lemmy.worldEnglish
          21·
          10 months ago

          Keychron is very expensive (you’re paying extra for the “slickness” factor of the board in my opinion), but so far the product is quality.

          The optical switch has very linear travel. If you prefer a more tactile feel, the other option for switch might work a little better

          • cevn@lemmy.world
            4·
            10 months ago

            A keyboard lasts as long as you make it last, in other words, until you spill a beer or coke on it… Even then there may be hope. I have a working IBM Model M from 1989 if that matters…

          • zod000@lemmy.ml
            2·
            10 months ago

            I have several perfectly working mechanical keyboards from the 80s, so I’d say, yeah they last long. That being said, I don’t necessarily think you’ll get decades from $40 mechanical keyboard like you can from an old school IBM, Alps, or Cherry MX keyboard. I mean, you may, but these keyboards were most than $40 back then and adjusted for inflation they’d not be cheap these days.

  • brax@sh.itjust.works
    8·
    10 months ago

    No? Those keyboards aren’t even all that great. Why not just buy a mechanical one and call it a day?

    Also, what’s wrong with the super key? Especially considering it’s also used in Linux

  • Concave1142@lemmy.world
    5·
    10 months ago

    Keyboard is keyboard as far as I am concerned. I’m using an old Microsoft Ergo 4000 V1 that I got probably 10 years ago. I have used this same keyboard on a Windows 10/11 install, multiple bare metal Linux installs and a MacBook Pro.

    The only issue is the Command key as I recall on the MacBook but that can be remapped if I remember correctly.

  • SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world
    53·
    10 months ago

    There’s no difference; a keyboard is a keyboard. Just grab one from the pile and plug it in.

  • N0x0n@lemmy.ml
    31·
    10 months ago

    Hummm… personal preference, but when I SSH into a linux server with my Mac… I totally hate the keyboard shortcuts… They are driving me crazy.

    Windows keyboard shortcuts, feel more “native” and easier to use.

    Can’t explain it, but while I used both, I totally hate the mac keyboard shortcut keys.

    Doing something like CMD + Option + bsp that reflects to alt + bsp on windows… :/

    • Zanshi@lemmy.world
      2·
      10 months ago

      Huh, interesting. Since I got a Mac at work I have problems going back as command/alt + key feel a lot more natural than control + key.

    • gregorum@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      10 months ago

      You don’t really need to rebind anything. Linux is good about figuring out the layout, at least every distro I’ve tried over the last 12 years. You’re right, though, if one is used to the layout of a Mac keyboard, I would recommend sticking with a Mac keyboard.

    • Artemis_Mystique@lemmy.mlOP
      1·
      10 months ago

      So what you are saying is most standard Linux software expect a windows layout? What about apps like Gimp, FireFox, and LibreOffice? and are there any outliers you know of?

  • gregorum@lemm.eeEnglish
    2·
    10 months ago

    If you are used to Mac keyboard, layout, go right ahead. You can get a number of really nice third-party keyboards with that layout. Linux will natively adapt to it, and you’ll be fine. There may be one or two apps that don’t natively switch, but they will be far and few between. Personally, I don’t know of any of that I happen to use.

    As someone who uses Macs and Linux systems, I prefer this, so I don’t have to keep switching between different keyboard layouts.

  • med@sh.itjust.works
    21·
    10 months ago

    I can honestly say my space grey first-gen magic keyboard has served me well. It sits on my desk at work, I use it every day, and it only needs charging once every few months.

    The only thing I’ve ever done to damage it is pulling the z key off to clean between the keys, I tried to jam it back on wrong and ruined part of the scissor mechanism

    My next keyboard may yet be one of the newer models, but it’s to expensive to pull the trigger yet.

    Having tried it in person, I’m also considering the logitech mx keys mac variant. I didn’t even notice the key shaping while actually typing, and it’s the first keyboard I’d say comes close to being a magic keyboard replacement.

    I like the option(alt)/command(super) switched layout.

    I’ve got a keychron k3 ultra v2 too. I finally gave in on the mechanical keyboard train and splurged a bit - but now:

    • I need a wrist rest, even this ultra low profile version is way higher than I’m used to.
    • I hate the layout (my own fault for buying the most cramped version)
    • On linux at least, bluetooth is not the greatest (sometimes needs a keyboard restart to fix key send delay and repeat keys)
    • I picked the optical (cherry mx red equivelant) switches and they’re mushy af.

    I’ve had the white slim first-gen mini magic keyboard for years too. The battery swelled up, so I removed it and use it wired now. That was probably 8/9 years old.

  • pudcollar@lemmy.ml
    1·
    10 months ago

    I’m typing on a mac keyboard on Debian. USB one with the numpad. It’s fantastic if you’re into that.

    The last time I tried to pair the magic mouse 2 though, no joy. I’d be wary of the bluetooth keyboard.