New Mac User Tries Apple Accessories for the First Time

I recently switched from a Windows desktop to a Macbook Pro, but I still haven't tried many of the Apple accessories that Mac users swear by. In this video, I try out the AirPods Max and the Magic Keyboard, Trackpad, and Mouse for the first time. 

AirPods Max

The AirPods Max are Apple's take on wireless, noise-canceling, over-ear headphones. At $550, they are the most expensive wireless headphones I've ever tested, but the build quality justifies the price, as these are, by far, 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 the plastic competitors, and because they don't fold up, they are not the most convenient to travel with. 

The sound out of the AirPods Max is significantly better than my Bose QC35 headphones. In fact, I think they are the best-sounding headphones I've ever tried. The noise-canceling features are also fantastic, and the "transparency mode," which pipes audio in from the microphones, does an incredible job of making it sound like there's nothing blocking your ears at all.

Sadly, I don't have many more great things to say about these headphones. Although noise cancellation works great in most environments, it doesn't work well in the wind, so if you plan on riding a bike with them, I'd suggest Bose headphones. They don't have an off switch, and to save the most battery life, you are supposed to put them back in their strange "bra" case, which is annoying to keep up with. They are supposed to always be connected to devices, but I've had them not connect with my phone. I had major connection issues with my MacBook Pro, and my headphones continued to cut in and out while they were inches apart. And although I think they are beautifully made, I feel like they are too big and look ugly on my head (obviously, others will disagree).

So, although I absolutely love the sound quality, the AirPods Max seemed too complicated for their own good, and I will be returning them. 

Apple Magic Keyboard With Touch ID

My first impression of this keyboard was that it didn't feel like $200. It's thin, light, and flimsy. The keys feel great, but the keyboard is so thin that I found the typing position to be slightly uncomfortable. I also assumed it was going to be backlit, but it wasn't. I also couldn't figure out how to quickly connect from my MacBook to my Windows PC without manually unpairing it from my laptop first. 

Having a Touch ID fingerprint reader was convenient at times, but I didn't use it much, and therefore, that one benefit wasn't worth leaving my favorite keyboard ever, the Logitech MX Keys, which is backlit and can easily jump between different connections with the press of a single button. 

Apple Magic Mouse

Although the build quality of the Magic Mouse felt great, the actual shape of it did not. To my large hands, it felt like it was a mouse designed for children. I was forced to grip it with just two fingers. The touch panel on top was impressively responsive, but the number of gestures and the amount of customization were a bit of a letdown. Of course, the most well-known flaw of this mouse it that its charge port is on the bottom, which forces you to stop working if your mouse dies. 

Out of the four products I tested, this was, by far, my least favorite, and I was excited to switch back over to my favorite mouse, the Logitech MX Master 3s

Apple Magic Trackpad

Everyone knows that the trackpads on Apple laptops are the best in the business, and the Magic Trackpad brings that quality to your desktop setup. It's beautifully built and feels amazing to use. I never thought I would prefer working on a trackpad over 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 be keeping. 

I walk away from this experience both appreciating Apple's ingenuity and build quality while also realizing that everything Apple makes isn't perfect. I'm certainly a fan of many Apple products, but I don't see myself becoming an Apple fanboy anytime soon. 

Lee Morris's picture

Lee Morris is a professional photographer based in Charleston SC, and is the co-owner of Fstoppers.com

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5 Comments

You own a MacBook Pro and bought an extra Trackpad? What for?

I agree on the rest, owning an older Magic Mouse that sits and waits for the next use since years. The Trackpad on the MacBook is way enough. That's what Touchpads where meant to be, but imho only Apple managed to construct properly. BTW I love my B&O ANC headphones, they work well with both MacBook and iPhone and simply feel great.

I use the laptop as a desktop replacement in clamshell mode.

I’ve just been the lucky recipient of a Surface laptop 4 and I can say that after many yrs, finally someone in the Windows space has made a trackpad that comes close to the Mac experience.

I agree. My Surface Laptop 3 trackpad is close to a MacBook. It's not at that level, but the best on a Windows machine I've ever used.

I’m impressed with the Laptop 4… not sure what anyone else is doing but MS have pretty much nailed it.