Rapoo 9500M Multi-Mode Desktop Set
A keyboard and mouse combo for Mac, PC and mobile devices
The slimline keyboard feels a little sturdier than Apple’s keyboard
£49.99 FROM rapoo-eu.com FEATURES Full-size wireless keyboard with numeric keypad, navigation keys, media controls: wireless four-button mouse with scroll wheel; Bluetooth, USB-A
Apple’s keyboards and mice always seem to be overpriced and overdesigned – they look smart, but they’re not particularly comfortable, and not necessarily sturdy enough to cope if you’re a bit heavy-handed and/or working all day long. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of alternatives and, while Rapoo isn’t exactly a household name, its 9500M keyboard and mouse combo provides an affordable alternative to Apple’s designer devices.
Priced at just £49.99, the 9500M combo includes a compact mouse and a full-size keyboard with numeric keypad, navigation keys and controls for media playback and volume. Apple charges £129 for its own extended keyboard, so Rapoo clearly offers far better value for money. The keyboard and mouse support Bluetooth 3.0 and 4.0 and also include a small USB dongle – with USB-A interface – that provides a 2.4GHz radio connection. That enables you to connect three different devices, including Macs, PCs, and Android or Apple mobile devices, and to switch between them.
That wouldn’t matter if the keyboard and mouse didn’t work well, but the slimline keyboard feels nice and sturdy, and the keys respond more firmly than those of Apple’s keyboards, making them more suitable for speedy typing. The mouse is neatly designed, with four buttons and a scroll wheel, and even an option to adjust the mouse sensitivity. The curvy contours and thumb-rest feel quite comfortable, but we did find the mouse rather small for big hands, and it feels more like a portable mouse for use with a laptop than a proper desktop mouse.
Mac compatibility
Rapoo says that the keyboard and mouse are ‘Mac-compatible’, and they did work fine with our office iMac and MacBook laptop. The keyboard’s media controls also worked with apps such as the BBC iPlayer on iPad. Even so, the keyboard is clearly designed for Windows PCs, with Windows menu and Alt keys rather than the Mac’s å and ç (although you can reassign these in the Mac’s System Preferences), and there are no dedicated controls – such as a Home button – for an iPad.
The low cost involves some compromises. There’s no backlight, and no status lights for Caps Lock and other signifcant keys. And neither device has a rechargeable battery – although Rapoo does include a set of batteries, which should last for up to 12 months before being replaced. There are more expensive keyboards and mice with features that are more focused on Macs and iPads, but if you simply want an affordable desktop combo that will work with multiple devices then the 9500M does the trick at a highly competitive price. Cliff Joseph