1) less wires 2) offices where you don't have set desks 3) easily swapping between computers without a kvm

Isn't it easier to unplug and plug the cable into a different computer rather than messing with Bluetooth settings until it connects?

Edit: Never mind, it looks like the keyboard can connect to multiple devices at a time. That's really cool.

I'm familiar with the use case for this. I don't want to use the same keyboard for work (typing) all day that I'd use for gaming after work. I also don't want TWO wired keyboards. So if I can have a wireless gaming keyboard that I set off out of the way during work, and then can push my main keyboard (wired ergonomic membrane) out of the way and use the gaming keyboard (wireless mechanical), I have the ideal input device for each use case.

(If the Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard came in wireless, I'd get one - one less wire making it sub-optimal when I'm ready to swap keyboards.)

The Microsoft sculpt keyboard is their wireless ergo model

The problem is that those keyboards are bound to their receiver, so if the receiver dies (which happens more often than not), the keyboard is useless.

Yes, I used it for a while. I have a strong preference for full-depth keys over chiclet.

Yes.

1) I switch between a mac (work) and windows (leisure/gaming) and thus switch between a mac wireless keyboard and a mechanical windows one. I move one to the side so the desk doesn't get cluttered.

2) Desktop cords depending on what computer I'm using are a pain to route properly.

I just use one of these: https://www.rosewill.com/rosewill-rcus-17003-2-x-usb-type-b-...

Same! But really just for headset/mouse. The keyboard layout for MacOS and Win suck to use on the same keyboard.

If you have a large, full size keyboard that is already taking up a large amount of space on your desk, and you have a large desk surface, then I agree the wireless keyboard doesn't seem like huge benefit.

I've had big and small keyboards. With smaller one, I find myself setting aside to make more room on desk on ad-hoc basis, since my desk is rather small.

Also, having a wire sticking out of small keyboard perceptibly creates more visual clutter. Could just be me ;-)

I get your point but really there’s no downside to them. I switch batteries once a year and for the rest they are 100% as reliable as a wired one.

Even if I use a wireless feature (switching the keyboard to another computer, typing while farther away from my desk) only once a year I still win out.

It's just a lot more freedom with standing desks? The wire is messy and dangerous if tripped over.

Some people put them in their lap and use a hard mouse-mat, some like the aesthetics.

Some people carry external keyboard and mouse with their laptop for when they dock.

There are a multitude of reasons, but for something fixed to a desktop I don't find many upsides personally.

Yes, that's the main use case. I rearrange my desk depending on what I do, and going wireless makes that process much easier. Connecting a computer to my living room TV is also much easier, as I can easily use it from the couch.

I have my keyboard connected to two computers from working from home. I have my work Mac running connected to my primary monitor and my personal computer connected to my secondary monitor because I've ran out of usb ports on my Mac. The wireless dongle + Bluetooth feature lets me have the keyboard connected to both without needing a KVM setup.

The laptop also moves, and I take the wireless keyboard with me when in the office. That way I can use a real keyboard in both locations - my employer does provide the wired Apple keyboards in office, but I'm not a fan.

I am really surprised by the benefit being switching between machines. For me switching bluetooth devices always has been much harder than just plugging a cable into a different machine. Is the dongle making this easier? Don't you still have to switch what machine the dongle is plugged into?

The keyboard stays paired to one machine over bluetooth, and the other via a dongle (which appears to that computer as just a regular usb keyboard). The dongle is some proprietary protocol over 2.4ghz, it's not bluetooth. I've heard some people in this thread mention that makes it susceptible to interference from places crowded with wifi devices, but for me at least it's been always reliable.

The dongle is instant on. Bluetooth wake up is fast (compared to repairing, or having to disconnect one device to connect another, which I guess is your experience you're comparing to?). So changing to the machine with the dongle in it is instant, the one with bluetooth connection ~1s.

The way I do it does mean the setup only works for n=2 devices, but also reading the thread there seems to be some multi-machine feature in the app if you use that too.

Meanwhile using USB cables to switch means crawling under my desk or having multiple cables cluttering my desk.

In my use case, a single Bluetooth keyboard paired with multiple computers is a huge convenience; I've got a work Macbook, a personal Macbook, and a personal desktop. I can just press a couple of buttons on my Keychron and move it from one device to another within a couple of seconds, and my monitor will (normally) always pick the right input to use as well.

More use case:

- I play games using a separate, even smaller, keyboard. Easy to pick up my wireless work+everything else kb and toss it somewhere out of the way

- Sometimes I like to recline my chair way back and continue typing with the keyboard on my lap

I have my computer plugged to my bedroom TV. I sit on an office chair 5 feet away and have a keyboard and trackpad sitting on a lap desk. I love this setup and it requires wireless peripherals.

Easy peasy, I don't want to have cables cluttering my desk and am willing to pay a premium for any device that comes in a wireless format.

In my opinion it's an aesthetic thing, to not have any wires snaking round back of the desk to the computer.

I'd argue that when you're doing it properly, the cable is responsible for at least 50% of the aesthetic of any nice keyboard setup.

Going wireless would be considerably less visually interesting than what you can do with a nice, attractive cable. (but I'll concede that wireless is heaps better than using the ugly/boring/fragile thin black cables that typically get bundled in with keyboards at no additional cost)

> Do other people move their keyboards repeatedly?

No, but I move my laptop repeatedly.

Wires get dusty, it's one less thing to worry about for me.

I work and game from my couch projected to my tv.