Tech head-to-head
Apple Magic MousevsKingston XS2000
Age hasn't cost the 2021 Kingston XS2000 the lead: it averages 7.5 against 6.8 for the 2024 Apple Magic Mouse, and takes Value 8.2 to 5.6.
Apple Magic Mouse
Apple
6.8
Beautiful, gesture-rich, and shaped in a way that most hands stop tolerating after an hour.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
Kingston XS2000
Kingston
7.5
Pocket-sized 20 Gbps storage that runs hot and owes its rating to a sleeve you can lose.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
Where they diverge
The widest gap is Value, Kingston XS2000 ahead 8.2 to 5.6. They come closest on Durability, 7.8 to 6.6. Left of center is Apple Magic Mouse, right is Kingston XS2000.
Which one to pick
Take the Apple Magic Mouse
Leads on Durability and Design.
- macOS gesture navigation is central to how you work
- The mouse spends more time being looked at than used
- You want something that disappears into a minimal desk
Take the Kingston XS2000
Leads on Performance, Value and Ease of use.
- A Windows machine with a 20 Gbps port and short bursty transfers
- The drive has to disappear into a shirt pocket
- You manage your own encryption and want nothing preinstalled
What each one gets wrong
Apple Magic Mouse
- You use a mouse for more than about an hour at a time
- Charging from a port on the underside is an obvious problem
Kingston XS2000
- Long sustained writes are the normal workload
- You want encryption and backup software in the box
- Losing a small rubber sleeve would bother you
Specs, side by side
| Spec | Apple Magic Mouse | Kingston XS2000 |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Multi-touch gestures | — |
| Charging | USB-C port on the underside | — |
| Profile | Almost flat | — |
| Interface | — | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 |
| Shell | — | Metal and plastic, IP55 with sleeve |
| Capacities | — | 500 GB to 4 TB |
| Warranty | — | 5 years limited |
Rankings they both appear in
Questions
- The Apple Magic Mouse is 3 years newer. Why does it score lower?
- Because the axes didn't move the way the release dates suggest. The 2021 model takes Performance, Value and Ease of use, widest on Value at 8.2 to 5.6. Durability and Design are where the 2024 model answers, and whether that is enough is the whole question.
- What did the 2024 model improve?
- Durability and Design. Durability runs 7.8 to 6.6; Design runs 8.6 to 7.0. That is not enough to move the average, which stays 7.5 to 6.8.
- Which one ranks higher in "Every one of these is excellent for about an hour"?
- Kingston XS2000 sits at #1 in "Every one of these is excellent for about an hour", Apple Magic Mouse at #4.