Review: The New Apple Keyboard
I’m a sucker for Apple products. As soon as Apple introduced the keyboard (and updated iMacs), I took out the credit card and bought a new Apple wired keyboard. I wasn’t really in need of a keyboard, especially since I use a MacBook, but that was the reason I decided to purchase it.
The MacBook’s keyboard has been a controversial subject among the Mac community, some love it and some hate it. At first, I hated the Macbook keyboard; I felt the keystrokes were too short and the keys were too far apart, but within about a week, I really liked and prefer the keyboard to others. The new Apple keyboard has been an instant must-have after using (and loving) the Macbook keyboard.
At first glance the Apple keyboard looks like something out of the future. It’s incredibly thin design and brushed metal top make it one of the best looking usb keyboards I have ever seen. Keys are firm and much higher quality than the ones on the MacBook. The two keyboard ports on each side are also a great addition to the $49 keyboard.
Apple has also changed the function keys at the top. F3 activates expose, F4 opens the dashboard, F7 through F10 controls music/video, and F10 through F12 are the new home of the volume keys. Can’t remember all of the function keys? Apple nicely labeled many of them with a corresponding icon.
Using the keyboard for writing posts or longer portions of text is very different. Keystrokes are shorter and keys are spaced farther apart than tradition keyboards. I constantly found myself losing my place on the keyboard and end up having to look down to find my place again. Resting your fingers on the keys like tradition keyboards will leave you with unwarranted button pressing. The Apple keyboard is in no way a keyboard for people who do large amounts of writing, but for the casual blogger/Internet user you’ll be happy with the keyboard.
Unlike most keyboards the Apple keyboard is very quiet, even quieter than the MacBook’s. The biggest problem with the keyboard, like the previous incarnation, will be keeping it clean. Having white keys looks great, but after a few months of use and a couple of people using it, the keyboard will pick up unwanted grime.
Apple also offers an even smaller bluetooth keyboard, sans numeric keypad and dual usb ports. If bluetooth wasn’t such a hassle I would have considered purchasing the $79 dollar keyboard. Apple states the (bluetooth) keyboard uses “intelligent power management” to slow the draining of three triple A batteries it takes to run. I have yet to find if the Apple wireless keyboard is any better than other bluetooth keyboards, but I’m not expecting it to be too much better.
The new Apple keyboard is revolutionary in looks and feel. The metal makes it look more like a giant blade than a keyboard and trying to get through airport security might be difficult. If you’re a MacBook user, you will like this keyboard; if you’ve never used the “chiclet” style keyboard, it will take some time to get used to. Don’t buy this keyboard if you will be doing a large volume of typing because you won’t be nearly as efficient and your hands will get tired quicker.
The Apple wired keyboard is $49 and the smaller bluetooth unit goes for $79. They both can be bought from the Apple online store,or wherever Macs are sold.
[Photos courtesy of Chris Thomson]
Thanks for the review. I’ve heard that the USB ports, despite being 2.0, can’t power an iPod (although the page at the Apple site specifically mentions iPods when talking about the keyboard ports). Is that true?
Apple has always made keyboards that “feel good” but are functionally inept and virtually useless… this latest keyboard proves the old theory correct. The key response is great, the lack of programmable keys, the quirky spacing, the height (or lack of it) isn’t enough – making it uncomfortable to use for extended times. Then toss in that the wireless model lacks even the little customization the wired version has with the numeric keypad, tiny F-keys and lack of USB and you’re left scratching your head.
I just don’t understand why Apple (steve jobs) is such a pig-headed idiot when it comes to the keyboard and mouse. People don’t want this crap (the mighty mouse included), they want a keyboard that has 10-12 PROGRAMMABLE keys such as Mail, Web, Music, iChat, Pictures, and full iTunes control such as back/next, pause/play and stop along with volume control. My microsoft keyboard has them, why doesn’t my apple keyboard have them? And don’t even get me started on the mouse…
@Jim: I agree with you about Apple’s useless Mighty Mouse but not everyone likes programmable keys. I have never once found them useful and they end up just adding bulk to the keyboard.
I think I like the new keyboard and it looks like finally a design that won’t get too much crap lodged inside/under keys etc means it might actually last a few months. Having said that, I still haven’t spotted one of these in Bangkok but I will be out to find one tommorow on a trip to SIngapore where they have a decent Apple reseller.
I still think I might prefer to use one of these though as membrane style/laptop keyboards are always a bit too mushy for my liking. Yeah and what about the power abilities of the USB ports…?
First, no, the keyboard’s USB ports don’t power the iPod or iPhone. This is also true with the old keyboard. So nothing really changed there.
Second, I have been using the new keyboard since it arrived from Apple, and I’m not having any problems with typing for long periods of time. In fact, thanks to the keys not sticking on the way down like my old (1 year) Apple keyboard, I am faster and less error prone.
Jim, You and even people you know may like keyboards with useless keys that will start mail programs or a browser. Most if not all the folks I know want a keyboard to enter text with. I launch all the programs you mentioned via my keyboard with very few keystrokes thanks to programs like QuickSilver and LaunchBar. We don’t need a special key on the keyboard to do that.
As for programmable keys. If you don’t like the keys that Apple choose for you, disable them via System Preferences and “program” them yourself. You will have “19″ keys to program to your hearts content. That’s way more than the old Apple keyboard.
I have to assume that you don’t actually have the new keyboard or have even seen it in person since you don’t seem to know that Apple added keys to go back a song, forward a song, pause/play the current track as well as adjust the volume and mute. Expose and Dashboard are only 2 of the keys that Apple pre-programmed. If you have the new keyboard hooked up to a notebook computer, they also have dim and brighten keys for the brightness of the display on the notebook. All that, and there are still 9 keys left over to “program” to your hearts content.
On a small sidenote… The Mighty Mouse is almost perfect. There are two killer problems with it. One is that the “track wheel” is too sensitive. It’s great for scrolling around, but if you want to use it for a button, the act of clicking it causes a scroll to occur which really annoys me. The other problem is that the mouse can’t detect that both the left and right mouse buttons are being pressed at the same time. It assumes that if I have my fingers on both sides of the mouse, I’m a stupid user and assumes that I really want a left click. So gaming with the Mighty Mouse is not a possibility.
I have always hated the way that Apple mice click. I have never understood why Apple (Steve) thinks that their (his) users (followers) want mice that work the way they do. Apple has always had problems designing mice. Just think back to the “Puck” mouse. ::shiver::
I have the new keyboard, and couldn’t disagree more with this review. Instead of tiring faster on the new style, the lower profile and short, solid travel of the keys are actually easier on my hands. The low profile brings your hands into better alignment with your arms, which helps to prevent fatigue in your wrists. I can type much longer and more comfortably on this keyboard than I could on the old one.
The new keys also eliminate the horrible “mushiness” which plagued the old keyboard. Key travel is short and solid, so you can be confident that every keystroke has registered.
I’ve had zero difficulty adapting to the new keys. In fact, I’m much more accurate on this new style than I was on the old. If you’re losing your place on the keyboard, having to constantly check where your fingers are, then there’s a pretty good chance that you’re not much of a touch-typer in the first place.
As for the “quirky spacing,” Jim, please take a look at both keyboards with a ruler. The center-to-center spacing of the keys is identical to a traditional keyboard. Down to the millimeter. Measure it yourself. If this new keyboard has quirky spacing, then Apple keyboards have had quirky spacing for years.
And iTunes controls and volume are right there on the keys, Jim. You don’t have dedicated buttons for iChat and Mail (the horror), but you can easily set up hot key triggers for any program you wish with free utilities such as Quicksilver. I have hot keys set up for over a dozen apps, and I greatly prefer that to having tacky dedicated keys all over my keyboard.
I have to wonder if the reviewer spent more than a few minutes with the keyboard before reviewing it, and whether commenter Jim has even seen one, let alone used it.
Having used one of these new keyboards for over a week, I’m pleased to report that, for me, it’s a fantastic upgrade over the old Apple Keyboard. I’d suggest that readers take a look at the user reviews on the online Apple Store. Of the people who have actually seen and used one, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
This keyboard works fine; less finger pressure is required, and less delay. I even got rid of the wrist rest – one less thing to clean.
I contacted iSkin, and received a reply from Iris Huang that they will have a keyboard cover available very soon.
USB power issues: Apple has revised their Keyboard page on their web site. Before, it unequivocally listed an iPod in the list of devices you could plug into this keyboard’s USB ports. Within the last couple of days, it’s been changed. It now reads as follows:
——————————–
Two USB 2.0 ports enable you to easily connect your Mighty Mouse as well as a high-speed peripheral such as a digital camera or printer.*
*Devices that draw high power from the USB connection, such as iPods, hard drives and some flash drives, can only be used with the new keyboard when it is attached to the aluminum iMac.
——————————-
So that explains my confusion, as someone who has only read about these. Originally, Apple said the keyboard would power iPods. Now, they’ve made it clear that it will ONLY when attached to the new iMacs. Considering how stingy Apple is with USB ports on iMacs, this is helpful to know.
The two USB ports on the new keyboard are left unused in my case. I use a USB hub to charge/connect my various gadgets.
I am keeping to my word when I said it makes my hands tired. I prefer to type on my cheap tradition keyboard when I’m writing a school paper or something lengthy. Apple’s first priority on this keyboard was to make it look cool.
Thanks for the comments!
[...] out the rest of the article here and while your there feel free to leave a comment. Thanks! Sphere: Related Content Filed under: [...]
Loren, Your article makes it sound like anyone using the keyboard for long periods of time will be fatigued. I would suggest changing the text so that it stats that “you” find it tiring. Just because you find it tiring, doesn’t mean others will. Unless you have been doing studies with a decent sampling of users to base the statement on.
“The Apple keyboard is in no way a keyboard for people who do large amounts of writing”
Anyone with a MacBook could’ve told you that. I really dislike the keyboard I’m typing on now. And Dave, it’s definitely tiring. Part of that is probably due to the fact that it is so radically different from any other keyboard I’ve ever used. I’ve no doubt that if I used this keyboard and no other for the next year I’d probably get used to it. But there’s more to it than that. Right now the wrist and joints of my left hand are aching (which they weren’t before I started typing this). I certainly wouldn’t want to write my next story on this keyboard. I’d be in crippling pain before the 10,000 word mark.
I’ve got an (old) Apple Pro keyboard (with black keys – that’s how old it is) which works perfectly well after all these years. It’s my daily use keyboard. No fatigue, no pain, just pure typing enjoyment. I’d be even happier if I could find an ADB/USB adaptor so I could start using my old Apple Keyboard II, which is possibly the single finest keyboard Apple ever made. Mine is over fifteen years old and still going strong on my IIsi (which is ALSO still working perfectly, as it happens).
But in the end, people need to use what works for them. The MacBook keyboard does not work well for me, and neither I suspect will the new Apple Keyboard. If they work for you, then I say good for you!
I’ve been using the keyboard for a couple of days now and I really don’t like it. I guess I’ve gotten used to the regular keyboards. I’m going to stick with my $30 dollar Logitech keyboard
Dave. M, I agree with you in some respect, but it’s a blog post, not a medical study.
I typed for a long period of time at the apple store on this new keyboard and really liked it. I’ve become used to typing on laptop keyboards and actually type faster on them then regular keyboards. This was probably the nicest typing keyboard I’ve ever typed on.
Apple doesn’t have a great history making great keyboards and mice. I usually replace them with something from Logitech, Microsoft, etc., so this was a welcomed surprised.
Just wish the USB version had the 10 key =[
Gotta say that I absolutely love this keyboard. Then again, I’m a big fan of the MacBook keyboard as well. It’s perfectly spaced for me, and if my wrists had lips, they would kiss Johnathan Ive for this design.
I picked up the new keyboard as soon as one of my local Apple stores had in in stock. I love the new keyboard as does my wife and two kids! I feel that elegant Macintosh computers deserve an elegant keyboard. The older keyboard now seems like last century’s design. The two USB ports come in handy for my trackball and my iLok key. My only wish is that Apple considers selling an illuminated version of the keyboard. There are many of us who enjoy using our Macs late in the evening when the lights are low. An illuminated version would be a godsend! Keep the great products coming Apple! My local Apple stores are always packed!
Chris K, An illuminated keyboard would be awesome. My friend has an illuminated gaming keyboard and it’s pretty sweet.
I wish Apple would make more peripherals. Computer speakers or an Apple design usb hub would be cool.
Good choice going with the USB model. I MAY get both of them, as I can’t see myself using the wireless model full-time, since its missing the # pad. It would be ace as a remote or something in media situations- and for showing off. ;D
Back to the Mighty Mouse: Long ago, I switched to a trackball because of space limitations and arthritis. The Kensington Expert Mouse p[lugs into my keyboard’s USB port, and the four keys can be programmed to your needs. The scroll is less than desired; however, I’ll take that inconvenience for the ease in setting up the trackball to compensate for my arthritic fingers.
I agree more with the commenters than the reviewer. I bought this keyboard with the full intention of doing extended typing, as I am a writer. What led me down this road?
I have a Mac Pro with the old white keyboard. Like many on Apple-related forums, I have complained about how the old keyboard keys would sometimes stick momentarily halfway down, which tended to make rapid typing a bit less pleasant. It was also loud.
Secondly, I got used to the keyboard on the PowerBook. I and many other writers have banged out thousands of pages on Apple’s laptop keyboards. We don’t have a problem at all with low-profile keys, provided that they are built properly.
Some writers prefer the loud keys of classic keyboards, which have a very satisfying action. But after many years on a good laptop keyboard, many of us have gotten used to the quiet, subtle action of a low-profile keyboard, and are no longer comfortable with the noise and longer travel of the traditional keys.
So now I write using the new slim keyboard for my Mac Pro. The only quibble I have is the key shape, which of course is MacBook like. I would prefer a better tactile transition between adjacent keys, and more concave key tops, but otherwise, it’s great, and comfortable, and I expect to type another few thousand pages with the new slim aluminum Apple keyboard that as a bonus, matches my Mac Pro better than the old keyboard.
I’m a technical writer (for 25+ years now), and I really like the new keyboard. *I* don’t find that I tire sooner using it. The more I use it, the better I like it.
The early comment that “Apple has always made keyboards that “feel good†but are functionally inept and virtually useless” is more than a little puzzling, though I might understand it a bit if the poster in question hasn’t been an Apple user for very long.
Which could explain not knowing about keyboard like the Apple Extended Keyboard II, for instance. I’ve got three of them stashed away as backups, and as long as the ADB-to-USB adapter still works, I’ll be able to use them. That keyboard typically rates in the top two or three best computer keyboards ever, not just among Apple’s keyboards.
There’s only one key for Exposé?
Last I checked there were three keys for activating Exposé:
F9 – Show all windows
F10 – Show all windows of active application
F11 – Hide all windows, reveal desktop
Which function does the new F3 activate (I’m assuming F9)? Personally, I use F11 the most, followed by F10.
–dak
I have to agree with DanM. I don’t own the new keyboard, but using at the Apple Store felt great precisely because it felt like a laptop keyboard. I have the Matias Tactile Pro, which many users consider an ideal USB keyboard; it was designed to imitate the old Apple extended keyboard II. And it does, but the problem for me is, I’ve done so much typing on Apple laptops for so long now that it’s just too hard to make the transition back to the old style. It’s a far sight better than the previous Apple keyboards of the past few years, but I find laptop style keyboards better for me. Of course, keyboards are notoriously idiosyncratic because writers’ typing styles vary so much.
So… anyone want to trade one of the new Apple keyboards for a Matias Tactile Pro with very few miles on it?
Oh, BTW, there is a company that makes an illuminated keyboard for the Mac; I can’t recall the name at the moment but I bet Google would track it down in a flash.
I actually think that the new keyboard is very nice to use. It is very easy to touchtype on and, I think that some people should think before they type. So far after about two or three hours of using it, I have only mistyped twice, and comparing that to the old keyboard, where I would have mistyped at least 15 or 16 times, I think that the new keyboard is a very big improvement to the last.
Really like the new keyboard design and typing feel. Unfortunately I can’t use it as it will not work (even as a “plain” keyboard) through a KVM switch. (I was also unable to get the keyboard update software to recognize it on my MBP.)
i like it, looks cool and similar to macbook keyboard which i really like.
but will it stand up to a spill? something the old apple keyboard didn’t stand up to. compared to my dell keyboard which has had a pint of water and cup of tea split on it and it still works.
I don’t know why many people are really complaining about “lack of USB power.” Have anyone seen any keyboard attached USB port provides the full speed USB 2.0 spec?
I’ve changed lot of IBM based PC keyboard and apple’s but there is no such a powerful usb 2.0 equipped keyboard.
If you know apple keyboard is a also usb keyboard and the usb power cable is shared to its operation, you would know why you won’t get a full speed usb 2.0 spec from the keyboard usb port.
If the keyboard has to provide a full speed usb 2.0 spec usb port, it should have another cable dedicated for that usb port. That would cause very aweful look “thick” cable configuration.
I walked into an Apple Store this past week for the first time in several months. You see, I have to keep away from the store or I’d be broke. Anyway, I saw the “new” Mac keyboard and just had to have it. Of course, I tried it out in the store and immediately fell in love. I type over 100 wpm (fairly accurately) and as soon as I tried this keyboard, I knew accuracy would be improved.
I too, was raised in the PC environment and learned to work on a tactile keyboard. A little over a year ago, I purchased a Matias Tactile Pro USB Keyboard for my Mac which behaves very much like the Apple Extended Keyboard II; however, many of the keys became sticky and just plain stopped working.
Alas, somewhat downhearted I returned to the original keyboard that came with my Mac. Until last week. After trying this “new” keyboard for several hours, I found that I just had to return to the Apple Store and purchase three more keyboards for the Macs in my office. A truly satisfying and worthwhile investment.
BTW, if you need to clean this (or any other) keyboard, just a dab of regular old rubbing alcohol in a cotton ball or soft paper towel does the trick!
I too have to do a lot of writing in form of emailing, and i have to say that i can type much faster with this keyboard and that i am more accurate then with various other keyboards i have used over the years ( ms,logitech,apple ).
I have to say that it took me a few days to get used to it.
If you have problems with your fingers from writing too much give it a try.
Its so good that that the keys on the macbook pro fell just – cheap.
I just now noticed something weird with the new keyboard and the (mighty) mouse connected to it – and the iPod also connected (but directly to one of the iMac USB ports): The left mouse click doesn’t seem to work as fast as it usually does, in fact the reaction to left mouse clicks is quite slow. This behaviour even stays after ‘ejecting’ the iPod (nano).
It’s only after physically unplugging the iPod that the left mouse clicks return to normal quick responsiveness.
Has anyone else experienced this? – Or should I talk to my brain expert?
i just got this keyboard because i spilt coffie on my old one
:/
and i hate it.
it is so much harder to type fast which sucks when you have to type a 16 page government report.
This is the ultimate Mac keyboard. I absolutely love it!
Hello!Â
Take a look a useful topic with top [url=http://www.freespaces.com/mybusiness/tradewindpromotions.htm]information[/url]
 Please email me or pm me your comments
 See you!
i got the new keyboard as a christmas gift and though it has many upsides, the MAJOR downside is the placement of the USB Ports. i work in audio production and use multiple dongles. i also have a USB port running as well.
the actual profile placement (height) of the USB ports isn’t large enough to accomodate the size of a dongle. if i use the USB ports on the keyboard, the weight of the keyboard along with the weight of my tapping the keys puts undo pressure on the plastic housings of the dongles and over time may crack the dongle. dongle replacement is a tough process, and i can ill afford a crushed dongle in front of paying clients.
i wish that the next generation of keyboard could have a little taller profile in order to support easy and quick dongle placement on the keyboard.
[...] you’re using Apple’s latest keyboard, released in August, or if you’re fortunate enough to have a MacBook Air, you’re [...]
I just bought this keyboard for no reason other than it looked cool. I love it so far, the keys are great and, like many others, find typing to be quicker and more efficient. One major complaint i have is the inability to adjust the height. I have a wacom tablet that sits directly in front of my keyboard and find that the keyboard is so low that the nearest keys are difficult if not impossible to access. I now have to buy some small rubber pads to raise the keyboard up the half inch needed to clear my tablet.
Mine situation may be unique, but the height adjustment on such a low profile keyboard should have been considered, and would have been easily implemented with retractable legs or something similar.
Six months so far, keys still clean
I just bought one of the Apple wireless keyboards, so we’ll see how it goes.
I just got the wired one and I am loving it!
Great keyboard. All my friends are envious of it. Works great, looks great. Gives you what you need, not a bunch of goofy techno geek extras.
HATE IT! HATE IT! HATE IT!
spilled coffee on my old keyboard and had to buy this horrible piece of crap. been a Mac user since 1988 and its the first time i have ever hated any of Mac parts.
I cannot type anything without backspacing every other word!!!!! the keys are too shallow stroke and my fingers are too long or big or SOMETHING!!!!!
WHO CARES WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!
ITS THE WORST KEYBOARD I HAVE EVER USED!
I just got the new appled (corded) keyboard and am off and running. No problems. It is much more stream-line and quiet. The one I had previously I had for 7 years. I just wish I could fi”nd some sort of slim wrist pad….maybe 1/4″-1/2. Has anyone seen anything like this out there?
ya great review. i recently bought one and i love it! so thin and feels great. i can type way faster because of shorter keystrokes. however the usb ports have very low power. it couldn’t power my 2GB flashdrive. it works fine for some flash drives and for a mouse, also works for something like a printer that has it’s own power supply or like a camcorder connected to charger. after having mine for a few months it’s still nice and white and sparkling clean. i have taken perfect care of it. i just wash my hands before i sit down to the computer. overall the best keyboard i have ever used
jobs people with arthritis…
I usually agree with your article content, but in this case I am sorry to say that I do not share your views….
If you miss the session of fitness on arm, go use iMac keyboard. My forearm is so sore after just a line of typing. I think my forearm will be bigger than upper arm if I keep tying this keyboard.
Yeah…I am going to school for digital art and we have 3 Mac labs. I am not really partial to computers anymore especailly when you’ve worked on PC’s Macs, and Linux (started as a CS major). I will say that I HATED the mac keyboards, so used to a normal keyboard, and for some reason the mac keyboards didn’t type that easily for me. Well one of the Mac labs updated to the new iMacs, and they had the new keyboards, and I was thinking, oh no, this is going to be worse than the old ones. So I started typing with the new flat keyboards, and it was MUCH easier to type and I made less typing errors. It was a dream and I love them. I want one for this computer which is a Dell. I’m not sure if the Mac keyboards would work on a PC?? Or even if there is some off brand out there with the same kind of keys, that would be awesome, but I can’t find any as of yet
@ tiff: i have tried the mac keyboard on a pc before. it works fine. however, since there is no num lock button, i don’t believe the number pad to the right would work. instead it would function as the arrow keys and home and end i think. and i don’t know if the custom function keys like play pause mute volume up and down would work. but yes it does work to some extent. and i believe the usb ports on it should work as well
I bought this keyboard (USB wired) last year. I quite like the quietnes and subtlety and have become used to the diferences … except for one very iritating isue. This is on a G5 Quad with cinema display, the keyboard does not seem to be able to register rapid duplicate keystrokes. I am not a fast typist as typists go, but I consistently get this problem. Well not al the time, but a lot of the time. I can type at any sped I like when each sucesive key is diferent, but when folowing characters are the same, the second one is mised.
After much hunting about I can find nothing on the topic on the web, but have spoken to others is the same situation as me. Other keyboards do not sufer this problem on this setup.
Any help woudl be hugely apreciated.
I publish magazines so spend many many hours on Mac keyboards. The new aluminium one is horrid! Multiple mistypes and accidental key presses, plus it gets very tiring very quickly. I have shelved it and reverted to my dirty, crumb-filled plastic jobbie.
Its obviously looks over functionality. If that is what you want from your keyboard then go for it.
I like the low profile, but the button spacing and shape is just terrible when I used it on a friend computer.
Just looking at the new keyboards, they don’t look very user-friendly, but I haven’t tried them yet. I’ve been an Apple user since the 80’s, and have used Apple //e, IIgs, Mac Plus, Mac LC, iMac (original), and PowerMac G4 keyboards and I have to say that the Apple Pro Keyboard (black keys) is the best I’ve ever used. My next Mac will be a Mini because I prefer the keyboard, mouse, and monitor I have now and don’t want to part with them. Why mess with that works?
That last line should be, “Why mess with WHAT works.”
I don’t like this keyboard at all. The most annoying thing however is that Apple have stopped making the trusty white “pro” keyboards leaving us with no choice but to buy this rubbish instead.
Typical Apple – style over content, just like Leopard.
1. I have no need for portability so why am I forced to use what is essentially a laptop keyboard with many of the disadvantages that brings with it
2. It is too small and delicate, the keys are too easy to press and it is very easy to slip and press the wrong key unless you have small hands
3. The thing gets warm
4. I have used ones that have actually warped from being warm, mis-shaping the keyboard so that the rubber feet no longer grip the surface of the desk. Laughable really.
Of course all the geeks who hang around in the Apple shop will totally disagree with me because it “looks cool”. Apple has a track record of making some crappy peripherals.
Its another backwards step just like the horrible mighty mouse. That mouse is made of the cheapest plastic, uncomfortable, gimmicky and unpredictable at the best of times. If you want to see how a mouse should work then go and take a leaf out of Logitech’s book (or even dare I say it, Microsoft). Even the name “mighty mouse” gives away the fact that it is a bit of a joke. As for Apple’s bluetooth mice and keyboards – don’t even get me started.
The bottom of the pile has to be those hideous and totally impractical circular “puck” mice that came with the original iMacs years ago. Not being able to “feel” which direction your mouse is pointed in while looking at the screen has got to be the dumbest design move ever.
the new slick flat apple keyboard works on windows vista. I just tried it out. When u plug the keyboard to the usb port, vista starts installing the driver for this device. After that keyboard starts working fine. The only thing which i didn’t notice on the keyboard was the numlock. However, when i activated the numlock on my laptop, the numeric keypad started to work on the apple keyboard.
Well, I’m a fan of the new USB keyboard. I’ve tried and owned the bluetooth model and couldn’t sell it fast enough. I do not recommend the bluetooth model to anyone. The trouble with any wireless device is the fact that they all have to get power from somewhere. The bluetooth model goes into a “sleep” mode if you haven’t pressed a key for an x amount of time. So, when you start typing after a few minutes, you literally have to wait for the keyboard to “wake up” and re-establish a connection with the computer. This can take about 5 or 6 seconds, and when you’re like me and typing at 80+ wpm, 5 or 6 seconds is forever! So, without even thinking about the crap bluetooth model, the USB model works for me at a level that actually matches it’s design, which says a lot when discussing stylized electronics (apple), and I can even control the brightness on my 20 inch Cinema display along with all the other “extra” controls. My mac is a Mac Mini Intel Core 2 Duo with 4 gig RAM. Now on to one more “stay away” recommendation. For those that like a user friendly mouse, do yourselves a favor and simply toss out the Apple mouse. I’m not recommending an expensive alternative either. When it comes to mouses, Steve Jobs (apple) has never impressed me. Heck, the best place to go for a mouse is either Target or Big Lots! I’m using a Gear Head optical USB mouse on my system now that’s got a cool black and silver color combo thing going on with a light up scroll wheel. Bought it at Big Lots for $8.00! ’nuff said.