Apple Keyboard Revision

[verndog]

Just some interesting thoughts

First off, everyone has been talking about the USB being moved to the sides of the USB cord. My question is, how would these be oriented? I currently use a keyboard in front of my iBook, vs. the smaller built-in one, hopefully the USB cord won't be sticking straight out of the back, as it would force me to move the keyboard another 1.5" or so away from my comp. Perhaps they are sideways like the old performa keyboards, with the cord running in tracks along the back? Note also that the picture is taken is such a way that you can't see the middle of the back of the keyboard where these new ports are to be, rather it is shifted to the right so the the second row from the bottom is straight on.

One perhaps completely wrong idea could be a sort of mini keyboard, minus all the stuff on the right, arrows, keypad, etc. I don't really believe this is how it will be, but it came to my mind as a possible reason.

Lastly, I want to know why they would put that image up early first of, but secondly, why is it flipped? If they really wanted to put the left side of the keyboard up there, why flip it? It really seems odd to me. I posted a flipped picture below, and yes it does look right, but why?

But hey, what do I know

 

[Sherman]

I agree, that picture must be reversed. That or it doesn't have a numpad on it, which would be dissapointing for what's supposed to be a full size keyboard.

I have to say I would like one of those large IBM clicky-clakey keyboards. The one on my iBook is just wayyy to squishy for me. At work they have this old 386 with one of those keyboards attactched to it, I'm considiring stealing it for my own use. But whatever.

I do like the tactile feel of having a good click feeling. It's nice to have a keyboard that's supposed to do it, and it's not just crumbs caught under the keys...

 

[arn]

you guys are reading into the flipping thing far too much...

I bet the image was flipped so it would look better on the banner.

Little did that graphics art designer realize that such a minor change would spark so much speculation

arn

 

[zer0army]

If this keyboard is indeed released with a new eMac then I don’t think it is going to be anything special. Why would Apple introduce a new keyboard with Bluetooth, USB hub, drink holder or whatever else someone is going to dream up in the next few days on its lowest end machine ?

Maybe the new design was built around the idea of supporting Bluetooth or whatever but we wont see it in this design until a Powermac revision. (hopefully soon, and 970 too!)

 

[BaghdadBob]

Keybord keys -- is springier better?

Originally posted by Sherman
I do like the tactile feel of having a good click feeling. It's nice to have a keyboard that's supposed to do it, and it's not just crumbs caught under the keys...

I'm not sure whether it is ergonomically more correct or not, but I know when I worked at CIGNA I did just about nothing but type emails (business-related emails!! OK, over half of them...) 75% of the day, and I had a very heavy-stroke IBM keyboard.

I can say using my iMac keyboard at the end of the day took a LOT of adjustment, and I often didn't like it. However, since I've been using an Apple keyboard almost exlusively for a few months I've found that not only do I type faster, but my hands have less of a tendancy to ache, once I made the adjustment.

Once again, I don't know the ergonomics, but from my personal experience I am going to say that once you get used to it a softer keyboard is probably better for you. And as far as how far they stick out, as one poster commented on, those of us whose fingers tend to glide over the keys very low like this as we make less mistakes.

But to each his own...kinda like the mouse argument

 

[Wardofsky]

Sorry, but I don't like the sie on look, unless you want to wedge your door open...

 

[redAPPLE]

Originally posted by jcontonio
Well damn, considering I can't find the keyboard or mouse anywhere on the Apple Store or the Hardware section of their website that's gotta mean something. I even searched on the Apple Store under Hardware and all that came up was an iMac and a Powermac. You can't buy the keyboard and mouse through the Apple Store?

Or is it because I just woke up and don't know what's going on.

i think, it is the second.

 

[redAPPLE]

Originally posted by h00ligan
it;s probaably caqrbon copy cloner, at my work it takes us about 14 mins to restore os x with classic environment, 4 mins to restore os 9 only, apps included. I know cuz i made the images

as far as i know, the Apple Stores use OS X only.

does not carbon copy cloner only work with os9 (classic)? if one wants a pure OS X environment, one must use another program...

correct me if i am wrong on these points...

 

[AppleMatt]

Originally posted by zer0army
drink holder or whatever

Now THERES an idea!

AppleMatt

(incidentally if you follow the keys along you can see a break, maybe where the keypad will be, maybe just where the enter key is)

 

[iAlan]

side view....

interesting design...not sure where the USB connection would go...interesting comments from many people...but it is only a keyboard after all...I am sure it will have added functionality (jog controllers, application launch buttons, etc)...I will not go out and buy one though...

 

[dstorey]

If this is forthe eMacit wont have bluetooth....imagine the kids fun (and teachers annoyance) from being able to swapp keyboards around so the user types into the wrong computer (also a big security risk when typing in passwords) and how easy they would be to steal. On computers designed for an officewhere users are more mature (or suppost to be ) and at home on the iMac line for eg it would be fine. Of course all rumors or most seem to point to no bluetooth too

I kinda like the look so far of this keyboard and don't as well. I like the clear plastic base and curved shape of the keys, looks very classy. ?I don't like how its not bluetooth, though as someone said, maybe a bluetooth could come out later for higher end machnes or maybe as a build to order option. I also dont like how you can see the inner workings of the keyboard (the part under the keys). It spoils the clean lines i think. Id prefere a brushed metal, chrome or white plastic strip there instead, going round the keyboard. Though maybe if it does have the light in the keyboard then it will look pretty dam cool with the blue glow coming out the side and lighting up the clear plastic stand part. That way it would kinda look like the keyboard is floating on blue light or something. I cant see any fibre optics under the keys though...bu t i don't know what i'm looking for so maybe there are some there somewhere.

 

[Grimace]

I don't see much point in bringing out a new keyboard if it doesn't have bluetooth. There is not much Apple can do with a keyboard except put a power button back on.

 

[itsbetteronamac]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
I asked an employee how they keep the systems running when we untrustworthy customers have such freedom. He said they reinitialize from scratch regularly (daily?). Maybe they netboot them".

I saw them the reinitializing from an external firewire hard drive. The just set it up and the screen of the computer just blinks do not touch until it's done.

 

[evilfunkgenius]

 

[evilfunkgenius]

This is taken from the Orlando store wall. Note the new keyboard in the grouping of items on the wall.

 

[evilfunkgenius]

And another.

 

[Nightstalker]

Thanks for the additional image, evilfunkgenius.
But the second picture you posted is the same as the first one...
(obviuosly you just corrected this )

And btw, is that just the perspective, or does the mouse in the lower left corner look different, too?

Nightstalker

 

[dstorey]

i was gonna say that, the mouse looks more chunky and the side look like it could be a button but its hard to tell....

 

[jcontonio]

You ever think that this could just be a total made image because the side of the real Apple Pro Keyboard is ugly?

 

[rt_brained]

If it's wireless, fine, but I'd still prefer to see USB ports on the side for wired mice and other devices. Sending wires out the back would not be efficient for those folks with limited desktop real estate and extra-large monitors.

My guess is that they'll launch wireless keyboards and mice and leave it to us to deal with whatever conflicts arise.

 

[Grimace]

I think most of us can agree that the future (say, 3 years from now) is with wireless everything (bluetooth or otherwise). I say, innovate now and make everyone else follow or flounder.

 

[jimjiminyjim]

Originally posted by arn
you guys are reading into the flipping thing far too much...

I bet the image was flipped so it would look better on the banner.

Little did that graphics art designer realize that such a minor change would spark so much speculation

arn

If we're going to speculate, let's speculate big. Let's give apple some ideas to think about. Let's get talking about things that don't exist. Bluetooth? It's out there. Where the USB is? Come on.

I want microphones on the keyboard. One on each side, they'd know how to cancel out key noise, and noise from outside the person speaking, after all, we all sit with keyboards straight on. And I want a video camera. Or a little video camera plug in in the center. And it needs to have wireless power, or one of those charging pads, at the very least.

And while they're at it, they can add a flip cover to the number pad that I can use as an iPod type conrol.

And for the power user, they can set up the keys to have changing letters/words. For gamers, the OS X should load key sets for games and programs, so that the space bar can say "fire" and the arrows can light up with left, right... and the p key can say pause.... or for people working with video/images:

Come on, if we're going to talk innovation, let's innovate.

There. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

 

[dantec]

About flipping, Apple did it before in an iMac brochure (333) multicolor ones. There was a lime iMac flipped the opposite way (faced you from the right side but had no ports).

 

[dstorey]

Originally posted by jimjiminyjim

And for the power user, they can set up the keys to have changing letters/words. For gamers, the OS X should load key sets for games and programs, so that the space bar can say "fire" and the arrows can light up with left, right... and the p key can say pause.... or for people working with video/images:

I had that idea a while ago in another thread. Basically i thought that the keyboard could have blank keys when off then the os controls what goes on the keys via the country settings so you dont need seperate keyboards for different zones and like you said, different programs could control the keys so that for eg pro tolls could colour the keys and set them up like the keyboard you can buy from them. This would be controlled by the dynamic ornimental thing, and they could even put icons on a key so that you could see what the shortcut cey maps are and keys change when you press the modifier keys like alt etc. I think it would be amazing if its possible.

also i think that innovation in power supply is important if blue tooth is to be used...eith a detachable firewire cord thats maybe hidden under the keyboard so you cant see it when not in use or solar power strip or something like kinetic energy.

 

[Doctor Q]

Big speculation? Apple was rumored to be working on lighted casings with programmable colors. So let's put some of those lights on the keyboard. Imagine if every key could light up with a color controlled by software. Think of the uses:

Listen to iTunes while your keyboard provides the psychedelic lighting:

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing With Color: the keys you are supposed to press turn green, keys you mistakenly press turn red.

Whack-a-Mole: smash the keys that light up. (And Apple will get to sell lots of replacement keyboards!)