Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Just curious, and don't feel the need to restrict yourself to PowerPC. Apple says their new scissor keyboard is the best keyboard in a Mac notebook ever, so that got me wondering about what the tastes of Mac users are and what "best" entails. Personally, as someone who loves my keyboards clicky and tactile, I love the keyboard on the 2007 MacBook, it's just perfectly tactile and gives a nice pleasant buzz to my fingers when I use it (and is reason one of three I haven't sold it off yet). Second up is the iBook G4, and then my PowerBook G3, which, while linear feeling and silent, does at least have a good key travel to it, has a good texture to it, is pretty well sized and spaced besides the arrow keys, and IMO looks classy.
Worst to me of what I've experienced would probably be the aluminum PowerBook G4. It's kinda mushy, the keys are a little too cramped for me so I make plenty of mistakes, linear key feel without as much travel as the G3... though I haven't experienced the butterfly keyboard or... anything at all Old World or desktop.​

I’ll start with an unknown quantity:

There’s one specific keyboard I want to track down: the iMac G3 keyboard manufactured in the PRC, whose serial prefix is NK: @mectojic discovered that this variant seems to be a different creature from the typical spread of iMac G3 keyboards out there. Only after finding one in any hue will I know for certain whether I might add that one to a pretty short list of Apple keyboards on my faves list. What it may lack in an extended keypad, it’d more than make up in its key responsiveness and having that much-loved, much-missed power button (which should still be a part of every USB/BT keyboard). I did have a graphite variant from this era with my Yikes! G4; its mushy keys notwithstanding, the rest of the package and form factor was wonderful.

Aside from this TBD outlier, there are very few USB keyboards by Apple I care much for. As a basic nope, all Bluetooth keyboards are out: there is very little more frustrating than being in the middle of pretty intense writing (or research/note-taking, for subsequent writing) and having a low-battery warning make you have to wrap up what you’re doing because ::flails arms:: wireless recharge lyfe smdh. I get grumbly thinking about this, and this is when I start ranting madly about a “lithium-ion/bluetooth/disposable tech conspiracy” for killing wired accessories — much the way one brings up the notorious General Motors Streetcar Conspiracy (involving GM, Firestone, and Standard Oil). Get off my… tracks.

:cough:

I’ve grown to like the A1243 extended aluminium keyboard from ’07 — even if in general I’ve never loved the “chiclet” keys introduced on the first Macbooks (and still kicking around to this day, even surviving the butterfly days). I felt the flat-as-Saskatchewan chiclet keys, with their physical gaps, was a step backward from the pre-unibody MacBook Pro/aluminium PowerBook keys, but they were a big step up than the 2000–2004 extended keyboard or its immediate successor, whose footprint was tighter (but whose typing experience was still mushy).

Now, for the positive:

I love love love the typing experience on the pre-unibody MBP/aluminium PB G4s. Until I got one of those for the first time in ’08, the other keyboard I loved (and still love) was the clamshell G3 keyboard (and the incidental palm rest shape specific to the clamshells).

There’s a slight trade-off between these two: the softer-shaped “heads” of the keys on the aluminium models differs from the concave-with-crease-dropoff shape of the chamshell keys (used also in the Pismo PowerBooks and titanium G4s). Switching between the two takes a short mental adjustment. The softer heads have a better finger-feel, but the aforementioned palm rest makes up for that. In short, I don’t get typing fatigue on clamshell iBooks. I sincerely wish Apple had flirted with the idea of a standalone keyboard based on the aluminium/pre-unibody design, replete with back-lighting. Perhaps they did so in prototyping, but it never made the light of day.

As for ADB keyboards, it’s been a long time, though I have consistently wonderful memories using the M3501 ADB Keyboard II:

Apple_Extended_Keyboard.jpg__79562.jpeg


I loved the little notches next to the escape and hard-reset buttons, which came in super-handy for dropping on fold-out templates provided with software kits. This is the keyboard we had on our work Quadra 840AV, and it was durable. The whole kit was a sturdy build, and the gentle curve to the top case was subtle, but palpable when moving about the keys. Were one in even marginal working order to turn up locally, I would eagerly go through the trouble of tracking down an ADB-to-USB conversion box to use it in lieu of the A1243 I keep around for desktop Mac work. I’d be willing to give it a thorough tear-down, clean, and retrobrite to bring it back into daily use.
 
I'm pretty convinced at this stage that Apple keyboards of most varieties can vary in terms of build quality. This variation can make it hard to assess which keyboard is best. Also, having started diving into mechanical keyboards lately, I now see keyboard preference more like a food craving.

Sometimes you want that 'premium' cut, and won't settle for less than mechanical keys. At other times, you crave that 'fast-food' membrane board, whether you just want to bash as hard as you can on a white Macbook for the fun of it, or want to relive your childhood days using some questionable ADB knockoff.

Anyway, I like this thread idea, and here's my contribution:

1998 Apple USB Keyboard M2452: some are unusable and cheap, others are great. Huge bonus points for having a power button, and my favourite translucent aesthetic (the Strawberry colour really 'pops'!).
@B S Magnet , I now have 3 of these from factory 'NK' (different colours), and they all feel pretty damn good, I must say – though one of them is getting a stuck Shift key which I need to fix. I still can't say the keyboard was perfectly made, and I'm sure they all develop problems faster than other Apple keyboards, but with a like-new one, it's perfectly usable, nice and compact, a joy to type on.

For the record, the M2452 is also the only compact Apple board with a good amount of weight. You can rest this on your lap and press the left-shift key without the whole board wobbling, something that infuriates me when I use these new lightweight Apple keyboards.

2000 Apple Pro Keyboard M7803: never, never liked this. Something about the travel and feel was never satisfying to me, and I have tried a few. And they ditched the power button :(

2003 white Apple Keyboard A1048: used these for years, before I had tried many keyboards. I loved the angle of the keys, which you memorise as you learn it. The 2005 revision with USB 2.0 ports was a huge bonus. I have tried more than one of these, and the build quality does vary – some sound more hollow and plasticky, while others feel more rounded. They might appeal to different people. The A1048 is never my keyboard choice anymore, but aesthetically it is probably the most versatile of all, being an acceptable match to the eMac, iMac G4, G5 and Intel, and just about any aluminium Mac since.

2007 Aluminium A1243: When released, this felt like a step back from the A1048, but compared to what came later, this is actually a very, very usable keyboard, and I now think it's better than the A1048. In terms of build quality, it's very good and consistent. I can always sit at one of these at someone's place and type on it without making an error. Is it satisfying though? Meh.

2009 Aluminium A1242: Rarely talked about, this is the only Apple wired keyboard that is tenkeyless (compact 75%). I agree that wired is almost always better, and with 2 USB 2.0 ports on the keyboard, this is a very useful keyboard to quickly test a Mac – the mouse can just plug into the side port. These were never sold by Apple, only bundled with the stock iMac from 2009-2010 (if you didn't choose to go wireless or get the full-length version).

I really don't think Apple should be making wireless keyboards, ESPECIALLY with integrated battery. They have a shelf life, and will die; horrible for the environment. Meanwhile these 20 y.o. boards will keep going and going. I also strongly believe that Apple lost part of its school education market share by going wireless. What kind of school full of young children would want a bunch of stealable wireless keyboards and mice?

Laptop keyboards: I don't have a major preference for laptop keyboards, and I've generally liked all the ones I've used.
It's not so much the keyboard I care about, but the palm-rest area. For the PowerBook G4s and 2006-2011 MacBook Pros, I've had an uncomfortable time – something about the sharp edges and aluminium surface is not friendly. The Macbook airs (all models) feel better, because of the low-tapering profile. I've stayed well away from butterfly keyboards, but the one time I did have to use one was not great.

The best palm rest awards go to the iBook Clamshells and Wallstreet/Lombard/Pismo G3s, IMO. The Clamshell and Wallstreet are just a little too heavy to comfortably type on your lap for hours, but the Lombard and Pismo are just light enough to make it worth it. And the Lombard/Pismo keyboard are really nice, the same as the Clamshell.
 
  • Like
Reactions: B S Magnet
Apple USB keyboard (the one that shipped with the ’99 iMacs)
  • I find this keyboard practically unusable for typing. Keys tend to stick and bind. Almost new so it’s not an age thing.
  • Have it only for completeness with my ’99 iMac DV SE.
I can't use it anymore.
2009 Aluminium A1242: Rarely talked about, this is the only Apple wired keyboard that is tenkeyless (compact 75%). I agree that wired is almost always better, and with 2 USB 2.0 ports on the keyboard, this is a very useful keyboard to quickly test a Mac – the mouse can just plug into the side port. These were never sold by Apple, only bundled with the stock iMac from 2009-2010 (if you didn't choose to go wireless or get the full-length version).
Down here in Brazil we could bought it directly from Apple.
 
1998 Apple USB Keyboard M2452: some are unusable and cheap, others are great. Huge bonus points for having a power button, and my favourite translucent aesthetic (the Strawberry colour really 'pops'!).
@B S Magnet , I now have 3 of these from factory 'NK' (different colours), and they all feel pretty damn good, I must say – though one of them is getting a stuck Shift key which I need to fix. I still can't say the keyboard was perfectly made, and I'm sure they all develop problems faster than other Apple keyboards, but with a like-new one, it's perfectly usable, nice and compact, a joy to type on.

For the record, the M2452 is also the only compact Apple board with a good amount of weight. You can rest this on your lap and press the left-shift key without the whole board wobbling, something that infuriates me when I use these new lightweight Apple keyboards.

I started to reply how I remember replacing my graphite OEM keyboard from the Yikes! with the 2000 extended keyboard after the former failed in 2001. My initial thought was, “Yeah, not surprised the M2452 failed,” but then I had to really think back to why mine failed, and I believe the culprit was a spilled milky coffee which took out a group of keys on the left, around the tab, downward to the space bar. ?

2000 Apple Pro Keyboard M7803: never, never liked this. Something about the travel and feel was never satisfying to me, and I have tried a few. And they ditched the power button :(

Right there with you. Those keys were stiff and mushy. I don’t miss them at all.

2003 white Apple Keyboard A1048: used these for years, before I had tried many keyboards. I loved the angle of the keys, which you memorise as you learn it. The 2005 revision with USB 2.0 ports was a huge bonus. I have tried more than one of these, and the build quality does vary – some sound more hollow and plasticky, while others feel more rounded. They might appeal to different people. The A1048 is never my keyboard choice anymore, but aesthetically it is probably the most versatile of all, being an acceptable match to the eMac, iMac G4, G5 and Intel, and just about any aluminium Mac since.

I’m glad you had a better experience with these than I did. Aside from using them on other folks’ Macs, I avoided getting one for my own use.

2007 Aluminium A1243: When released, this felt like a step back from the A1048, but compared to what came later, this is actually a very, very usable keyboard, and I now think it's better than the A1048. In terms of build quality, it's very good and consistent. I can always sit at one of these at someone's place and type on it without making an error. Is it satisfying though? Meh.

That’s a decent summary. I wish they’d offered a variant of this with backlighting (as mine lives on a slide-out desk tray which gets little illumination). It would have also been nice to see a black-key variant once the unibody MacBook/Pros began to roll out. My acceptance of the A1243 was slow, owing how I resisted the chiclet-style flat keys until I had no choice but to use a daily driver with those keys (a mid-’09 13-inch MBP).

2009 Aluminium A1242: Rarely talked about, this is the only Apple wired keyboard that is tenkeyless (compact 75%). I agree that wired is almost always better, and with 2 USB 2.0 ports on the keyboard, this is a very useful keyboard to quickly test a Mac – the mouse can just plug into the side port. These were never sold by Apple, only bundled with the stock iMac from 2009-2010 (if you didn't choose to go wireless or get the full-length version).

It’s a handy variant, and they don’t turn up around here as often as the A1243 counterpart (which is a hecking shame).

I really don't think Apple should be making wireless keyboards, ESPECIALLY with integrated battery. They have a shelf life, and will die; horrible for the environment. Meanwhile these 20 y.o. boards will keep going and going. I also strongly believe that Apple lost part of its school education market share by going wireless. What kind of school full of young children would want a bunch of stealable wireless keyboards and mice?

All facts here.

Laptop keyboards: I don't have a major preference for laptop keyboards, and I've generally liked all the ones I've used.
It's not so much the keyboard I care about, but the palm-rest area. For the PowerBook G4s and 2006-2011 MacBook Pros, I've had an uncomfortable time – something about the sharp edges and aluminium surface is not friendly. The Macbook airs (all models) feel better, because of the low-tapering profile. I've stayed well away from butterfly keyboards, but the one time I did have to use one was not great.

The sticking point on the aluminium laptop keyboards, aware how their flat-shelf palm rest is a fundamental limitation (one absent with the clamshell), is when you get an example whose surface is unusually reactive with skin contact, causing the nasty pitting problem which cannot be fixed. The worse it gets, the more unpleasant it feels to rest one’s palms.

I’ve never been able to figure out whether this is a quality control issue with the raw aluminium source itself, an issue with the milling/finishing process, or whether it’s a function of the person’s skin chemistry who used it. I’m disinclined to suspect the latter. I had one 2007 MBP whose pitting began quickly after I got it and worsened until the day it was stolen. In the years since, I’ve run an A1138, A1139, and A1261 (as well as a unibody A1278) for several years. None has presented that issue (though with the A1139, I did acquire it with a couple of tiny dings in the palm rest area, and those dings have oxidized to a black hue, even as they haven’t spread from their original blemish marks).
 
That’s a decent summary. I wish they’d offered a variant of this with backlighting (as mine lives on a slide-out desk tray which gets little illumination).
I recently learnt about a company called Matias. They make wired replicas of old Apple keyboards, from the Apple Extended Keyboard (with some keys modernised + USB connection), to the A1243, which they sell with backlit configs. They're a bit pricey, but so were Apple's.
 
I recently learnt about a company called Matias. They make wired replicas of old Apple keyboards, from the Apple Extended Keyboard (with some keys modernised + USB connection), to the A1243, which they sell with backlit configs.
Wow. The golden one is sick! :D

2009 Aluminium A1242: [...] These were never sold by Apple, only bundled with the stock iMac from 2009-2010 (if you didn't choose to go wireless or get the full-length version).
I'm pretty sure I bought one of those from Gravis back in the day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mectojic
I recently learnt about a company called Matias. They make wired replicas of old Apple keyboards, from the Apple Extended Keyboard (with some keys modernised + USB connection), to the A1243, which they sell with backlit configs. They're a bit pricey, but so were Apple's.

WELL HECK

FK418BTLW_Angled_Backlight_On_MR_55678e9e-51da-45c3-852f-f67372ebf259.JPG


Except — now reading the fine print — every backlit model they offer/sell is wireless, not wired. D:

well, heck…
 
  • Like
Reactions: Amethyst1
Best laptop keyboard: 12" Powerbook G4.
Best desktop keyboard: the black USB Apple Pro keyboard.

Worst, by a wide margin: the butterfly keyboard in my 2016 MBP.
 
Except — now reading the fine print — every backlit model they offer/sell is wireless, not wired. D:

well, heck…
You sure? They do seem to sell RGB wired, which means can be regular backlit.
 
Just curious, and don't feel the need to restrict yourself to PowerPC. Apple says their new scissor keyboard is the best keyboard in a Mac notebook ever, so that got me wondering about what the tastes of Mac users are and what "best" entails. Personally, as someone who loves my keyboards clicky and tactile, I love the keyboard on the 2007 MacBook, it's just perfectly tactile and gives a nice pleasant buzz to my fingers when I use it (and is reason one of three I haven't sold it off yet). Second up is the iBook G4, and then my PowerBook G3, which, while linear feeling and silent, does at least have a good key travel to it, has a good texture to it, is pretty well sized and spaced besides the arrow keys, and IMO looks classy.
Worst to me of what I've experienced would probably be the aluminum PowerBook G4. It's kinda mushy, the keys are a little too cramped for me so I make plenty of mistakes, linear key feel without as much travel as the G3... though I haven't experienced the butterfly keyboard or... anything at all Old World or desktop.​

Weird as it may sound, my all time favorite Apple keyboard by feel is the iPad Magic Keyboard... case keyboard. I've long been a fan of laptop-like keyboard modules as my typing style really benefits from shorter travel and other properties of these smaller keyboards, but, that particular keyboard has the best (for my preference) general feel I've ever encountered. Just the perfect travel, springiness, everything. Plus, it's backlit which I like. I find it a little strange that it feels just a bit different/better than the standalone magic keyboards. I'd have expected them to match but they do not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lepidotós
I'm in love with my newly-acquired A1048 which I believe comes from towards the end of the Motorola era and maybe overlaps with Intel (the experts here will know). It's not mechanical but I willingly ditched my A1243 for it because I decided I wanted a typing-experience on my Studio which felt better than using a chiclet laptop-keyboard.

What I don't like about it: taking it apart to clean, and reassembling it. Seriously, was someone having a laugh when they decided to use 109 individual rubber cups instead of just one full-sized 'dimpled' piece? Unless you concoct some way to balance the top frame of the upturned keyboard without pressing any keys, it's a nightmare trying not to lose one of the cups while fitting the PCB membrane. Reassembling one of these things is a task you'd give to s*x offenders, murderers and child m*******s in prison while they sit there and mull-over their poor life-choices.
 
You sure? They do seem to sell RGB wired, which means can be regular backlit.

I missed that one.

To its detriment, and having owned and used RGB LED light strip kits for other purposes, I find that the rendering of a single hue, such as a tri-LED “white”, ends up falling a bit short.

I would love for them (or anyone) to sell a white LED-backlit, wired keyboard. It doesn’t even need to be extended.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mectojic
My favorite Apple desktop keyboard is the A1243

My favorite Apple portable keyboard is on the 17" Powerbook g4

My favorite non Apple Keyboards I use with my macs are the mechanical macally BMKEY or my membrane IBM KB9930 just because I love the goofy late 90's era rainbow internet buttons & its matte black color. A close runner up is the microsoft KB9450 which for being a big, clunky surfboard of a "turn of the century" internet keyboard, it is surprisingly comfy and click-like for being a membrane kb.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.