I just finished doing a clean of all the keycaps and boards of some iMac G3 keyboards:
Many have reported this model of keyboard as being, well, pretty bad. They have a problem with the 'mushy', unsatisfying feeling of the keys.
I have used 4 different iMac G3 keyboards before, and have always felt the same way – the keys felt too squishy, and generally unsatisfying.
However, my view of them has suddenly changed, because of a discovery that relates to my puck mouse post: not all keyboards are the same. These G3s were manufactered in multiple different factories/countries, meaning that everything from colour, materials and quality can vary.
I tried one with serial KY (assembled in Malaysia), and the keys felt strangely resistant, and indeed 'mushy', as others have reported.
Then I tried one with serial NK (assembled in China), and the difference was phenomenal. This one felt simply wonderful. After the clean, it felt like it was brand-new again, and definitely had the correct feeling of Apple quality.
In other words, some G3 keyboards are much better than others (just like the puck mice), and they can't all be discredited because some percentage of them have the 'mushy' feel.
Now, in retrospect, with all the minimalism and shallow keyboards being pumped out today, the G3 keyboard isn't that bad after all. It's got a small, elegant profile, and the half-size function keys are no more inconvenient than Apple laptops of the time (or more recently). It does still have a number pad though, and the small inverted-T arrow keys, whilst not the best, are tolerable enough on a nice keyboard.
Many have reported this model of keyboard as being, well, pretty bad. They have a problem with the 'mushy', unsatisfying feeling of the keys.
I have used 4 different iMac G3 keyboards before, and have always felt the same way – the keys felt too squishy, and generally unsatisfying.
However, my view of them has suddenly changed, because of a discovery that relates to my puck mouse post: not all keyboards are the same. These G3s were manufactered in multiple different factories/countries, meaning that everything from colour, materials and quality can vary.
I tried one with serial KY (assembled in Malaysia), and the keys felt strangely resistant, and indeed 'mushy', as others have reported.
Then I tried one with serial NK (assembled in China), and the difference was phenomenal. This one felt simply wonderful. After the clean, it felt like it was brand-new again, and definitely had the correct feeling of Apple quality.
In other words, some G3 keyboards are much better than others (just like the puck mice), and they can't all be discredited because some percentage of them have the 'mushy' feel.
Now, in retrospect, with all the minimalism and shallow keyboards being pumped out today, the G3 keyboard isn't that bad after all. It's got a small, elegant profile, and the half-size function keys are no more inconvenient than Apple laptops of the time (or more recently). It does still have a number pad though, and the small inverted-T arrow keys, whilst not the best, are tolerable enough on a nice keyboard.
