Kanex Multi-Sync Keyboard (BTKey)

[RMo]

Has anyone tried the new Kanex Multi-Sync Keyboard (BTKey)? Besides the MacAlly BTKey, this seems to be the only full-size Bluetooth keyboard I can find.

It looks nice except for one thing: the search and iOS home buttons are way too big, especially on the left side, pushing the modifier keys much farther over than they should be. Look at Cmd: on a normal keyboard, it seems the right edge of Cmd is just shy of the right edge of "X." However, the Kanex keyboard has Cmd starting at the left edge of X and extending a bit farther than usual to the right. I think I'm trained to go a bit farther left than this, so I'm worried that I'll keep missing this key.

So, basically, I'd be curious if anyone has any experience with it. I'm looking to buy a new keyboard. I have the aforementioned MacAlly now and it's been flaky before 10.9. It mostly behaves now, but I usually have to turn it on and off a couple times a day to fix weird behavior like repeating keys. I'm looking for a preferably full-sized replacement keyboard including a numeric keypad. I'd prefer Bluetooth since it's built in and doesn't require filling limited USB ports with adapters. If I don't go that route, however, the Logitech Solar keyboard (why is this not Bluetooth?!) does look good.

 

[Giuly]

Frankly, I dont know what it's supposed to be. It's an Apple keyboard clone in price but made of plastic, with a little Logitech Switch-Easy technology sprinkled in, minus the solar charging and $30 more expensive than the Logitech.

I'd wait approximately 5 days until Logitech comes out with the same thing as the K751 with Bluetooth instead of the Unify receiver found on the K750, with nicer keys at a lower (read: reasonable) price point.

 

[RMo]

Frankly, I dont know what it's supposed to be. It's an Apple keyboard clone in price but made of plastic, with a little Logitech Switch-Easy technology sprinkled in, minus the solar charging and $30 more expensive than the Logitech.

I'd wait approximately 5 days until Logitech comes out with the same thing as the K751 with Bluetooth instead of the Unify receiver found on the K750, with nicer keys at a lower (read: reasonable) price point.

It's supposed to be full-size 100-something-key Bluetooth keyboard. There exist exactly two options I'm aware of now: this and the Macally BTKey. Otherwise, you're stuck with wires (in which case Apple's would be my first choice) or non-Bluetooth, receiver-requiring wireless (in which case the K750 for Mac would probably be my first choice). I can't imagine why Logitech made theirs without Bluetooth--it can't be simply because the solar power and smaller (built-in) battery aren't capable of it, since they have a small-size solar Bluetooth keyboard as well.

I'm curious about your statement that you believe Logitech will make a Bluetooth keyboard like the K750. Is this pure speculation on your part, or do you have evidence to support it? If it's just conjecture, I wouldn't count on it: this is not the first full-size Bluetooth keyboard for Mac, as I mentioned, and I'm not sure why Logitech just wouldn't have done this in the first place.

If anyone has any actual experience with the Kanex keyboard, I'd still like to hear it.

 

[Giuly]

It's supposed to be full-size 100-something-key Bluetooth keyboard. There exist exactly two options I'm aware of now: this and the Macally BTKey. Otherwise, you're stuck with wires (in which case Apple's would be my first choice) or non-Bluetooth, receiver-requiring wireless (in which case the K750 for Mac would probably be my first choice). I can't imagine why Logitech made theirs without Bluetooth--it can't be simply because the solar power and smaller (built-in) battery aren't capable of it, since they have a small-size solar Bluetooth keyboard as well.

I'm curious about your statement that you believe Logitech will make a Bluetooth keyboard like the K750. Is this pure speculation on your part, or do you have evidence to support it? If it's just conjecture, I wouldn't count on it: this is not the first full-size Bluetooth keyboard for Mac, as I mentioned, and I'm not sure why Logitech just wouldn't have done this in the first place.

If anyone has any actual experience with the Kanex keyboard, I'd still like to hear it.

They have the K760 which has Bluetooth but no number keys, and the K750 which has number keys but no Bluetooth. The Kanex is the first thing that competes in their ballpark, so it seems natural to offer something on par with it - and they have the technology.

I don't understand why they've put their Unify crap on a Mac keyboard in the first place, as unlike Windows PCs, Macs are "unified" to Bluetooth by default and they wouldn't have this "problem" right now if it was Bluetooth, too.

There're always the K760 and K811, without the number keys but with Bluetooth.

They're both great keyboards, even without the number keys. And no slavish copies off Apple's designs, either.

 

[RMo]

They have the K760 which has Bluetooth but no number keys, and the K750 which has number keys but no Bluetooth. The Kanex is the first thing that competes in their ballpark, so it seems natural to offer something on par with it - and they have the technology.

But is it the first? The Macally BTKey is a full-size Bluetooth keyboard, though it's more like the old white Apple keyboard than any current Apple (or Logitech) offering, so maybe that's what you mean. It is slim-keyed, though--it's just lacking the media keys and most other special function keys that Apple has been putting on lately (though unbeknownst to many new Mac users, there are always the "classic" shortcuts for those--e.g., F12 for Dashboard, or whatever you configure it to).

I don't understand why they've put their Unify crap on a Mac keyboard in the first place, as unlike Windows PCs, Macs are "unified" to Bluetooth by default and they wouldn't have this "problem" right now if it was Bluetooth, too.

Me neither. Apple has included Bluetooth has been standard in all (I think) their computers for years, and it avoids the need for a custom receiver. At least the Unifying one is on the right track, being small and usable across a number of different products--but I agree with you. I don't see why they don't just go with Bluetooth. (In fact, sometimes they have: their trackpad for Mac uses it, while the keyboard you might use it with uses Unifying.)

There're always the K760 and K811, without the number keys but with Bluetooth.

They're both great keyboards, even without the number keys. And no slavish copies off Apple's designs, either.

Thanks for the recommendations. I was aware of them, but my biggest problem besides the numpad (which I can fix by supplementing the keyboard with something else) is how they cram the arrow keys into a small space below the Shift key. This is really inconvenient when most of what I do is text editing, and I use the keyboard shortcuts to select and move.

I'd be curious to try the Kanex, but I'm pretty sure the Cmd key position will drive me bonkers. I might just go with the Apple wired one despite the fact that I'm using a MacBook and only have two USB ports (at least the keyboard will give me a net gain of one more--I'm sure I'll find a way to deal with the cord ).

 

[Giuly]

But is it the first? The Macally BTKey is a full-size Bluetooth keyboard, though it's more like the old white Apple keyboard than any current Apple (or Logitech) offering, so maybe that's what you mean. It is slim-keyed, though--it's just lacking the media keys and most other special function keys that Apple has been putting on lately (though unbeknownst to many new Mac users, there are always the "classic" shortcuts for those--e.g., F12 for Dashboard, or whatever you configure it to).

The first (or at least among them) where you can easily switch between three devices with the F-keys, though.

Thanks for the recommendations. I was aware of them, but my biggest problem besides the numpad (which I can fix by supplementing the keyboard with something else) is how they cram the arrow keys into a small space below the Shift key. This is really inconvenient when most of what I do is text editing, and I use koard shortcuts to select and move.

They are more convenient than you think they are, and work very well for moving a cursor around.

 

[RMo]

They [arrow keys smashed below Shift] are more convenient than you think they are, and work very well for moving a cursor around.

Actually, they are not. I have both a MacBook and Apple's aluminum wireless keybaord. The arrow,keys are fine(-ish) alone, but they are not when you start to use them as part of shortcuts, like Cmd+Left or Cmd+Shift+arrow. These require awkward contortions on the keyboard, and the key placement is hard to get used to compared to a normal keyboard.

 

[Giuly]

Now I understand what you mean.

But the reason I didn't understand you before is because usually, you use the left hand for Command, Option and Shift and the right hand for the arrow keys.

And that way it's comfortable on the MacBook Pro, too.

 

[Fatha]

My baby typed many keys, and now Kanex BTKEY doesn't work, and Mac cannot "discover" it. I powered down KB and Mac, still doesn't work. The #1 light comes on for 1 sec after hitting #1 button. How can I fix it ?