Keyboard

[mcvaughan]

I just picked up a new Mac Pro today, and with it a wireless keyboard. I have not opened the keyboard yet as I think I may prefer the one that came with my Pro. I particularly like the keypad. What do you guys think? How is the tactile feel of the wireless keyboard vs. the stocker?

 

[GotPro]

Can't help you with the tactile feedback of the wireless... but I LOVE the wired feedback... and I couldn't live without a keypad, I just don't think!

 

[4JNA]

Can't help you with the tactile feedback of the wireless... but I LOVE the wired feedback... and I couldn't live without a keypad, I just don't think!

ditto. no new wireless use, but the new wired is one of the best keyboards i have used in the last 20 years. and it's so damn sexy and slim!

it's like a 'supermodel' on 600 calories a day and smoking, except way more useful and productive! best of luck with the choice.

 

[Cromas]

I order the wireless keyboard, Iam not use yet, but I think that I will love, I hate wires... the number pad... mmm I think that I dont missed...

 

[kingkezz]

It's the same as the wired keyboard in terms of tactile feedback. No number pad is a pain. esp. if you use FCP. Who knew I'd miss the home, end and delete key - now its fn everything.

It also took me a little while to get used to where the keys where and I frequently mistyped - it's like used a laptop keyboard. I would much prefer the wired keyboard, but as I can't, I've had to get use to the wireless.

 

[Ged']

I had the wireless keyboard with my aluminum iMac. I loved using. My desk gets very messy with books, papers, sketches scattering it and the wireless keyboard was small enough to "plonk" on anything I needed it too, books, lap etc. I did miss the number pad when in excel though. Oh and the aesthetics .... sexiest keyboard ever.

The larger keyboard has some pretty cool features. I like the two USB ports attached to it. I never use the apple mouse. I believe its the worst thing they've ever made. So I have these ports free for usb sticks, Wacom pad or my nano receiver for my mouse.

I've always hated wires so would recommend the wireless keyboard and it isn't that less functional than the standard unless you number crunch a lot. There isn't much in it though so if your not sure keep the wired keyboard.

 

[srl7741]

Post 5 & 6 pretty much said how I feel also. I have both the KB's and love the wireless also. It's really no different feels just like the wired without the extra keys.

It's worked great with one exception. When i boot to Vista i use the wired keyboard. The BT keyboard gives Vista fits and sometimes works and sometimes don't. (go figure).

 

[Soop53]

I love my wireless keyboard for the same reasons as above...no wires. But will need to get the wired one for windows!!! I love the mouse, especially the scroll button but I did notice arm pain the next day after many hours of use the night before. Will go for a Logitech I think.

 

[yeroen]

I was really happy Apple Care was able to replace my broken white wireless keyboard with another white wireless keyboard.

Perhaps it's all a matter of familiarity, but I found the new silver keyboards to be just too slippery. My fingers, lacking feedback, never quite knew where they were, resulting in a cascade of mistypes. Not to mention Apple's asinine decision to remove the number pad from the silver wireless version.

 

[Luis Ortega]

I think that the new thin Apple keyboards are crap.
The spacebar is not responsive and it is forever running words together.
I threw it out and got a proper keyboard. It's a Macally Icekey usb slim and it is way better.
Style is no substitute for function when it comes to getting work done.

 

[mcvaughan]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm happy with the stock keyboard, so I think I'm going to stick with it.

 

[WardC]

I think that the new thin Apple keyboards are crap.
The spacebar is not responsive and it is forever running words together.
I threw it out and got a proper keyboard. It's a Macally Icekey usb slim and it is way better.
Style is no substitute for function when it comes to getting work done.

I echo that times 10.

I purchased a new aluminum iMac 2.0GHz last year, and it came with one of these superslim keyboard (wired with the keypad)...

From a "looks" standpoint, it is quite an awesome piece of equip, it would be fine to pack with a laptop for having another external keyboard...

BUT - I have been groomed and trained on the feel of a fullsize depth key Mac keyboard, since my first LC II, on through the platinum ADB keyboards, the G3 and G4 black keyboards, and then the white keyboards. I found myself running words together, missing the period key alot, just having a hard time typing really complex things really fast (URLs, blogging, etc) that I do everyday. I just had to go back to the "normal" keyboard, the White and Clear one (non-slim non-aluminum) - the Apple Keyboard that came with the White iMacs and the Original Mac Pro. I am back to using this keyboard for about a month now, and I am not going to turn back around to the slim one ever again. I think this time....Apple reaaaally missed the boat when trying for the "future/ergo" design on everything, they butchered the keyboard into this non-responsive tap toy. Sorry, don't like it. Never will.

Long live the best (now discontinued) keyboard that Apple ever made:

 

[Jake-1]

I think that the new thin Apple keyboards are crap.
The spacebar is not responsive and it is forever running words together.
I threw it out and got a proper keyboard. It's a Macally Icekey usb slim and it is way better.
Style is no substitute for function when it comes to getting work done.

I don't hate the new aluminum keyboards, but they have nothing on old-school Model Ms or the more recent version of them in the form of the Unicomp Customizer.

 

[Apple-Man23]

I echo that times 10.

I purchased a new aluminum iMac 2.0GHz last year, and it came with one of these superslim keyboard (wired with the keypad)...

From a "looks" standpoint, it is quite an awesome piece of equip, it would be fine to pack with a laptop for having another external keyboard...

BUT - I have been groomed and trained on the feel of a fullsize depth key Mac keyboard, since my first LC II, on through the platinum ADB keyboards, the G3 and G4 black keyboards, and then the white keyboards. I found myself running words together, missing the period key alot, just having a hard time typing really complex things really fast (URLs, blogging, etc) that I do everyday. I just had to go back to the "normal" keyboard, the White and Clear one (non-slim non-aluminum) - the Apple Keyboard that came with the White iMacs and the Original Mac Pro. I am back to using this keyboard for about a month now, and I am not going to turn back around to the slim one ever again. I think this time....Apple reaaaally missed the boat when trying for the "future/ergo" design on everything, they butchered the keyboard into this non-responsive tap toy. Sorry, don't like it. Never will.

Long live the best (now discontinued) keyboard that Apple ever made:

amen!!

 

[Michael73]

If there is one thing you can definitely count on from Apple is that nothing stays the same for long. My guess is that in the next couple of years they'll come out with something else. Hopefully, by then the engineers will have read one of the thousands of forum threads complaining about the lack of keypad and replace what we all sorely miss!

 

[JesterJJZ]

I think that the new thin Apple keyboards are crap.
The spacebar is not responsive and it is forever running words together.
I threw it out and got a proper keyboard. It's a Macally Icekey usb slim and it is way better.
Style is no substitute for function when it comes to getting work done.

Amen...

 

[phalewhale]

I think that the new thin Apple keyboards are crap.
The spacebar is not responsive and it is forever running words together.
I threw it out and got a proper keyboard. It's a Macally Icekey usb slim and it is way better.
Style is no substitute for function when it comes to getting work done.

I actually really prefer the new keyboards. But I couldn't not have a number pad so I stick with the wired option and use a wireless mouse instead.

For me, the new keyboard is an absolute joy to type on and is without doubt the best keyboard I type on. My MBP keyboard coming second. If Apple did a wireless version that looks exactly the same as the wired, I would get one in a flash.

The old keyboard was still nice and the design was cool, but it's dated now. The design in my opinion was flawed because all sorts of dust and debris could creep underneath that thing. I used to have one and I used to clean it all the time so that I didn't get crap and stuff stuck in the damn thing!

But again, each to their own.

 

[stinkFink]

Aluminum wireless KB- where are the USB ports

I just picked up a new mac with the thin little wireless keyboard- are the USB ports under the little plastic piece underneath the power button? I'm a bit sheepish to pry it off for fear of breaking it & the manual doesnt say diddly.
Thanks

 

[kingkezz]

The wireless keyboard does not offer usb ports.

 

[WardC]

The wireless keyboard does not offer usb ports.

Oh, the wireless. The "thin" wired keyboard has the ports though, but on the side versus them being located on top front of the fullsize (discontinued) white keyboard I pictured above.

Again, the keyboard preference is up to the user, and people feel strongly about what they like best, what feels best for them, and what works best.

My best guess is the next big Apple wave of the future in this realm will be a fully glass keyboard with light-up keys that can pulse at your response. Something along the lines of Star Trek, a really minimal type deal with no "keys" at all, just one plane that illuminates for various things, such as being able to work as a keyboard/touchpad and having control panels and search functions right there to google and access other items as well. I mean, we all know, this is coming. I don't think it sounds too far-out, and I really think this is what we will see coming. Basically resulting in a "zero" touch response keyboard -- the thin keyboard has pretty much set it to an eighth of what we has with traditional key size, and the iPhone is already an example of such keyboard, look at iPhone (touchscreen keyboard) vs. Blackberry (physical keys) and you will see Apple is paving the way ahead for this technology.

 

[Julien]

I just picked up a new mac with the thin little wireless keyboard- are the USB ports under the little plastic piece underneath the power button? I'm a bit sheepish to pry it off for fear of breaking it & the manual doesnt say diddly.
Thanks

How could it have a USB connection without a wire connected to the computer? Wouldn't that defeat the wireless part of the keyboard?

 

[OlBlueHair]

The aluminum wired keyboard is the best I have used in 20 years. I love it so much, I have an extra one sitting in a closet.

 

[stinkFink]

How could it have a USB connection without a wire connected to the computer? Wouldn't that defeat the wireless part of the keyboard?

MacMall, where I bought it, says it has two USB ports for connecting peripherals- not a USB connection to the CPU. I suppose they just erroneously copied the copy written to describe the wired KB.