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Nasty keyboards

Sesshi

Sesshi

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jun 3, 2006
8,113
1
One Nation Under Gordon
Has anyone else noticed this? After I completed my switch onto Apples and have been banging away on them 24/7 (it feels like it at least with the amount of reports I write) I am dismayed by the turdy keyboards (the white/clear ones, both wired and wireless. They 'stick' all the time causing my fingers grief because I'm a 'turbo hammerer'.

What is a GOOD alternative? (wired) Does a USB equivalent of Apple's Ergonomic Keyboard of a decade ago exist? I LOVED that thing.
 
I own an Auravision Eluminx and think it's great. It's laptop style, as opposed to big and clicky, but I've found that the decreased travel improved my typing speed. Build quality is very good and the backlight is nice and unobtrusive.
 
All right. I'll stop being so anal then.

I've just noticed that the keyboards you linked to are rebranded Keysonics. They hae one that's actually suprisingly similar to the Mac keyboard so I might give that a try.


http://www.keysonic.de/pages/products/keyboards/fullsize/ACK_5000_HL/ACK_5000_HL.html


So on to the last portion of the question, is there no direct equivalent of the Apple Ergonomic keyboards around these days? Or are they still selling them (then I can use it with the iMate)?
 
Hector said:
who looks at their keyboard? i mean seriously, once your used to it it does not matter what is on the keys, on my old ibook i deliberately mixed up the middle keys to stop people useing it.
Click to expand...
Do you still have it? I want pics! :D

That would be fun to do on my PowerBook. I'd just need to leave F and J where they are (for the little bump) or maybe even switch them around. How hard is it to take the keys off?
 
Hector said:
it's fairly easy, you just snap them off, one of them broke so i replaced it with the § key, but seriously who uses that?
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You just snap them off? Nevermind! I know I'll break at least 4 or 5 if I attempt this. Cool idea, though! :)
 
Got the keyboard. It looks pretty cool (although it doesn't match anything) and most importantly the feel is a heck of a lot better I have to say, and the volume buttons work, yay... but the Windoze layout blows. I suppose I'll have to get used to it.
 

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Sesshi said:
Got the keyboard. It looks pretty cool (although it doesn't match anything) and most importantly the feel is a heck of a lot better I have to say, and the volume buttons work, yay... but the Windoze layout blows. I suppose I'll have to get used to it.
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Once you get used to it, normal keyboards feel clunky. =)
 
neocell said:
I know it's a bit late for you Sesshi, but if anyone else is looking for a Mac replacement keyboard, here's one from logitech.
Click to expand...


I know about that but I didn't go for that because of my wariness for all keyboards Logitech. They have the travel of a full-size keyboard with quite possibly an even nastier feel than the Apples. The new ones with the lower profile disagrees with me and I'm doubting that the Mac version will be any different. I might get the Logitech set for the office though and see how I get on, because this layout change is a bit of a bugger.
 
I think the crumbs & hair I can see inside my swimming pool...er keyboard is pretty gross. I did take all the keys off once and cleaned it, but a week later it was nasty again. So I gave up.
 
neocell said:
I know it's a bit late for you Sesshi, but if anyone else is looking for a Mac replacement keyboard, here's one from logitech.
Click to expand...
I was thinking of getting one of those but then I found this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...594599/ref=sr_1_4/104-7713361-7343128?ie=UTF8

At less than half the price of the logitech one you get a really cool wireless keyboard and one of the my favorite mice out there. Plus it is made for Mac (though it still also has the Windows icons with the Mac ones on Keyboard) so it has buttons that control iTunes and a whole bunch of other Mac specific stuff. My only complaint is that it is made of very lightweight plastic. I like a keyboard with a little heft to it. But it's perfect for putting on your lap, kicking back and typing away.
 
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dornoforpyros said:
I think the crumbs & hair I can see inside my swimming pool...er keyboard is pretty gross. I did take all the keys off once and cleaned it, but a week later it was nasty again. So I gave up.
Click to expand...


yeah i just did that yesterday with my bluetooth keyboard. it made me want to throw up because i dont think ive cleaned it in two years. i dont like being able to see inside my keyboard :(

also - has anyone used the kensington slim keyboard? i always thought those felt nice. but looked a little small. they are fairly inexpensive and easy to locate.

K64366-10860.jpg
 
neocell said:
I know it's a bit late for you Sesshi, but if anyone else is looking for a Mac replacement keyboard, here's one from logitech.
Click to expand...

It looks so nice in the online pics. The sad thing is in real life its very silvery when people have shown their own pics.

I love the Apple keyboard so much, I wish I had gone for the wireless when I got the G5 but doh!

Had just dug out the Cordless Desktop MX set and using it with the MX1000. Main reason I'm using the MX Duo keyboard is due to all the media stuff on it.

I'd stick to the Apple but it isn't wireless and sadly doesn't have all the media keys and whatnot.
The silvery parts on the keyboard match nicely with the anodised look, but the keys aren't white :( Plus I doubt I'd ever leave the MX1000.

dornoforpyros said:
I think the crumbs & hair I can see inside my swimming pool...er keyboard is pretty gross. I did take all the keys off once and cleaned it, but a week later it was nasty again. So I gave up.
Click to expand...

Got a compressor? or air cans blast it with the hoover near by.
My main rule, never eat or drink near the computers. Crumbs are evil!

Just dust against black is nasty, no sooner cleaned it, its building up again. Kind of like as if there was an electric dust magnet or something.
 
The illuminated Keysonics/Auravision keyboard that the original respondent to my post mentioned is kind of MBP-ey.

Go to Keysonic.de

http://www.keysonic.de/pages/products/keyboards/compact/ACåK_720_EL/e_ACK_720_EL.html
http://www.keysonic.de/pages/products/keyboards/compact/ACK_2031/e_ACK_2031.html

Are examples of MBP-like keyboards. I can vouch for the nice feel of the second one although it's not illuminated. These keyboards are marketed under various names worldwide but if you fire off an email to Keysonic I'm sure they will tell you where you can get one.

These are all Windoze layout mind you, but they will - as others have said - work. Sort of. If you're not a picky person like me. :p

Mice? Kind of a shame you can't get the MS Starck mouse (with blue light) anymore... that would have been a nice combination. Not sure what else to recommend, I'm sure others may be able to help more.
 
So the verdict at the end of a day's use is that I've ordered 2 more Keysonics keyboards and one Logitech desktop. As I said it's something that only mildly bothered me until I actually started using Macs 'seriously'.... typing on them for my work as well as play (and lots of forums posts). But boy do the scissor action keyboards make a difference. I can hit any part of the keys and they won't bind. It's unusual for a company like Apple to skimp on such a crucial part of the user interface as a keyboard - at least they didn't when I was last a Mac user. Or is that an indicator of declining standards? I miss that Ergonomic Keyboard...
 
AGoglanian said:
also - has anyone used the kensington slim keyboard? i always thought those felt nice. but looked a little small. they are fairly inexpensive and easy to locate.

K64366-10860.jpg
Click to expand...

I use a Kensington Slim Type keyboard (the Mac version) on both my PC and my Mac, and I am happy with it, aside from a couple things (No USB hub built in, and there are two Ctrl keys next to each other at the bottom left of the keyboard). I definitely prefer it to my iBook keyboard. The keys have a very nice action to them (it is a scissor action keyboard, like many laptop keyboards) and a fair amount of tension; unlike many laptops, you actually have to put some pressure on the keys to get a response. The media keys are useful as well: the play/pause button launches iTunes in the background and begins playing a song from your library and you can skip tracks forward and backward. Even when iTunes is launched, it stays in the background, so you never actually interrupt whatever program you're using. The Mac version of the SlimType keyboard also works plug and play in Windows XP (except for media keys). It is definitely better than the Apple Pro Keyboard it replaced, but I'll admit that I still use my Macally iKey if I know I'm going to be typing for extended periods.
 
One quick correction to my last post: when the Kensington SlimType Keyboard launches iTunes, it DOESN'T stay in the background. It will switch to iTunes, but thereafter you can use the media keys while iTunes stays behind your other apps.
 
Xeem said:
One quick correction to my last post: when the Kensington SlimType Keyboard launches iTunes, it DOESN'T stay in the background. It will switch to iTunes, but thereafter you can use the media keys while iTunes stays behind your other apps.
Click to expand...

You know there is an edit button next to your posts.

Anyway, I guess I'm in the minority, but I quite like the feel of the regular desktop Apple keyboards. I don't think I've ever used a keyboard that I liked better.
 
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