They really don’t (although I used to think so a decade ago); overpriced, average feel, cheap construction
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Review: Das Keyboard's New 'MacTigr' is a Mechanical Keyboard for Mac Users
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Same for me with the K8 tenkeyless. For just over a 100€ you get a BT/wired aluminium chassis mechanical keyboard. Cannot compare them with the DasKeyboard keyboards, but they have to be pretty good to let me spend double the money.
Serious question: Whats the difference between a "Mac Compatible" keyboard and the thousands of windows ones out there, apart from the Command key having a Windows logo?
I've been using a Dell keyboard for years on my macs and haven't noticed anything missing, more to my surprise all the FN functions (spotlight etc.) work exactly as they do on a mac.
I've been using a Dell keyboard for years on my macs and haven't noticed anything missing, more to my surprise all the FN functions (spotlight etc.) work exactly as they do on a mac.
As far as prebuilts go, they're good.
But Keychron has nothing on a good custom. And I'm not even talking top-end like Keycult, stuff like KBDFans blows Keychron out of the water if you like to customize.
Have you ever used the DasKeyboards? I'd love to hear a comparison. I'm always interested in other mechanical keyboards but they are so cost prohibitive to just get one to try them out.
I had one of these old apple keyboards, and yeah typing experience was awful. Even the cheapest mechanical keyboard will be 100x better.
Is it really a Das Keyboard keyboard if it has printed keycaps? I kid, but my high school actually used the blank key Das Keyboard keyboards in our touch typing class, so they’re also a bit nostalgic for me.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Das Keyboard has anything in their range that’s Bluetooth or a tenkeyless design. Thankfully, the Gatreon clone key switches do a pretty good job of emulating Cherry switches at a lower price, which helps make mechanical keyboards a little more accessible. I’ve got a Bluetooth tenkeyless 60% keyboard I found on Amazon, and it’s been working very well for me. But you really can’t beat the imposing, minimalist, all black, no printed key look of the classic Das Keyboard keyboards, they might be some of the most stylish keyboards ever. It’s just that full extended keyboards take up a large footprint, while I can have a 60% keyboard, a good sized trackball (a Kensington Expert Mouse to be precise), and a numpad in a smaller footprint than the extended keyboard and trackball would take up, and I can stick the numpad to the right of the trackball, so the trackball is closer to where my hand rests.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Das Keyboard has anything in their range that’s Bluetooth or a tenkeyless design. Thankfully, the Gatreon clone key switches do a pretty good job of emulating Cherry switches at a lower price, which helps make mechanical keyboards a little more accessible. I’ve got a Bluetooth tenkeyless 60% keyboard I found on Amazon, and it’s been working very well for me. But you really can’t beat the imposing, minimalist, all black, no printed key look of the classic Das Keyboard keyboards, they might be some of the most stylish keyboards ever. It’s just that full extended keyboards take up a large footprint, while I can have a 60% keyboard, a good sized trackball (a Kensington Expert Mouse to be precise), and a numpad in a smaller footprint than the extended keyboard and trackball would take up, and I can stick the numpad to the right of the trackball, so the trackball is closer to where my hand rests.
The AEK keyboard has Alps key switches and is more of an 80s keyboard. (But what a keyboard! I bought a NOS Griffin iMate about 10 years ago to be able to use one on modern computers.) Apple had the AppleDesign keyboards in the 90s that were rubber dome keyboards, those would have been cheaper (and less satisfying), though $20 seems a little too low unless it was used. I’ve had both the AppleDesign keyboard and Apple Extended Keyboard II in my collection, and the latter is my favorite by far. Apple also apparently had an ergonomic keyboard available in the 90s, but I’ve never seen one let alone owned one.
Generally, the differences tend to be more on the right hand side of the space bar. Windows keyboards have the alt, windows, contextual menu, and control keys, while full sized Mac keyboards usually only have Command, Option, and Control and compact Mac keyboards will often only have Command and Option. But it also makes a huge difference on iOS, which doesn’t have the ability to swap the Windows Key and Alt Key that macOS has.
If it weren’t for the hard-wired cable I might have been tempted to try this to compare with my blue and brown equipped DK Pros. (blue at home, brown in the office).
Yes, I know my DK Pro’s are also hard-wired. Which is why that non-difference fails to get me over the line at this price point.
Yes, I know my DK Pro’s are also hard-wired. Which is why that non-difference fails to get me over the line at this price point.
Yeah, that's the problem. No means of really trying out keyboards and it's too much hassle to just buy all of them
Same here. I bought a Keychron for my son and I couldn't use it. After years of typing on MBPs and Magic Keyboards my fingers just don't want to travel that far to reach nor press down on the mechanical keycaps.
I can definitely see the attraction though. There's something to be said for the greater amount of feedback one can get from a mechanical but there's no going there for this old dog.
The one feature I wish Magic Keyboards would gain that other keyboards have: Ability to switch Bluetooth pairings with different devices, and via dedicated keys, too. F13-F19 are pretty useless up there, give me switchability!
Oh, man, I wish I still had mine. Disappeared about the time we moved many years ago. I wish I knew what happened to it. Even had a USB adapter for it. I don't think it was stolen (I doubt there's that many people who would even care about such a thing), but I suspect it was in with some items that got wet after a pipe leak and got discarded right before we packed.
80s keyboards were still better products than whatever the keyboard hipsters of today come up with. My 1981 Model F (used at the office - undampened - yes, my colleagues love me...
) has a weird layout, but typing on it feels like heaven - and even my 90s Dell AT101W (with Alps switches) is great.The AEK is probably worth every cent - chances are you'd never have to replace it.
I’ve always wanted to try a Model F or Unicomp’s latest take on it; I’ve never gotten to use a buckling spring keyboard. But the lack of Bluetooth and compact options makes them a difficult sell, when I can buy decent mechanical key switch keyboards with those features at the same price or lower.80s keyboards were still better products than whatever the keyboard hipsters of today come up with. My 1981 Model F (used at the office - undampened - yes, my colleagues love me...
The AEK is probably worth every cent - chances are you'd never have to replace it.
And I’d expect that Dell keyboard to be great if it’s using Alps switches, the AEK uses Alps switches after all, and the AEK is a real joy to type on. (A shame about ADB ports, maybe you can still find NOS Griffin iMates on eBay.) Edit: Oof! Back when I bought mine in 2012, the going rate for NOS Griffin iMates was about $30 on eBay (about the same price they were back when they were new). Maybe you can manage to pick one up for cheaper if you get lucky with an auction, but the going rate seems to be $70-$100!
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Unicomp makes Model Ms, those are different. More silent, more plastic, one membrane instead of discrete switches. There is a Model F remake, but it’s only the small version:
(And it’s more expensive than an F XT these days. My XT was € 100.
…)You really, really should! Ask on Deskthority, maybe?
I wish I had blue Alps, but those are made from Unobtainium these days.
The fn key on a Mac keyboard registers its own separate key press whereas on any other keyboard it's simply a modifier key that does nothing except when pressed along with a limited selection of other keys. MacOS uses the fn key for a bunch of things that become lost on a Windows keyboard unless you use software, such as Karabiner Elements, to emulate a native fn key.
Examples:
- Pressing or holding the fn key to start dictation.
- Using the fn key along with the arrow keys instead of Page Up, Page Down, Home, End.
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The IBM Model F was my favorite keyboard. I first used it on an IBM System/23 Datamaster back in the early 80s. I'd love to have one to use with my iMac, but at the price Model F Keyboards is charging, I think it's not an option.
In the mean time I'm actually happy with a Logitech K120. It's cheap. It feels good. It survives spills. If it fails it can be replaced for less than ten bucks.
My 1981 Model F works nicely with a recent Mac, I bought mine for € 100 from a collector.