Wireless keyboard with a Mac and PC?

[Sheza]

Hi,

I have a Macbook which I dock alongside a PC. I am using the PC less and less (it's a gaming PC, but I don't have the time to game any more so it's usually used to play music and movies via my speakers).

I use a sort-of KVM switch to switch the mouse/keyboard and display between the two computers.

I also have a chunky mechanical gaming keyboard. This thing is loud, heavy and it gets in the way. I would use the Apple Wireless keyboard, in fact I want to, but I have not figured out a way to get it to play nicely with my Windows PC and switch smoothly.

I know my Mac can bluetooth to it. If I bought a bluetooth receiver for the PC, would that work? But then how would I switch off that receiver until I switch back to the PC?

Any help will be appreciated

EDIT: I should add that I am on a University campus and connect the PC via a wired connection and Mac via WiFi, so I could not use a software KVM as they are two separate networks :/

 

[rigormortis]

sometimes using a single bluetooth keyboard with two or more computers is a pain in the butt

sometimes the keyboard can pair to one device at a time
and you have to totally erase the pairing when switching

sometimes the keyboard can hold multiple pairing profiles.
but whichever computer has its bluetooth enabled gets the first connect
its a race to get one computer to connect to it over the other
you almost have to remove or turn off the computer's bluetooth receiver on the computer you want to switch from
i have an apple wireless keyboard 2009, my mac woke up at the forgot password screen and it wanted to re pair my keyboard. but it was already paired to my other mac, and it was stopping it from connecting.
i had to delete the keyboard from the other mac, to get it to discover on the mac with the password issue.

i paired the keyboard okay to my 2014 mac , and it was like that for 2 months since ei had this computer
simply because my 2014 booted into its forgot password screen, it went back to wanting to stay connected
to my 2010 mac mini and it was being stubborn about going to the 2014, becasue all of a sudden my 2010
mac had first dibs on it


it was a head ache

i have pair of bluetooth motorola buds. , they are headphones, if i want to connect them to my iPhone, i gotta go to the mac, the macbook pro, the iPad, and go down the line and turn off bluetooth on each device, that way the motorola buds will see the iPhone first and connect! all those devices are already paired, but if you have bluetooth on each device and turn on those motorola buds, its a random pick on which device that the headphones will connect to when you turn them on!!!


god its a pain

 

[d1sahib]

Hi,

I switched over to a Logitech K811 keyboard about a year ago to overcome this very issue, and it has worked flawlessly for me. Very similar to the Apple keyboard, it is also backlit and rechargeable.

The keyboard has physical buttons that you press to connect with up to 3 devices (e.g., a Mac, a PC, and a AppleTV). Of course, you can connect to only one device at a time.

Hope that helps,

 

[colodane]

I recently purchased a Logitech K811 and have been extremely pleased with it. Use it with my iMac, iPad and Apple TV, and it switches between them reliably. The adjustable brightness backlight with automatic sensing of your hands approaching it works nicely - very slick. Amazingly, with the backlight, the battery life is excellent - I get several weeks.

However I am not sure about how it works with a PC.

 

[JuryDuty]

Also check out the Logitech Solar K760. It lets you pair up to three devices via bluetooth. I use mine for my MBP, my iPad and my phone. But you could easily make them anything else. Just switch from one device to another by pressing Control-1, 2 or 3.

I got mine new on ebay for 50% off the Amazon price. There are a ton of them on there--about $30-$40. And since it's solar, you never have to charge it! Keys feel great, too.

 

[Ipadlover29]

If you don't mind using a wireless dongle the Logitech k800 is great. I'm happy with it. Works with both Mac and pc and is backlight. Very easy to type and quiet keys.

 

[Sheza]

If you don't mind using a wireless dongle the Logitech k800 is great. I'm happy with it. Works with both Mac and pc and is backlight. Very easy to type and quiet keys.

I KVM my PC and Mac to a USB hub. This allows me to share the Printer, Keyboard, Mouse and any other USB peripheral with both computers via a single USB port on their end. If I put the wirelese dongle into this hub, do you think it would work as desired?

Thanks for all your suggestions everyone, I'm looking at all the options. Can anyone tell me how similar the keyboard feel is to that of a MacBook keyboard? I'm feeling as though the K760, which is also the cheapest, is closest to a Mac. My only worry is that it won't get enough light!

Thanks.

 

[Ipadlover29]

I KVM my PC and Mac to a USB hub. This allows me to share the Printer, Keyboard, Mouse and any other USB peripheral with both computers via a single USB port on their end. If I put the wirelese dongle into this hub, do you think it would work as desired?

Thanks for all your suggestions everyone, I'm looking at all the options. Can anyone tell me how similar the keyboard feel is to that of a MacBook keyboard? I'm feeling as though the K760, which is also the cheapest, is closest to a Mac. My only worry is that it won't get enough light!

Thanks.

I use the dongle with a USB hub that I use in Windows and Mac mode on my MacBook pro. I'm not sure it will work in your specific setup. I suggest buying the keyboard from a store that has a good return policy so you can try it out and return it if doesn't work as you want it to.

 

[DFWHD]

If you don't mind using a wireless dongle the Logitech k800 is great. I'm happy with it. Works with both Mac and pc and is backlight. Very easy to type and quiet keys.

This is my setup as well. I just move the little Logitech unifying receiver between the rMBP and my work Windows laptop and life is great, no issues whatsoever (except the fact that I have to use a Windows laptop for work.

 

[maflynn]

I use the dongle with a USB hub that I use in Windows and Mac mode on my MacBook pro. I'm not sure it will work in your specific setup. I suggest buying the keyboard from a store that has a good return policy so you can try it out and return it if doesn't work as you want it to.

Why in this day and age, does Logitech still deal with dongles.

I agree the Logitech keyboards and mice are great but I don't understand their need to keep using it, when there's a great technology called bluetooth.

 

[Ipadlover29]

Why in this day and age, does Logitech still deal with dongles.

I agree the Logitech keyboards and mice are great but I don't understand their need to keep using it, when there's a great technology called bluetooth.

I agree. I wish there was a Bluetooth version of my k800 keyboard and m705 mouse. Dongles take up a USB port and 2.4 wireless isn't as solid as Bluetooth wireless.