Apple's New Keyboard

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Jim Redelfs - 14 Nov 2007 02:10 GMT

Do you have one?

If yes, how to you like it?

After my visiting daughter dissed my (4yr-old) Apple keyboard that came with
my G4 MDD, it continued using it with a more critical eye. (fingers?)

Anyway, I recently bought the corded version of the new WAFER-THIN keyboard.

http://www.apple.com/keyboard

After a week, I really like it. ...and that's coming from a VERY accomplished
(but extremely humble) touch typist.

I had considered Matias Tactile Pro keyboard ever since TidBITS raved about it.

http://matias.ca/tactilepro2/

I had been longing for my old Extended Keyboard II from days of yore. I
decided to give Apple's latest offering a try for $100 less. So far, so good.
It's as quiet as the old keyboard was noisy and I believe that I can type as
fast (and accurately) as always.

Signature

:)
JR

PowerMac G4 MDD 1.25 SP
Mac OS X 10.4.10

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David Empson - 14 Nov 2007 06:48 GMT

> Do you have one?

I have the Bluetooth one. My flatmate has the USB one but I haven't used
it extensively.

> If yes, how to you like it?

Seems pretty good. I'm using the Bluetooth keyboard occasionally on my
Mac Mini. I got it because I wanted a small and unobtrusive cordless
keyboard in the living room.

I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be using it heavily for touch typing. I
prefer the sculpted keys on the MacBook Pro.

I really prefer the feel of the original Apple Extended Keyboard (ADB),
which I used on my Apple IIgs, but it is too bulky and noisy, and I
can't be bothered mucking around with ADB to USB adapters.

For reference: I learned to touch type on manual typewriters (in the
early 1980s). I was also using the Apple II+ at the same time. Now there
was a nice, solid, layered keyboard (albeit incomplete).

Still can't quite get used to flat laptop keyboards, despite having used
them as my main keyboard for about six years (iBook G3, PowerBook G4,
MacBook Pro).

I have two major complaints with the new Apple keyboards:

1. They arbitrarily rearranged the special functions on the Function
keys. Why didn't they use the established layout from the laptops?

2. On the Bluetooth one, the key second to the right of the space bar is
a duplicate Option key, instead of the Enter key.

I frequently use Enter when doing data entry in a variety of
applications, where it behaves differently from Return. I can get Enter
by doing Fn-Return, but that is a two handed operation and I'm often
doing one handed data entry.

If I was going to do any data entry with that keyboard I would rapidly
be finding out how to patch my system to get that Enter key back again.

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David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz

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Howard Brazee - 14 Nov 2007 16:58 GMT

>For reference: I learned to touch type on manual typewriters (in the
>early 1980s). I was also using the Apple II+ at the same time. Now there
>was a nice, solid, layered keyboard (albeit incomplete).

I was real happy when the IBM Selectric came out, as I had only typed
with manual typewriters before then. And then the erasing tape was
heaven!

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Mike Rosenberg - 14 Nov 2007 20:40 GMT

> I was real happy when the IBM Selectric came out, as I had only typed
> with manual typewriters before then.

I'm chuckling out loud, remembering my first time using an IBM Selectric
having typed mostly on an old manual typewriter before then, _and_
having learned touch typing from a book, not from having taken a class
in school and, therefore, not having had a teacher to correct me when I
rested with the full weight of my hands on the keyboard. I typed a
whole line of whatever before I realized what was happening.

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BreadWithSpam@fractious.net - 14 Nov 2007 16:06 GMT

> Anyway, I recently bought the corded version of the new WAFER-THIN keyboard.

I tried one in the store. My typing on it stank. I wanted
to like it - it's so slick and I like the very low front
profile. But my typing on it suffered very badly.

> I had considered Matias Tactile Pro keyboard ever since TidBITS
> raved about it.

I have one of those at home and love it. Absolutely love it.
Just don't try typing anything while you're on the phone.

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Neill Massello - 14 Nov 2007 22:16 GMT

> I tried one in the store. My typing on it stank. I wanted
> to like it - it's so slick and I like the very low front
> profile. But my typing on it suffered very badly.

It takes more than a few minutes to get used to. Because of the short
key travel and low angle, you have to hold your wrists up (as is
recommend to reduce RSI) or you'll be hitting a lot of keys
accidentally.

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Howard Brazee - 14 Nov 2007 16:57 GMT

>Anyway, I recently bought the corded version of the new WAFER-THIN keyboard.
>
>http://www.apple.com/keyboard
>
>After a week, I really like it. ...and that's coming from a VERY accomplished
>(but extremely humble) touch typist.

I wonder how long it would take me to like it - especially if I use a
different keyboard at work. At the Apple store it feels terrible.
But I've read other people like you who have learned to like it.

>I had considered Matias Tactile Pro keyboard ever since TidBITS raved about it.
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>It's as quiet as the old keyboard was noisy and I believe that I can type as
>fast (and accurately) as always.

I see it has a high speed USB dock. I infer that it is a powered
dock, something that I have wanted since I tried to plug in my iPod to
Apple and Windows keyboards to find out that they did not have enough
power. But I can't tell if I am correct to infer this.

I prefer powered keyboards and mice over worrying about batteries, but
I want to be able to USE the USB ports. I'd love if a keyboard had
an iPOD slot.

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TaliesinSoft - 14 Nov 2007 18:18 GMT

> I prefer powered keyboards and mice over worrying about batteries, but
> I want to be able to USE the USB ports. I'd love if a keyboard had
> an iPOD slot.

The new Apple Keyboard, at least the USB version, the one I have and love,
has two USB ports, one on each side. My iPods each came with a USB to iPod
cable which plugs just fine into the keyboard.

Signature

James Leo Ryan ..... Austin, Texas ..... taliesinsoft@mac.com

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Howard Brazee - 14 Nov 2007 19:48 GMT

>> I prefer powered keyboards and mice over worrying about batteries, but
>> I want to be able to USE the USB ports. I'd love if a keyboard had
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>has two USB ports, one on each side. My iPods each came with a USB to iPod
>cable which plugs just fine into the keyboard.

If it is not powered, then it's a crap shoot whether an iPod will work
plugged into a device that already uses power (a keyboard).

My iMac's USB ports don't have enough power to the keyboard, mouse,
and iPod (From the same port). So I have a powered USB hub as well.

I'd love to combine the Powered USB hub with a keyboard - especially
if that hub was also an iPod dock. And especially for a Mac Pro
that's under my desk.

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BreadWithSpam@fractious.net - 14 Nov 2007 18:33 GMT

> >http://matias.ca/tactilepro2/

> I see it has a high speed USB dock. I infer that it is a powered
> dock, something that I have wanted since I tried to plug in my iPod to
> Apple and Windows keyboards to find out that they did not have enough
> power. But I can't tell if I am correct to infer this.

Mine's the first-generation TactilePro, but it, too, has a
couple of pass-through USBs. And, no, they're not powered
independently. The keyboard plugs into the computer's USB
and only into the computer's USB - and doesn't pass through
enough power to run things like usb-powered hard drives and
such. They still need to be plugged directly into the
computer. At least in my experience. It pass enough power
for, say, an iPod Shuffle. And it's just fine for USB
keychain-drives (I use it for that all the time). But no
go for anything which wants more power than that.

This new second-generation keyboard, though - clearly it's
different. It's plugs into TWO of your computer's USB
ports and, apparently, one of them is a straight passthrough
to the USB 2.0 Dock on the keyboard. That being the case,
you don't come out ahead port-wise by this - it's just a
convenience bringing a port from the back of your computer
to the top of your keyboard.

Very nice. As I said, I love my first-gen tactile pro.
But it was a gift - I'd probably not have spent that much
on it myself unless it were my primary machine on which I
spend all day working.

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Herbert Viola - 19 Nov 2007 22:25 GMT

In article
<jim.redelfs-E316BD.20103613112007@news.phx.highwinds-media.com>,

> Do you have one?
>
> If yes, how to you like it?

Have it, like it.

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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / November 2007

Apple's New Keyboard