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Illuminated keyboards for mac

post #1 of 13
5/28/04 at 6:51pm
Thread Starter 
Are there any illuminated keyboards for macs? I've searched high and low and found none. There are many stylish ones for pc like Nightowl and Okion. I came across one that claimed mac compatible until it only had a ps/2 port. Anyone have one?
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post #2 of 13
5/29/04 at 8:38am
No, but after owning this PowerBook for over six months, I have to say that I think illuminated keys on ALL Apple keyboards - laptops AND the white wired and Bluetooth models - is the only way to go.

What I first viewed as a gimmick is actually quite a useful, "didn't know you needed it 'til you had it" feature.

What sucks is that I bought an external Apple wired keyboard to use with my PowerBook (ergonomics, man...) and now, at night, I hate using it sometimes. I was so used to glances at the PowerBook's keyboard and seeing where everything was...

I touch-type (and am quite good and fast), but some of those F-keys and brackets and Expose and numbers are a little tricky sometimes.

I would love to imagine that Apple has this in the works and is going to roll it out on us any day now...

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post #3 of 13
5/29/04 at 9:05am
http://www.eluminx.com/ should be Mac compatible. It's PS/2, but has an adapter for USB. Like my joystick.
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post #4 of 13
5/29/04 at 11:14am
That's funny...you'd think, by now, one of the "usual suspect" Mac accessory makers would've done this (AND making it USB, have the control, option and command keys in the expected places, maybe an eject and volume keys too, etc.).

MacAlly, Contour, etc.

I bet they'd do okay. If was as sleek and nice-looking (and feeling) as my Apple keyboard - and had a somewhat similar layout and feel so it felt friendly and familiar - I'd buy one, no question.

If I could just get my keyboard to glow a nice soft light (preferably the letters themselves and not the whole thing...not looking to get blinded or distracted), that would be really awesome!
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post #5 of 13
5/29/04 at 11:27am
I know we sell that keyboard at Maplin (UK), where I work. Will try to take my PB in to see if it is compatible tomorrrow, if that's of use?
Sometimes I tire of this world's ideosyncracies - can I get a transfer to another one please, with new and exciting ideosyncracies?
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Sometimes I tire of this world's ideosyncracies - can I get a transfer to another one please, with new and exciting ideosyncracies?
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post #6 of 13
5/30/04 at 12:31pm
there are some companies that make illuminated USB keyboards, but they're not that great because they have lots of excessive glow that you can't adjust or turn-off... quite annoying.

deunan
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post #7 of 13
5/30/04 at 1:42pm
Well, that's why I like Apple's approach on the PowerBooks: it's just the letters that glow, and not the entire damn 5"x12" keyboard surface, which is indeed a bit much. And probably quite obnoxious.



Surely someone could invent one where a) only the letters glow, b) the brightness can be adjusted, c) it has Mac-centric keys, d) is USB-based and e) vaguely meshes with Apple's style (heck, offer both an aluminum-colored model AND a white one, pleasing both the Power and "i" users.

Someone's missing a great opportunity here...
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post #8 of 13
5/30/04 at 1:46pm
WWDC mebbe? Along with G5's?
Sometimes I tire of this world's ideosyncracies - can I get a transfer to another one please, with new and exciting ideosyncracies?
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Sometimes I tire of this world's ideosyncracies - can I get a transfer to another one please, with new and exciting ideosyncracies?
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post #9 of 13
5/30/04 at 1:53pm
Quote:
Originally posted by pscates
No, but after owning this PowerBook for over six months, I have to say that I think illuminated keys on ALL Apple keyboards - laptops AND the white wired and Bluetooth models - is the only way to go.

Odd I thought I would be using it all the time when I first got my PowerBook. I find that normally the light from the display is enough light to keep me going.

So now I really only use it when I'm working with crazy key commands. I mean it's kinda hard to not want to look down while doing Shift-Option-Command-S in photoshop or something of that sort.
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post #10 of 13
2/6/09 at 12:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates View Post

Well, that's why I like Apple's approach on the PowerBooks: it's just the letters that glow, and not the entire damn 5"x12" keyboard surface, which is indeed a bit much. And probably quite obnoxious.



Surely someone could invent one where a) only the letters glow, b) the brightness can be adjusted, c) it has Mac-centric keys, d) is USB-based and e) vaguely meshes with Apple's style (heck, offer both an aluminum-colored model AND a white one, pleasing both the Power and "i" users.

Someone's missing a great opportunity here...

Hi,

As to Illuminated keyboards for Mac--I'm still looking. Any available yet?
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post #11 of 13
2/6/09 at 1:15pm
here is a mockup i made of the wired illuminated "backlit" black chicklet keyboard w/builtin glass track pad for multitouch support. it seems that both the mighty mouse and the mac keyboard that come with the aluminum imacs are indeed outdated. The mighty mouse alone is probably the worst apple product still being sold to date. I would pay up to $150 for one of these maybe more.

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post #12 of 13
2/6/09 at 3:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hawaiipoolman View Post

I would pay up to $150 for one of these maybe more.

Cut out the wire and give it bluetooth and I'd be down.
everything is good and it's gonna be that way forever
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everything is good and it's gonna be that way forever
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post #13 of 13
2/7/09 at 10:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by foodmetaphors View Post

Cut out the wire and give it bluetooth and I'd be down.

Just thought of this, it'd be nice if the trackpad could double as a number pad with a key or gesture to turn it on or off.
everything is good and it's gonna be that way forever
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