Matias' wired, backlit Mac keyboard serves as replacement for discontinued Apple version
Third-party accessory maker Matias debuted a new version of its wired Mac keyboard at CES on Tuesday, adding a few creature comforts like adjustable RGB backlighting to fill a product category Apple abandoned last year.
Matias' latest keyboard creation takes cues from Apple's iconic design language, complete with a svelte aluminum chassis in silver or space gray black chiclet-style keys and key font faithful to the original.
Not content on delivering a near replica of the now-discontinued wired Mac keyboard, which it did last year, Matias adds an RGB backlighting system that can be controlled by a rotary dial located on the keyboard's rear panel. Rotating the dial shifts backlight colors through a rainbow of colors.
Matias notes the Color Dial effectively negates blue light levels at night, which some studies have found to negatively impact a body's natural sleep cycle. From white, the keyboard cycles through a range of colors including yellow and red. Brightness can also be customized in 10 percent increments using a dedicated key and pressing the "+" or "-" buttons, or tapping on a number key.
Like all good Mac keyboards, Matias includes function keys that correspond to macOS system controls. The keys themselves offer two millimeters of travel, while a built-in USB 2.0 port serves as a handy connection point for a wired mouse.
Matias offers the RGB wired keyboard in a number of language layouts including U.S. English, UK English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swiss, Nordic, Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean.
The device can be preordered from Matias for $99, with shipments expected to head out in February.
Matias' latest keyboard creation takes cues from Apple's iconic design language, complete with a svelte aluminum chassis in silver or space gray black chiclet-style keys and key font faithful to the original.
Not content on delivering a near replica of the now-discontinued wired Mac keyboard, which it did last year, Matias adds an RGB backlighting system that can be controlled by a rotary dial located on the keyboard's rear panel. Rotating the dial shifts backlight colors through a rainbow of colors.
Matias notes the Color Dial effectively negates blue light levels at night, which some studies have found to negatively impact a body's natural sleep cycle. From white, the keyboard cycles through a range of colors including yellow and red. Brightness can also be customized in 10 percent increments using a dedicated key and pressing the "+" or "-" buttons, or tapping on a number key.
Like all good Mac keyboards, Matias includes function keys that correspond to macOS system controls. The keys themselves offer two millimeters of travel, while a built-in USB 2.0 port serves as a handy connection point for a wired mouse.
Matias offers the RGB wired keyboard in a number of language layouts including U.S. English, UK English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swiss, Nordic, Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean.
The device can be preordered from Matias for $99, with shipments expected to head out in February.
Comments
The space gray aluminum frame is great, but the keys definitely don't feel as nice as the keys on Apple keyboards.
APART FROM THE TINY CURSOR KEYS.
No backlight tho - that would be a nice upgrade.
BTW - free and immediate swap for keyboard with keypad if you buy your iMac at an Apple store vs having to wait weeks if you customize online; just a tip for anyone getting a new iMac and who wants a keyboard with a numeric keypad quickly.
I think you'd get longer battery life out of the way Apple does it and when the batteries fully discharges, all you have to do is plug it in and you can still use it. If its AA and the keyboard goes dead, well you're SOL if you happen to not have batteries in your house. I don't really see the issue with the way Apple is doing it.
We have a number of the new rechargeable keyboards. Their charge lasts a long time, and when they need some juice you can plug them into your Mac with the Lightning cable and keep right on working while they recharge. That said, and unlike a wireless mouse, I don't see whole lot of advantage over the corresponding wired version when used with a desktop Mac, but for laptops they're terrific.
The one thing that does baffle me is that the short-ass BT keyboard with no numeric keypad is included as standard with new desktop Macs. It's very annoying to have to special order the full size keyboard version. Does anyone actually prefer the short keyboard, and if so why?