AFAIK, it was a concept model circa '84 - '85. The keyboard that shipped with the Apple IIGS (Universe), was based on the SnowWhite frameless keyboard.
SnowWhite was a product/industrial design project - the aim was to create a common design "language" that all Apple products would be based on.
Im using the new keyboard and mouse right now. Im at the soho apple store using one of the new eMacs.
Its cheaper looking, its not adjustable, and the keys are sitting inside an open "shell" of plastic instead of being incased in plastic like the old ones, their open, and exposed. and the bottom is very simple and just says "Keyboard". Im not sure if I like it that much. but i have a strong felling that these are just for the eMacs. and the Pro keyboards will continue to ship with the other macs, with a completely new one introduced with the 970s.
The mouse is pretty much the same, the bottom is white instead of translucent as you can see in the pictures. theres no way to adjust the tension, the gripers on the side are white. and it appears to be the same length.
I think im the very first with a report on this! Yay!
BTW, I saw Meg Ryan on Houston St. today, she looked pretty good.
Eugene, I agree with you, on the desktop, but laptop users could really use a nice bluetooth mouse, something that charges over a retractable cord would solve all docking issues and make a really nice mobile solution.
So let me get this straight...you want a cordless mouse with a cord?
So let me get this straight...you want a cordless mouse with a cord?
It operates without a cord. When it runs out of battery power, you unwind the cord and plug it into the computer, allowing you to charge the mouse and continue working as normal. Once it's charged, unplug it and keep working. The cord would plug into a USB port but it would carry power ONLY. The mouse would use bluetooth for tracking 100% of the time, and it would get power from the batteries 99% of the time.
Besides, most "cordless" mice today have at least one cord, sometimes two or three. They really add to the clutter.
It operates without a cord. When it runs out of battery power, you unwind the cord and plug it into the computer, allowing you to charge the mouse and continue working as normal. Once it's charged, unplug it and keep working. The cord would plug into a USB port but it would carry power ONLY. The mouse would use bluetooth for tracking 100% of the time, and it would get power from the batteries 99% of the time.
Besides, most "cordless" mice today have at least one cord, sometimes two or three. They really add to the clutter.
Ugh, you don't get it...
Look at any cordless mouse today...there's no cord on the mouse itself. How do you expect to put a cord on the thing and not have it get in the way? A cord of decent length retracts into what?
Also, you said it yourself...rechargeable cordless mice have both the USB cord and a power cord on the receiver for a reason. At 2.5W typical, USB isn't really capable of charging even two AA NiMH cells.
You'd need a power cord anyway. Why else do you think nobody's done what you've described? If it was such a good idea, it'd be out there already.
Huh Why not have a mouse with bluetooth AND rechargeble batteries?
The PB is the receiver - that is very useful in my book, fx at the school, university...
In other words, you'd need a separate recharging station anyway.
Maybe if you're at a lecture and you really, really want to use a mouse, I could see this, but the benefit is extremely limited. Saving a USB port probably isn't enough reason for Logitech or other peripheral makers to cater to a very limited group of customers.
On no! I like that big time. It's a variation on an old design that dates way back - it was the SnowWhite frameless keyboard if I remember?
I think it looks great without the frame around the the keyboard - a nice design revisited using contemporary materials...
Looks pretty good. It's always hard to tell from a picture.
Both revisions look a bit like cost-cutting measures, but not without reason... I've never met anyone who used the click-adjustment at the bottom of the older "Pro" mouse, nor anyone who had the "Pro" keyboard in the non-raised position.
If the majority's not using an option, it fades away, as it should.
"nor anyone who had the "Pro" keyboard in the non-raised position."
What raiser?
The pro keyboard I got with the latest dual 1.25 lies flat, and does not even have a riser! The dinky keyboard I have with a G4/400 does not use a raiser. The old ADB surfboard sized keyboard for the LCII have risers but I allways used them flat.
"nor anyone who had the "Pro" keyboard in the non-raised position."
What raiser?
The pro keyboard I got with the latest dual 1.25 lies flat, and does not even have a riser! The dinky keyboard I have with a G4/400 does not use a raiser.
I;m dissapointed. With all this talk of a new keyboard, I was hoping they would be offering a backlit model for desktops - white for iMacs/eMacs, "quicksilver" or aluminium options for Powermacs...THAT would be sweet.
I;m dissapointed. With all this talk of a new keyboard, I was hoping they would be offering a backlit model for desktops - white for iMacs/eMacs, "quicksilver" or aluminium options for Powermacs...THAT would be sweet.
I'd never really thought about it but you're so right.
With the thousands of dollars we spend on our computers... a lighted keyboard would seem like a no-brainer. It seems that the cost of a dozen or so well placed LEDs would be well justified. No more newbies straining to make out the location of special characters by the light of a monitor in a dark room.
I would choose black keys with internally iluminated letters...
Comments
Originally posted by Messiah
On no! I like that big time. It's a variation on an old design that dates way back - it was the SnowWhite frameless keyboard if I remember?
I think it looks great without the frame around the the keyboard - a nice design revisited using contemporary materials...
Yeah! Very nice. Wasn't the original beige?
Originally posted by NETROMac
Posted this pic in the eMac thread also. Anyway, it was found at macdoobie.
[IMGSNIP]
What do you think? I think it looks kinda cheapish
Bah, that's great. Looks like the keys are floating. Downside: floating keys make for more visual keyboard crap.
Balance in everything.
Originally posted by frawgz
Yeah! Very nice. Wasn't the original beige?
Yeah, it was beige alright.
AFAIK, it was a concept model circa '84 - '85. The keyboard that shipped with the Apple IIGS (Universe), was based on the SnowWhite frameless keyboard.
SnowWhite was a product/industrial design project - the aim was to create a common design "language" that all Apple products would be based on.
Its cheaper looking, its not adjustable, and the keys are sitting inside an open "shell" of plastic instead of being incased in plastic like the old ones, their open, and exposed. and the bottom is very simple and just says "Keyboard". Im not sure if I like it that much. but i have a strong felling that these are just for the eMacs. and the Pro keyboards will continue to ship with the other macs, with a completely new one introduced with the 970s.
The mouse is pretty much the same, the bottom is white instead of translucent as you can see in the pictures. theres no way to adjust the tension, the gripers on the side are white. and it appears to be the same length.
I think im the very first with a report on this! Yay!
BTW, I saw Meg Ryan on Houston St. today, she looked pretty good.
Originally posted by Matsu
Eugene, I agree with you, on the desktop, but laptop users could really use a nice bluetooth mouse, something that charges over a retractable cord would solve all docking issues and make a really nice mobile solution.
So let me get this straight...you want a cordless mouse with a cord?
Because bluetooth mice are totally unnecessary. Any wireless device should have a charging station to go with it.
Huh
The PB is the receiver - that is very useful in my book, fx at the school, university...
Originally posted by Eugene
So let me get this straight...you want a cordless mouse with a cord?
It operates without a cord. When it runs out of battery power, you unwind the cord and plug it into the computer, allowing you to charge the mouse and continue working as normal. Once it's charged, unplug it and keep working. The cord would plug into a USB port but it would carry power ONLY. The mouse would use bluetooth for tracking 100% of the time, and it would get power from the batteries 99% of the time.
Besides, most "cordless" mice today have at least one cord, sometimes two or three. They really add to the clutter.
Originally posted by Luca Rescigno
It operates without a cord. When it runs out of battery power, you unwind the cord and plug it into the computer, allowing you to charge the mouse and continue working as normal. Once it's charged, unplug it and keep working. The cord would plug into a USB port but it would carry power ONLY. The mouse would use bluetooth for tracking 100% of the time, and it would get power from the batteries 99% of the time.
Besides, most "cordless" mice today have at least one cord, sometimes two or three. They really add to the clutter.
Ugh, you don't get it...
Look at any cordless mouse today...there's no cord on the mouse itself. How do you expect to put a cord on the thing and not have it get in the way? A cord of decent length retracts into what?
Also, you said it yourself...rechargeable cordless mice have both the USB cord and a power cord on the receiver for a reason. At 2.5W typical, USB isn't really capable of charging even two AA NiMH cells.
You'd need a power cord anyway. Why else do you think nobody's done what you've described? If it was such a good idea, it'd be out there already.
Originally posted by hengx
Huh
The PB is the receiver - that is very useful in my book, fx at the school, university...
In other words, you'd need a separate recharging station anyway.
Maybe if you're at a lecture and you really, really want to use a mouse, I could see this, but the benefit is extremely limited. Saving a USB port probably isn't enough reason for Logitech or other peripheral makers to cater to a very limited group of customers.
Originally posted by Messiah
On no! I like that big time. It's a variation on an old design that dates way back - it was the SnowWhite frameless keyboard if I remember?
I think it looks great without the frame around the the keyboard - a nice design revisited using contemporary materials...
Looks pretty good. It's always hard to tell from a picture.
Both revisions look a bit like cost-cutting measures, but not without reason... I've never met anyone who used the click-adjustment at the bottom of the older "Pro" mouse, nor anyone who had the "Pro" keyboard in the non-raised position.
If the majority's not using an option, it fades away, as it should.
What raiser?
The pro keyboard I got with the latest dual 1.25 lies flat, and does not even have a riser! The dinky keyboard I have with a G4/400 does not use a raiser. The old ADB surfboard sized keyboard for the LCII have risers but I allways used them flat.
Originally posted by DrBoar
"nor anyone who had the "Pro" keyboard in the non-raised position."
What raiser?
The pro keyboard I got with the latest dual 1.25 lies flat, and does not even have a riser! The dinky keyboard I have with a G4/400 does not use a raiser.
Try and flip them over and take a close look
Originally posted by Messiah
On no! I like that big time. It's a variation on an old design that dates way back - it was the SnowWhite frameless keyboard if I remember?
I think it looks great without the frame around the the keyboard - a nice design revisited using contemporary materials...
yeah you're right! snowwhite lives!
Cool! so many of those designs rocked, they could look fresh even today....
Still the best sig. I've seen!
Originally posted by SerpentFruit
I;m dissapointed. With all this talk of a new keyboard, I was hoping they would be offering a backlit model for desktops - white for iMacs/eMacs, "quicksilver" or aluminium options for Powermacs...THAT would be sweet.
I'd never really thought about it but you're so right.
With the thousands of dollars we spend on our computers... a lighted keyboard would seem like a no-brainer. It seems that the cost of a dozen or so well placed LEDs would be well justified. No more newbies straining to make out the location of special characters by the light of a monitor in a dark room.
I would choose black keys with internally iluminated letters...
Oh, yeah, and how do you post pictures?!?!?! I haven't been able to do it!