It's about 32 inches long. That's a measurement taken with the largest ruler I have, which happens to be four inches long but it should be within an inch or two.
The key action is as good as it gets for desktop keyboards.
My problem with the new keyboard is the shape of the keys. The tops are wider and not as deep as with my Pro Keyboard. It makes it much easier for my fingers to slip and hit other keys.
You know, the very first time I saw the new keyboard I didn't like it. At first glance it appeared to just be a much cheaper version of the pro kb. But after looking at it further, and actually using it, I now think that its nearly perfect. Its called MINIMALIST design folks. Its the direction that Apple is heading with their products and I love it.
And I know this argument has come up before but I still dont understand why everyone on these boards seems to hate that the kb is white. Everyone I know in the real world (including myself) loves it.
...I still dont understand why everyone on these boards seems to hate that the kb is white. Everyone I know in the real world (including myself) loves it.
I dont have a big problem with white keyboards in general (esthetically). The white pro keyboard went well with the iMac, eMac or iBook. However, I dont like white in combination with the g5's metalic look. I dont see why the silver/black pro keyboard wouldnt have gone well with the G5. I loved the one that came with my G4 until I accidently dumped an entire glass of water on it Needless to say several important keys dont work anymore...
Also, white is just as bad as beige in the sense that it gets dirty and brown fast, very fast.
the only thing i have not liked with my dual g4 is the keyboard. it looks like exactly the same one that came with my wife's imac, but the keys are either dead or too repetitive. makes my typos increase 700% (either that, or i am getting dumber, which is a possibility).
Eugene, you don't like the scissor action keys? I find the keyboard on my PB to be the best keyboard I use (in terms of feel and speed)
No plunger system with a shallow pitch could ever work as well as the scissor action. Of course, when you move to a desktop keyboard you can make the travel a little longer, but I'm not convinced that plunger and spring is the best route, though I haven't tried the IceKey to see if the scissor action translates well to a desktop keyboard (and don't really like the look of it either) -- even if it's no better and just as good as the albooks, that's gonna be pretty good, if it's a crap implementation, it might suck, who knows? I always found Apple's keyboards a little too soft and lacking in feel. Other generic brands were always too stiff and lacking in feel, so I suppose Apple's choices were better for your hands -- less strain -- but none were ever really as good as a properly weighted clicky mechanical keyboard, even those industrial strength IBM curly cord jobs with the steel case.
No moving parts, just like the ipod. nicely backlit, different colors for alpha, numeric and control keys. The surface could curve up to accomodate the reach of the fingers. The best thing is no more grime under the keys. just wipe it clean.
Best keyboard IMHO was the Apple Extended II. Just a perfect balance of tactile feedback, noise, and size. Everything about it was great!
I agree that the Extended II was the best of Apple's keyboards, except about the size -- I really enjoy my deskspace. Having just spilled water all over my current keyboard, I'm just hoping that it will come back to life so I won't have to buy another! I'm feeling pretty dumb right now!
On the other hand I'm loving Apple's support for bluetooth keyboards: I was able to borrow my flatmates Microsoft bluetooth keyboard and it works perfectly -- although I don't know how long I can stand the Microsoft logo in front of my iMac!
No moving parts, just like the ipod. nicely backlit, different colors for alpha, numeric and control keys. The surface could curve up to accomodate the reach of the fingers. The best thing is no more grime under the keys. just wipe it clean.
You know, that's kinda cool! I wonder what downsides/negatives there would be to this? I do love the way the iPod wheel and buttons feel.
Do people like the true "push down" feeling of a true keyboard too much though? I don't know.
Here's another neat feature: in the same way that the iPod wheel "clicks", these keys could be set (via a button in the keyboard/mouse preference pane) to make a nice, soft "clickity, clack" sound as you're typing. Like a real keyboard. Volume would be adjustable, independent of the system volume too, of course: a nice, barely audible click/clack just for feedback that you are indeed typing something, all the way to obnoxious Daily Planet "CLICKITY-CLACKITY-CLICKETY!!!" for people who dig old typewriters. And all levels in between, via a slider in the preference pane.
Sometimes that sound is pleasant and nice to hear as you're writing away.
But the idea about the colors is good. Also, backlighting! Backlighting on every Apple keyboard! And yes, keeping it clean involves simply wiping it with a damp paper towel or dust cloth.
It would be to the keyboard what the optical mouse is to the mouse: no moving parts, no pieces to get gummy/dirty and unresponsive, etc.
Put me down for a "yes".
Neat idea.
Does this exist? I mean in a full-sized, truly useful manner? Not talking about those goofy little foldout keyboards people use with their PDA.
Basically something the size/shape of Apple's current keyboard.
I wonder if that's something people would like or could get used to? I'd give it a shot!
Eh, I don't know. The iPod's controls are nice for one-handed use, but it's a bit too easy to activate them, and if you hold your finger on one a bit too long, it rapid-fires.
Also, as a touch typist I appreciate that I can rest my fingers on the home row even when I'm not typing. That would be difficult to do with an iPod-style keyboard. And in the short term, the unrelenting surface would be hell on the fingertips of people who learned on typewriter keys (read: who hit the keys hard).
I would HATE a touch-only keyboard. HATE. With a passion. How can you type without being able to press down? I can see reducing the travel i.e. using scissor keys instead of plunger keys, but eliminating it entirely? Yuck!
Well maybe it wouldn't be totally like the iPod (super-sensitive and subject to "brush by" input or "rapid fire" repeating): again, in the preference pane, what if there was a very good sensitivity sliding selector?
Depending on your size, age, strength, typing style, etc., one could set the keyboard to their liking?
And I don't imagine this thing being totally flat because, as a touch typist myself, I NEED to feel that sensation of "okay, I'm on the A, S, D, F..." that you get.
A slight raise of some sort? Something that could mimic an "individual key" feel? And of course, the little bumps on the F and J key (what was that always called? "Tits on the keyboard" or something?).
So if you had the tactile (slightly raised keys) and auditory (clicks) responses in place, combined with an adjustable sensitivity setting to perfectly match your typing style/habits...
What's the difference? You could set it to where simply having your fingers ON the keys (home row or otherwise) produced no input. You have to exert a LITTLE bit of pressure - as much as you would normally typing - for anything to register. And again, this would be widely tweakable depending on the user.
BTW, hate to sound like a dumb-butt...but what are "scissor keys"?
I honestly don't know. What's the alternative? What is the Apple Pro Keyboard? What is the keyboard on my PowerBook? Whatever it is, I like them both, particularly the PowerBook. VERY nice to type on!
In any case, I REALLY think Apple should include backlighting in their next rev of their keyboards! Tons of people like to work, type and surf in the dark and after nearly four weeks of owning this PowerBook, I can't tell you how much I've come to absolutely LOVE this illuminated keyboard! Makes all the difference in the world and I went from looking at it as a kitschy little "wow" feature to something truly helpful and useful.
Every Mac user should be so lucky!
Can I get an "amen" on the illuminated keys across the board, at least?
Scissor keys are the ones on the laptops. Plunger keys are on desktop keyboards, and I think some of the older laptops (the thick ones with the really shitty keyboards).
Okay. So it's a travel distance thing, then (scissor vs. plunger)? Or an action? There's definitely a difference between the two (I use a Pro Keyboard at work with my G4 and the PowerBook here at home).
Less effort on the PowerBook. And a nicer, quieter feel overall.
Do they make standalone keyboards (for use with towers and iMacs) with these "scissor keys"?
What, exactly, is the difference between the two, mechanically/physically?
Here's my understanding (those who are better informed, please butt in and correct me if I'm wrong):
Scissor keys use little crossing diagonal plastic things for the key action. Basically a scissor shape. The scissor holds the key over a rubber button and when pressed, that's the keystroke.
Plunger keys have the key connected to the keyboard in a line straight down. The "male" half is on the key itself while the "female" half is on the keyboard. The keys hug the keyboard in a very special way , and the key presses down on the button which produces a keystroke.
If you want a keyboard that uses scissor keys instead of plunger keys, the only one I know of is the MacAlly iceKey. Eugene will of course go on a rant about the quality of MacAlly and probably he'll also give you some lecture about ergonomics, but just ignore him. A friend of mine has an iceKey and it's pretty good. Just don't order directly from MacAlly, they overcharge something terrible there.
No moving parts, just like the ipod. nicely backlit, different colors for alpha, numeric and control keys. The surface could curve up to accomodate the reach of the fingers. The best thing is no more grime under the keys. just wipe it clean.
eh, i don't know much about ergonomics, but i can't imagine that banging fingertips against a hard surface would be pleasant after a while. tactile feedback does serve a purpose. hell, i still prefer the old first-gen ipods actual turning jog wheel, despite the grime problem.
Comments
The good:
The key action is as good as it gets for desktop keyboards.
It does take up very little space on the desktop.
I use the volume keys all the time.
The bad:
The function keys are too close to the top line of numeric keys.
The caps lock light is blocked by your left hand.
The white colour is a strange choice.
Originally posted by Tuttle
The good:
The key action is as good as it gets for desktop keyboards.
My problem with the new keyboard is the shape of the keys. The tops are wider and not as deep as with my Pro Keyboard. It makes it much easier for my fingers to slip and hit other keys.
And I know this argument has come up before but I still dont understand why everyone on these boards seems to hate that the kb is white. Everyone I know in the real world (including myself) loves it.
Originally posted by Wotan
...I still dont understand why everyone on these boards seems to hate that the kb is white. Everyone I know in the real world (including myself) loves it.
I dont have a big problem with white keyboards in general (esthetically). The white pro keyboard went well with the iMac, eMac or iBook. However, I dont like white in combination with the g5's metalic look. I dont see why the silver/black pro keyboard wouldnt have gone well with the G5. I loved the one that came with my G4 until I accidently dumped an entire glass of water on it
Also, white is just as bad as beige in the sense that it gets dirty and brown fast, very fast.
No plunger system with a shallow pitch could ever work as well as the scissor action. Of course, when you move to a desktop keyboard you can make the travel a little longer, but I'm not convinced that plunger and spring is the best route, though I haven't tried the IceKey to see if the scissor action translates well to a desktop keyboard (and don't really like the look of it either) -- even if it's no better and just as good as the albooks, that's gonna be pretty good, if it's a crap implementation, it might suck, who knows? I always found Apple's keyboards a little too soft and lacking in feel. Other generic brands were always too stiff and lacking in feel, so I suppose Apple's choices were better for your hands -- less strain -- but none were ever really as good as a properly weighted clicky mechanical keyboard, even those industrial strength IBM curly cord jobs with the steel case.
No moving parts, just like the ipod. nicely backlit, different colors for alpha, numeric and control keys. The surface could curve up to accomodate the reach of the fingers. The best thing is no more grime under the keys. just wipe it clean.
Originally posted by Luca Rescigno
Best keyboard IMHO was the Apple Extended II. Just a perfect balance of tactile feedback, noise, and size. Everything about it was great!
I agree that the Extended II was the best of Apple's keyboards, except about the size -- I really enjoy my deskspace. Having just spilled water all over my current keyboard, I'm just hoping that it will come back to life so I won't have to buy another! I'm feeling pretty dumb right now!
On the other hand I'm loving Apple's support for bluetooth keyboards: I was able to borrow my flatmates Microsoft bluetooth keyboard and it works perfectly -- although I don't know how long I can stand the Microsoft logo in front of my iMac!
Originally posted by Jamil
How about a solid state keyboard?
No moving parts, just like the ipod. nicely backlit, different colors for alpha, numeric and control keys. The surface could curve up to accomodate the reach of the fingers. The best thing is no more grime under the keys. just wipe it clean.
You know, that's kinda cool! I wonder what downsides/negatives there would be to this? I do love the way the iPod wheel and buttons feel.
Do people like the true "push down" feeling of a true keyboard too much though? I don't know.
Here's another neat feature: in the same way that the iPod wheel "clicks", these keys could be set (via a button in the keyboard/mouse preference pane) to make a nice, soft "clickity, clack" sound as you're typing. Like a real keyboard. Volume would be adjustable, independent of the system volume too, of course: a nice, barely audible click/clack just for feedback that you are indeed typing something, all the way to obnoxious Daily Planet "CLICKITY-CLACKITY-CLICKETY!!!" for people who dig old typewriters. And all levels in between, via a slider in the preference pane.
Sometimes that sound is pleasant and nice to hear as you're writing away.
But the idea about the colors is good. Also, backlighting! Backlighting on every Apple keyboard! And yes, keeping it clean involves simply wiping it with a damp paper towel or dust cloth.
It would be to the keyboard what the optical mouse is to the mouse: no moving parts, no pieces to get gummy/dirty and unresponsive, etc.
Put me down for a "yes".
Neat idea.
Does this exist? I mean in a full-sized, truly useful manner? Not talking about those goofy little foldout keyboards people use with their PDA.
Basically something the size/shape of Apple's current keyboard.
I wonder if that's something people would like or could get used to? I'd give it a shot!
Also, as a touch typist I appreciate that I can rest my fingers on the home row even when I'm not typing. That would be difficult to do with an iPod-style keyboard.
Backlighting would be seriously cool, though.
Depending on your size, age, strength, typing style, etc., one could set the keyboard to their liking?
And I don't imagine this thing being totally flat because, as a touch typist myself, I NEED to feel that sensation of "okay, I'm on the A, S, D, F..." that you get.
A slight raise of some sort? Something that could mimic an "individual key" feel? And of course, the little bumps on the F and J key (what was that always called? "Tits on the keyboard" or something?).
So if you had the tactile (slightly raised keys) and auditory (clicks) responses in place, combined with an adjustable sensitivity setting to perfectly match your typing style/habits...
What's the difference? You could set it to where simply having your fingers ON the keys (home row or otherwise) produced no input. You have to exert a LITTLE bit of pressure - as much as you would normally typing - for anything to register. And again, this would be widely tweakable depending on the user.
BTW, hate to sound like a dumb-butt...but what are "scissor keys"?
I honestly don't know. What's the alternative? What is the Apple Pro Keyboard? What is the keyboard on my PowerBook? Whatever it is, I like them both, particularly the PowerBook. VERY nice to type on!
In any case, I REALLY think Apple should include backlighting in their next rev of their keyboards! Tons of people like to work, type and surf in the dark and after nearly four weeks of owning this PowerBook, I can't tell you how much I've come to absolutely LOVE this illuminated keyboard! Makes all the difference in the world and I went from looking at it as a kitschy little "wow" feature to something truly helpful and useful.
Every Mac user should be so lucky!
Can I get an "amen" on the illuminated keys across the board, at least?
Scissor keys are the ones on the laptops. Plunger keys are on desktop keyboards, and I think some of the older laptops (the thick ones with the really shitty keyboards).
Less effort on the PowerBook. And a nicer, quieter feel overall.
Do they make standalone keyboards (for use with towers and iMacs) with these "scissor keys"?
What, exactly, is the difference between the two, mechanically/physically?
Scissor keys use little crossing diagonal plastic things for the key action. Basically a scissor shape. The scissor holds the key over a rubber button and when pressed, that's the keystroke.
Plunger keys have the key connected to the keyboard in a line straight down. The "male" half is on the key itself while the "female" half is on the keyboard. The keys hug the keyboard in a very special way
If you want a keyboard that uses scissor keys instead of plunger keys, the only one I know of is the MacAlly iceKey. Eugene will of course go on a rant about the quality of MacAlly and probably he'll also give you some lecture about ergonomics, but just ignore him. A friend of mine has an iceKey and it's pretty good. Just don't order directly from MacAlly, they overcharge something terrible there.
http://www.zippy.com/K_product_detai...pk_code=WK-720
Originally posted by Jamil
How about a solid state keyboard?
No moving parts, just like the ipod. nicely backlit, different colors for alpha, numeric and control keys. The surface could curve up to accomodate the reach of the fingers. The best thing is no more grime under the keys. just wipe it clean.
eh, i don't know much about ergonomics, but i can't imagine that banging fingertips against a hard surface would be pleasant after a while. tactile feedback does serve a purpose. hell, i still prefer the old first-gen ipods actual turning jog wheel, despite the grime problem.